0325.Mikael.0929
Gentry
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2020
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0. Recurring parts of Swedish royal arms
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Before moving on, I will introduce a few heraldic symbols used by the Swedish Royals (sorry if I didn't know the relevant jargons for blazon)
-
Three golden crowns on a blue background:
A historical symbol used since the 14th century to represent Sweden.
-
A golden lion on a blue-silver wavy background:
The symbol of the house of Bjelbo, of which Birger Jarl, the son-in-law of King Erik Knutsson, was a member.
-
A tricolor from top-right to bottom-left blue-white-red with a golden withy:
The symbol of the house of Vasa, whose bloodlines have carried onto all Swedish Kings since 1523 (with the exception of Carl XIV Johan and Oscar I)
-
Golden lion with a silver axe on a red background:
The symbol of Norway, used by Swedish royals until 1905
-
A golden eagle on top of a white bridge on a blue background:
The symbol of the Principality of Pontecorvo, of which Carl XIV Johan was the head.
-
Vasa arms at the left + Pontecorvo arms at the right = Coat of arms of the House of Bernadotte.
==============================
1. Arms of Swedish Royals by birth
==============================
Section 1.1: 1811-1844
When Oscar I was made Prince of Sweden and Duke of Södermanland, his arms are:
Top: Sweden
Left: Norway
Right: Bjelbo
Bottom: His province (Södermanland)
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as Prince's Arms (1811).
Example: Oscar's arms as the Duke of Södermanland
Oscar I subsequently sired Carl XV, Gustaf, Oscar II, Eugenie and August under the reign of his father. All of Oscar I's sons used the Prince's Arms (1811) format but with their own provinces' insignia.
Eugenie, the first Swedish Bernadotte Princess, used a generic coat of arms for Swedish Princesses. Swedish Princesses do not have their duchies until 1980. As princesses were expected to marry (as it was for Margaretha, Märtha, Astrid, Ingrid and the Haga Princesses), the Swedish arms were probably meant to be temporary. However, Eugenie, the only unmarried Swedish Princess of the Bernadotte Dynasty, died with her Swedish arms.
Section 1.2: 1844-1905
When Oscar I became King, his arms are:
Top Left: Sweden
Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Right: Norway
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as King's Arms (1844).
Example: Oscar I and Carl XV's arms as King of Swedena and Norway
After Oscar I ascended, the insignia of Sweden, Bjelbo and Norway on Carl XV's arms were rearranged on the Prince's Arms such that:
Top Left: Sweden (moved from top)
Bottom Left: Bjelbo (moved from right)
Right: Norway (moved from left)
This format is hereafter known as the Prince's Arms (1844).
Example: Carl XV's arms after 1844
All of Oscar I's, Carl XV's, Oscar II's and Gustaf V's sons used this format until 1905 when the dissolution of the union removed the Norwegian insignia from the arms.
Section 1.3: 1905-
After the dissolution with the Union with Norway, Oscar II's arms are as follows:
Top Left and Bottom Right: Sweden
Top Right and Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as the King's Arms (1905) and is used for all reigning Kings up to now.
Example: Oscar II's arms as King of Sweden after the Union Dissolution of 1905
Gustaf V, Carl, Eugen and Wilhelm also changed their arms:
Left: Sweden
Right: Bjelbo
Bottom: Province
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as the Prince's Arms (1905). It is used by Carl XVI Gustaf prior to his ascension.
Example: Gustaf V's coat of arms as Prince of Sweden after 1905
However, Gustaf VI Adolf used another type of arms:
Top Left and Bottom Right: Sweden
Top Right and Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Bottom: Province
Center: Bernadotte
This arms format is also used by Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and his brother Sigvard.
Example: Arms of Prince Sigvard before his demotion
Erik also used another type, which will be the standard for all future princes:
Top Left and Bottom Right: Sweden
Top Right: Bjelbo
Center: Bernadotte
This arms format is hereafter known as Erik's Arms. Lennart, Carl (Duke of Östergötland), Bertil, Carl Johan also used this format. Its usage becomes standardized from Carl Philip onwards.
