GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, The United Kingdom of.

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, The United Kingdom of. Since Her Majesty Queen Victoria ascended the throne, the armorial bearings have been : Quarterly i and 4 gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or (for England) ; 2 or, a lion rampant within a double tressure flory and counterflory gules (for Scotland) ; 3 azure, a harp or stringed argent (for Ireland), the whole encircled by the Garter. Crest — Upon the royal helmet, the lambrequin being of cloth of gold lined with ermine, the imperial crown proper, thereon a lion statant guardant or, imperially crowned, also proper. Supporters — Upon the dexter side, a lion guardant or, crowned as in the crest, and upon the sinister side, a unicorn argent, armed, crined, and unguled or, gorged with a coronet composed of crosses pattee and fleurs-de-lis, a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back of the last. Motto — " Dieu et mon Droit," in the compartment below the shield, and thereon the Union Badge of the Rose, Thistle, and Shamrock engrafted on the same stem. C^-est of Scotlmid — On an imperial crown a lion sejant affrontee gules, imperially crowned or, holding in the dexter paw a sword and in the sinister a sceptre ensigned with a fleur-de-lis, both erect and also proper. Crest of Ireland — On a wreath or and azure, a tower triple-towered of the first, from the portal a hart springing argent, attired and unguled, also or. Badges : Of England — The rose of York and Lancaster ensigned with the imperial crown ; of Scotland — A thistle proper ensigned with the imperial crown ; of Ireland — A harp or, stringed argent, ensigned with the imperial crown ; also of Ireland — A trefoil slipped vert, ensigned with the imperial crown. The Union Badge of the Rose, Thistle, and Shamrock engrafted upon the same stem, ensigned with an imperial crown : the Union Badge ensigned with the imperial crown, namely, azure, a saltire per saltire argent and gules, the latter fimbriated of the second, over all a cross of the third, also

fimbriated argent (being composed of the crosses of St George, St Andrew, and St Patrick). The badge of Wales, namely, on a mount vert a dragon passant with wings elevated gules ; the cypher of the Sovereign within the Garter and ensigned with the imperial crown, and the cypher ensigned with the imperial crown. (See Frontispiece).

Wales not being a kingdom, but only a principality, has no imperial crown over its badge. The settlement of the arms by an Order in Council is one of the earliest acts in the reign of each successive sovereign.

Original Source bookofpublicarms00foxd_djvu.txt near line 11608.