In heraldry, the Royal Arms of England is a coat of arms symbolising England and all its monarchs. Its blazon is Gules, with three lions passant guardant in pale or armed and langued azure, meaning three identical gold lions with blue tongues and claws, walking and facing the observer, arranged in a column on a red background. This coat, designed in the High Middle Ages, has been variously combined with those of France, Scotland, Ireland, Nassau and Hanover, according to dynastic and other political changes affecting England, but has not itself been altered since the reign of Richard I.
Royal emblems depicting lions were first used by the Norman dynasty, later a formal and consistent English heraldry system emerged during the 12th century. The escutcheon, or shield featuring three lions is traced to King Richard I of England's Great Seal of the Realm, which initially used a single lion rampant, or else two lions, but in 1198, was permanently altered to depict three lions passant. In 1340, King Edward III laid claim to the throne of France and signified his pretence by quartering the Royal Arms of England with the Royal Arms of France. This quartering was adjusted, abandoned and restored intermittently throughout the Middle Ages as the relationship between England and France changed. After the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when England and the Kingdom of Scotland entered a personal union, the arms of England and Scotland were combined in what has now become the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. It appears in a similar capacity to represent England in the Arms of Canada and the Queen's Personal Canadian Flag. The coat of three lions continues to represent England on several coins of the pound sterling, forms the basis of several emblems of English national sports teams, and endures as one of the most recognisable national symbols of England.
When the Royal Arms is in the format of a heraldic flag, it is variously known as the Royal Banner of England, the Banner of the Royal Arms, the Banner of the King of England, or by the misnomer of the Royal Standard of England. This Royal Banner differs from England's national flag, St George's Cross, in that it does not represent any particular area or land, but rather symbolises the sovereignty vested in the rulers thereof.
Read more about Royal Arms Of England: Crest, Supporters and Other Parts of The Achievement, As A Banner, Other Roles and Manifestations
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