Victoria and all subsequent princesses are granted coats of arms of this format though with a round shield.
Example: Erik's arms after 1905
=
2. Coat of arms of members by marriage
=
Desiree Clary, the spouse of Carl XIV Johan, uses the following arms:
Top: Sweden
Left: Norway
Right: Bjelbo
Center: A blue-yellow top-down bicolor with a golden sun in the blue field and a black eagle in the yellow field.
The center of royal spouses' arms signify their origins.
Josephine of Leuchtenberg uses her spouse's arms but with the coat of arms of Leuchtenberg replacing the Bernadotte arms in the center. This has been the practice of all Swedish consorts since then, i.e. the center of Louise of the Netherlands' coat of arms is the coat of arms of the Netherlands, while the center of Victoria of Baden's arms is the arms of Baden.
Louise Mountbatten is an exception:
As the Duchess of Skåne:
Top Left: Sweden
Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Top Right: Hesse
Bottom Right: Battenberg
Center: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Bottom: Skåne
As Queen Consort:
Center: Battenberg, with UK inside
After the 1970s, commoners can marry Swedish royals and become princes/princesses.
Lilian May Davies from the UK has three blue fleur-de-lys on a yellow background in the center.
Silvia Sommerlath from Germany has a red-yellow fleur-de-lys in the center.
The first Swedish citizen to marry a Swedish royal, Daniel Westling, has the modified coat of arms of Ockelbo Municipality (without the three rings) in the center of his arms.
Sofia Hellqvist followed suit by putting the arms of Älvdalen Municipality (without the crossbow and the sickle) in the center.
It is predicted that Swedish citizens who marry royals will have their home municipalities' arms in the center while non-Swedish citizens will have fleur-de-lys or other heraldic signs.
0. Recurring parts of Swedish royal arms
================================
Before moving on, I will introduce a few heraldic symbols used by the Swedish Royals (sorry if I didn't know the relevant jargons for blazon)
-
Three golden crowns on a blue background:
A historical symbol used since the 14th century to represent Sweden.
-
A golden lion on a blue-silver wavy background:
The symbol of the house of Bjelbo, of which Birger Jarl, the son-in-law of King Erik Knutsson, was a member.
-
A tricolor from top-right to bottom-left blue-white-red with a golden withy:
The symbol of the house of Vasa, whose bloodlines have carried onto all Swedish Kings since 1523 (with the exception of Carl XIV Johan and Oscar I)
-
Golden lion with a silver axe on a red background:
The symbol of Norway, used by Swedish royals until 1905
-
A golden eagle on top of a white bridge on a blue background:
The symbol of the Principality of Pontecorvo, of which Carl XIV Johan was the head.
-
Vasa arms at the left + Pontecorvo arms at the right = Coat of arms of the House of Bernadotte.
==============================
1. Arms of Swedish Royals by birth
==============================
Section 1.1: 1811-1844
When Oscar I was made Prince of Sweden and Duke of Södermanland, his arms are:
Top: Sweden
Left: Norway
Right: Bjelbo
Bottom: His province (Södermanland)
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as Prince's Arms (1811).
Example: Oscar's arms as the Duke of Södermanland
Oscar I subsequently sired Carl XV, Gustaf, Oscar II, Eugenie and August under the reign of his father. All of Oscar I's sons used the Prince's Arms (1811) format but with their own provinces' insignia.
Eugenie, the first Swedish Bernadotte Princess, used a generic coat of arms for Swedish Princesses. Swedish Princesses do not have their duchies until 1980. As princesses were expected to marry (as it was for Margaretha, Märtha, Astrid, Ingrid and the Haga Princesses), the Swedish arms were probably meant to be temporary. However, Eugenie, the only unmarried Swedish Princess of the Bernadotte Dynasty, died with her Swedish arms.
