A coat of arms has been created for the Duchess of Sussex, Kensington Palace announced on Friday.
The new insignia comes less than one week after Meghan Markle became the Duchess after she married Prince Harry in a stunning ceremony on May 19 at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
According to the release, Meghan “worked closed with the College of Arms throughout the design process to create a Coat of Arms that was both personal and representative.”
“The Duchess of Sussex took a great interest in the design. Good heraldic design is nearly always simple and the Arms of The Duchess of Sussex stand well beside the historic beauty of the quartered British Royal Arms, Mr. Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms said.
Throughout the design there are special details that represent Meghan’s California upbringing and her new home at Kensington Palace.
“The blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine of The Duchess’s home state. The three quills represent communication and the power of words. Beneath the shield on the grass sits a collection of golden poppies, California’s state flower, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace,” the statement read.
The collection of flowers was similar to the flowers embroidered into Meghan’s 16-foot long veil at her wedding. She had California poppies and wintersweet embroidered on.
“It is customary for Supporters of the shield to be assigned to Members of the Royal Family, and for wives of Members of the Royal Family to have one of their husband’s Supporters and one relating to themselves. The Supporter relating to The Duchess of Sussex is a songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak, which with the quill represents the power of communication,” the statement added.
Meghan has come under the microscope already for sharing more of her opinions and her feelings on female empowerment. Previously, members of the royal family have remained impartial on political or personal matters. But Meghan’s coat of arms and recent royal biography page seem to show she’ll be doing things slightly differently.
“A Coronet has also been assigned to The Duchess of Sussex. It is the Coronet laid down by a Royal Warrant of 1917 for the sons and daughters of the Heir Apparent. It is composed of two crosses patée, four fleurs-de-lys and two strawberry leaves. The arms of a married woman are shown with those of her husband and the technical term is that they are impaled, meaning placed side by side in the same shield.”
What do you think of the Duchess of Sussex’s new coat of arms?
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