SIGNS OF THE TIMES

For any keen explorer of the British Isles, there is one meaningful type of symbol whose recurrence is all-pervasive. They are seen – often prominently, sometimes discretely – displayed up and down the kingdom, from Oxbridge colleges to the Houses of Parliament; grand homes of the landed gentry to ancient business and societies; religious groups to whole countries themselves. These symbols are coats of arms.

For those able to decipher the symbolism, heraldry – the art of creating coats of arms – immediately conveys information, the armoury displayed communicating heraldic achievement, rank and pedigree at a moment’s glance. All of this would make these heraldic designs an interesting yet anachronistic relic of the medieval world, were it not for the fact that the beauty of them assured their survival past the point when entering battle entailed the wearing of armour. Instead these intricate and often proudly upheld emblems have been handed down through the centuries, known as “the shorthand of history”.

The most familiar national heraldic symbol