History
The historical coat of arms of France were the golden fleurs-de-lys on a blue field, used continuously for nearly six centuries (1211-1792). Although according to legend they originated at the baptism of Clovis, who supposedly replaced the three toads that adorned his shield with three lilies, they are first documented only from the early thirteenth century. First shown in semé, that is to say without definite number and staggered, they are reduced to three in 1376. With this decision, King Charles V intended to place the kingdom under the double invocation of the Virgin (the lily is a symbol of Mary), and the Trinity, for the number.
| Coat of arms | Description & blazon | Dates Used |
|---|---|---|
| Flags and Coats of Arms based off of this Banner were mostly used during Dark Ages and Mediaeval times of the Carolingian Empire, first introduced by Charles the Great. Oriflamme (from Latin aurea flamma, "golden flame") was the battle standard of the Kings of France. It was originally the sacred banner of the Abbey of St. Denis, a monastery near Paris. | Frankish Empire | |
| The arms of "France Ancien": Azure semé-de-lis or | Before 1305 | |
| Arms of France Ancien dimidiated with the arms of Navarre, used by Kings Louis X and Charles IV. | 1305–1328 | |
| The arms of "France Ancien": Azure semé-de-lis or | 1328–1376 | |
| The arms of "France Moderne": Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, a simplified version of France Ancien | 1376–1515 | |
| The arms of France Moderne with a closed royal crown and the collar of the Order of the Holy Spirit. | 1515–1589 | |
| The royal arms of the Kingdom of France after the conclusion of the French Wars of Religion. Again the arms of the Kingdom of Navarre impaled with France Moderne, indicating the personal union of the two realms as a result of Henry IV becoming king. | 1589–1792 | |
| Unofficial Emblem of the Napoleonic Consulate used by Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul during the French First Republic featuring an imperial eagle holding a lighting bolt with laurel leaves and the letter N in the centre. |
1799–1804 | |
| The arms of the First French Empire of Napoleon I, featuring an eagle and inset with "golden bees" as in the tomb of King Childeric I. | 1804–1814 | |
| After the restoration the royal house of Bourbon once more assumed the French crown. These arms are still used by the royal house of France. | 1814–1830 | |
| During the July Monarchy the arms of the House of Orléans were used. | 1830–1831 | |
| From 1831 onward, the arms of Louis-Philippe were used, depicting the Charter of 1830. | 1831–1848 | |
| The arms of the Second French Empire of Napoleon III, again featuring an eagle | 1852–1870 | |
| Unofficial Informal arms were created for the French Third Republic featuring fasces on a laurel branch and an oak branch in saltire. |
1898–1953 | |
| Unofficial Emblem of Philippe Pétain, chief of state of the French State (Vichy France), featuring the motto Travail, Famille, Patrie (Work, Family, Fatherland). The Francisque was only Pétain's personal emblem but was also gradually used as the regime's informal emblem on official documents. |
1940–1944 | |
| Unofficial This composition - already appeared furtively porch of the residence of Alfonso during his official visit to France in 1905 - in 1922 reappears on the board for the realization of a tapestry on "Weapons of France" we had to install the Commissioner General of the Republic Strasbourg Carton Gustave Jaulmes, German Encyclopedias give a color reproduction in 1928. The 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds with a note to the German Embassy, who wanted to know the official coat of arms of the Republic. The 1935 edition of New Oxford Dictionary reproduced in black and white this composition as a symbol of the Republic French. It was taken by Robert Louis at the request of an interministerial committee, which meets the 3 June 1953, in order to meet the request of the Secretariat of the UN who wanted to adorn the assembly hall panels reproducing the official coat of arms of each Member State. It is still found in black and white, in the 1962 edition of the Grand Larousse Encyclopaedia. |
1898–1953 | |
| Unofficial Informal arms dating from 1912, reintroduced during the presidency of Jacques Chirac (1995–2007) and still used. |
1995–present |
Read more about this topic: National Emblem Of France
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