Heraldry of The Holy Roman Empire - Holy Roman Emperors

Holy Roman Emperors

Further information: Reichsadler Further information: List of German monarchs

Starting with Albert II (reigned 1438–39), each Emperor bore arms with an inescutcheon of his personal arms on the torso of a two-headed eagle. (Before 1438 the Emperors would have both a personal and an imperial coat of arms.) The arms of the High Offices of the Empire were borne as an augmentation to the office-holder's personal arms.

Personal arms Imperial arms Name/Blazon of personal arms
Hohenstaufen
  • 1138-1152 : Conrad III (1093 † 1152)
  • 1152-1190 : Frederick I (1123 † 1190), crowned in 1155
  • 1190-1197 : Henry VI (1165 † 1197), crowned in 1191

Or, three lions passant in pale sable.
  • 1198-1218 : Otto IV of Brunswick (1174 † 1218), crowned in 1209

Gules, two lions passant guardant Or.
  • 1212-1250 : Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (1194 † 1250), crowned in 1220
  • 1250-1254 : Conrad IV of Hohenstaufen (1228 † 1254)

Or, three lions passant in pale sable.
  • 1273-1291 : Rudolph I of Habsburg (1218 † 1291)

Or, a lion rampant gules, armed, langued, and crowned azure.
  • 1292-1298 : Adolf of Nassau (1250 † 1298)

Azure, billetty a lion rampant with a closed crown Or, armed and langued gules.
  • 1298-1308 : Albert I of Habsburg (1248 † 1308)

Gules a fess argent.
  • 1308-1313 : Henry VII of Luxembourg (1275 † 1313), crowned in 1312

Barry of ten argent and azure, a lion rampant gules, crowned Or.
  • 1314-1347 : Louis IV of Bavaria (1286 † 1347), crowned in 1328

Fusilly bendwise argent and azure.
  • 1348-1378 : Charles IV of Luxembourg (1316 † 1378), crowned in 1355
  • 1378-1400 : Wenceslaus of Luxembourg (1361 † 1419)

Gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or.
  • 1400-1410 : Rupert of Wittelsbach (1352 † 1410)

Quarterly, I and IV fusilly bendwise argent and azure (for Bavaria); II and III sable a lion rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for the Electorate of the Palatinate).
  • 1411-1437 : Sigismund of Luxembourg (1368 † 1437), crowned in 1433

Quarterly, I and IV gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II and III barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary).
  • 1437-1438 : Albert II of Habsburg (1397 † 1439)

Gules a fess argent.
  • 1440-1493 : Frederick III of Styria (1415 † 1493), crowned in 1452

Gules a fess argent.
  • 1493-1519 : Maximilian I of Habsburg (1459 † 1519), crowned in 1508

Per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria); sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for the French Duchy of Burgundy).
  • 1519-1556 : Charles V of Habsburg (1500 † 1558), crowned in 1519

Quarterly: I and IV grand-quarterly i and iv great-grand-quarterly 1 and 4 gules a three towered castle Or masoned sable and ajouré azure (for Castile), 2 and 3 argent a lion rampant purpure crowned Or langued and armed gules (for Leon), ii per pale, dexter per fess, in chief Or four pallets gules (for Aragon), in base gules a cross, saltire, and orle of chains linked together Or and a centre point vert (for Navarre), sinister argent a cross potent and four crosslets Or (for Jerusalem) impaling barry of eight gules and argent (for Hungary), iii per pale, dexter per fess, in chief Or four pallets gules (for Aragon), in base gules a cross, saltire, and orle of chains linked together Or and a centre point vert (for Navarre), sinister per saltire, 1 and 4 Or four pallets gules, 2 and 3 argent an eagle displayed sable (for Sicily); II and III grand-quarterly, i gules a fess argent (for Austria), ii azure semy-de-lis Or a bordure compony argent and gules (new Burgundy), iii bendy of six Or and azure a bordure gules (old Burgundy), iv sable a lion rampant Or langued and armed gules (for Brabant), overall at the fess point of the quarter an inescutcheon Or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules (for Flanders) impaling argent an eagle displayed gules, armed, beaked, and langued Or (for Tyrol); enté en point argent a pomegranate proper seeded gules, supported, sculpted and slipped vert (for Granada).
  • 1558-1564 : Ferdinand I of Habsburg (1503 † 1564), Emperor
  • 1554-1576 : Maximilian II of Habsburg (1527 † 1576), Emperor

Quarterly, I and IV gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II and III barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); overall and inescutcheon per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy).
  • 1576-1611 : Rudolf II of Habsburg (1552 † 1612), Emperor
  • 1612-1619 : Matthias of Habsburg (1557 † 1619), Emperor
  • 1619-1637 : Ferdinand II of Habsburg (1578 † 1637), Emperor