Section 1.2: 1844-1905
When Oscar I became King, his arms are:
Top Left: Sweden
Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Right: Norway
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as King's Arms (1844).
Example: Oscar I and Carl XV's arms as King of Swedena and Norway
After Oscar I ascended, the insignia of Sweden, Bjelbo and Norway on Carl XV's arms were rearranged on the Prince's Arms such that:
Top Left: Sweden (moved from top)
Bottom Left: Bjelbo (moved from right)
Right: Norway (moved from left)
This format is hereafter known as the Prince's Arms (1844).
Example: Carl XV's arms after 1844
All of Oscar I's, Carl XV's, Oscar II's and Gustaf V's sons used this format until 1905 when the dissolution of the union removed the Norwegian insignia from the arms.
Section 1.3: 1905-
After the dissolution with the Union with Norway, Oscar II's arms are as follows:
Top Left and Bottom Right: Sweden
Top Right and Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as the King's Arms (1905) and is used for all reigning Kings up to now.
Example: Oscar II's arms as King of Sweden after the Union Dissolution of 1905
Gustaf V, Carl, Eugen and Wilhelm also changed their arms:
Left: Sweden
Right: Bjelbo
Bottom: Province
Center: Bernadotte
This format is hereafter known as the Prince's Arms (1905). It is used by Carl XVI Gustaf prior to his ascension.
Example: Gustaf V's coat of arms as Prince of Sweden after 1905
However, Gustaf VI Adolf used another type of arms:
Top Left and Bottom Right: Sweden
Top Right and Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Bottom: Province
Center: Bernadotte
This arms format is also used by Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and his brother Sigvard.
Example: Arms of Prince Sigvard before his demotion
Erik also used another type, which will be the standard for all future princes:
Top Left and Bottom Right: Sweden
Top Right: Bjelbo
Center: Bernadotte
This arms format is hereafter known as Erik's Arms. Lennart, Carl (Duke of Östergötland), Bertil, Carl Johan also used this format. Its usage becomes standardized from Carl Philip onwards.
Victoria and all subsequent princesses are granted coats of arms of this format though with a round shield.
Example: Erik's arms after 1905
=
2. Coat of arms of members by marriage
=
Desiree Clary, the spouse of Carl XIV Johan, uses the following arms:
Top: Sweden
Left: Norway
Right: Bjelbo
Center: A blue-yellow top-down bicolor with a golden sun in the blue field and a black eagle in the yellow field.
The center of royal spouses' arms signify their origins.
Josephine of Leuchtenberg uses her spouse's arms but with the coat of arms of Leuchtenberg replacing the Bernadotte arms in the center. This has been the practice of all Swedish consorts since then, i.e. the center of Louise of the Netherlands' coat of arms is the coat of arms of the Netherlands, while the center of Victoria of Baden's arms is the arms of Baden.
Louise Mountbatten is an exception:
As the Duchess of Skåne:
Top Left: Sweden
Bottom Left: Bjelbo
Top Right: Hesse
Bottom Right: Battenberg
Center: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Bottom: Skåne
As Queen Consort:
Center: Battenberg, with UK inside
After the 1970s, commoners can marry Swedish royals and become princes/princesses.
Lilian May Davies from the UK has three blue fleur-de-lys on a yellow background in the center.
Silvia Sommerlath from Germany has a red-yellow fleur-de-lys in the center.
The first Swedish citizen to marry a Swedish royal, Daniel Westling, has the modified coat of arms of Ockelbo Municipality (without the three rings) in the center of his arms.
Sofia Hellqvist followed suit by putting the arms of Älvdalen Municipality (without the crossbow and the sickle) in the center.
It is predicted that Swedish citizens who marry royals will have their home municipalities' arms in the center while non-Swedish citizens will have fleur-de-lys or other heraldic signs.
Last edited:
Her husband's duchy, I assume.
