A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
It will be observed by those who compare one heraldic book with another
that I have quoted these rules differently from any other work upon the
subject. A moment's thought, however, must convince any one of the accuracy
of my version. It is a cardinal rule of armory that save for the single
circumstance of attainder no man's armorial insignia shall be degraded.
Whilst any man's status may be increased, it cannot be lessened. Most
heraldic books quote the coronet of crosses-patée, fleurs-de-lis, and
strawberry leaves as the coronet of the "grandsons" of the sovereign,
whilst the coronet of crosses-patée and strawberry leaves is stated to be
the coronet of "nephews" or cousins of the sovereign. Such a state of
affairs would be intolerable, because it would mean the liability at any
moment to be degraded to the use of a less honourable coronet. Take, for
example, the case of Prince Arthur of Connaught. During the lifetime of
Queen Victoria, as a grandson of the sovereign he would be entitled to the
former, whereas as soon as King Edward ascended the throne he would have
been forced to relinquish it in favour of the more remote form.
The real truth is that the members of the Royal Family do not inherit these
coronets as a matter of course. They technically and in fact have no
coronets until these have been assigned by Royal Warrant with the arms.
When such warrants are issued, the coronets assigned have up to the present
time conformed to the above rules. I am not sure that the "rules" now exist
in any more potent form than that up to the present time those particular
patterns happen to have been assigned in the circumstances stated. But the
warrants (though they contain no hereditary limitation) certainly contain
no clause limiting their operation to the lifetime of the then sovereign,
which they certainly would do if the coronet only existed whilst the
particular relationship continued.
The terms "grandson of the sovereign" and "nephew of the sovereign," which
are usually employed, are not correct. The coronets only apply to the
children of _princes_. The children of princesses, who are undoubtedly
included in the terms "grandson" and "nephew," are not technically members
of the Royal Family, nor do they inherit either rank or coronet from their
mothers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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