Quarterly, I gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); III per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV grand-quarterly i and iv gules a three-towered castle Or (for Castile), ii and iii argent a lion rampant purpure armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Leon).
  • 1637-1657 : Ferdinand III of Habsburg (1608 † 1657), Emperor
  • 1653-1654 : Ferdinand IV of Habsburg (1633 † 1654)

Quarterly, I gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); III grand-quarterly, i and iv gules a three-towered castle Or (for Castile), ii and iii argent a lion rampant purpure armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Leon); IV per pale, dexter bendy of six Or and azure a bordure gules (for Burgundy), sinister per fess, chief argent an eagle displayed gules armed, langued, and beaked Or (for Tyrol), and base Or a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules (for Flanders); overall an inescutcheon gules a fess argent (for Austria).
  • 1657-1705 : Leopold I of Habsburg (1640 † 1705), Emperor

Quarterly, I barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); II gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); III per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV grand-quarterly i and iv gules a three-towered castle Or (for Castile), ii and iii argent a lion rampant purpure armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Leon).
  • 1705-1711 : Joseph I of Habsburg (1678 † 1711), Emperor

Quarterly, I and IV gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II and III barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); overall and inescutcheon per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy).
  • 1711-1740 : Charles VI of Habsburg (1685 † 1740), Emperor

Quarterly, I gules a three-towered castle Or (for Castile); II barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); III per pale, dexter Or four pallets gules (for Aragon), sinister per saltire i and iv Or four pallets gules, ii and iii argent an eagle displayed sable (for Sicily); IV per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure a bordure gules (for Burgundy); overall an inescutcheon gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia).
  • 1742-1745 : Charles VII of Bavaria (1697 † 1745), Emperor

Quarterly, I and IV fusilly bendwise argent and azure (for Bavaria); II and III sable a lion rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for the Electorate of the Palatinate); overall an inescutcheon gules an orb Or (for Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire).
  • 1745-1765 : Francis I of Habsburg-Lorraine (1708 † 1765), Emperor

Quarterly, I barry of eight gules and argent (for Hungary) impaling azure semy-de-lis Or a label gules (for Naples); II argent a cross potent and four crosslets Or (for Jerusalem) impaling Or four pallets gules (for Aragon); III azure semy-de-lis Or a bordure gules (for the House of Valois-Anjou) impaling azure a lion sinister rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for Guelders); IV Or a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules (for Jülich) impaling azure crusilly fitchy, two barbels haurient addorsed Or (for Bar); overall an inescutcheon Or a bend gules three alerions argent (for Lorraine) impaling Or, in annulo six torteaux, the torteau in chief replaced by a roundel azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or (for the Medici family).
  • 1765-1790 : Joseph II of Habsburg-Lorraine (1741 † 1790), Emperor

Quarterly, I barry of eight, gules and argent, impaling gules a patriarchal cross argent on a trimount vert (for Hungary); II gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); III bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV Or, in annulo six torteaux, the torteau in chief replaced by a roundel azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or (for the Medici family); overall and inescutcheon gules a fess argent (for Austria) impaling Or a bend gules three alerions argent (for Lorraine).
  • 1790-1792 : Leopold II of Habsburg-Lorraine (1747 † 1792), King of Bohemia and Hungary, Emperor
  • 1792-1804 : Francis II of Habsburg-Lorraine (1768 † 1835), King of Bohemia and Hungary, Emperor of the Germans, Emperor of Austria

Quarterly, I barry of eight, gules and argent, impaling gules a patriarchal cross argent on a tri-mount vert (for Hungary); II gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); III bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV azure crusilly fitchy, two barbels haurient addorsed Or (for Bar); overall an inescutcheon per pale, dexter Or a bend gules three alerions argent (for Lorraine), sinister Or, in annulo six torteaux, the torteau in chief replaced by a roundel azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or (for the Medici family), overall on a pale gules a fess argent (for Austria).

Read more about this topic:  Heraldry Of The Holy Roman Empire

Famous quotes containing the words holy roman, holy, roman and/or emperors:

    “Ce corps qui s’appelait et qui s’appelle encore le saint empire romain n’était en aucune manière ni saint, ni romain, ni empire. This agglomeration which called itself and still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was in no way holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.”
    —Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)

    “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to aliens residing in your towns for them to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”
    —Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 14:21.

    “Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,
    The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.”
    —Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)

    “How does Nature deify us with a few and cheap elements! Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous. The dawn is my Assyria; the sun-set and moon-rise my Paphos, and unimaginable realms of faerie; broad noon shall be my England of the senses and the understanding; the night shall be my Germany of mystic philosophy and dreams.”
    —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)