In the fess point

Juan del Bosque, «Libro de Armería del Reino de Navarra», which is currently missing and whose subsequent copy, commissioned in 1572, is kept in the Royal and General Archive of Navarre, estimated year of creation 1540.

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The origin of this armorial dates back to 1527, when the Navarrese Courts requested that the Royal Council and the Chamber of Comptos ~ Chamber of Accounts and Fiscal Control, record in a book the coats of arms of the kingdom of Navarre starting with that of the king of Navarre and the houses and lineages of the so-called «ricoshombres», Almorrabides, Guebara, Aybar, Baztanes, Urroz, Lete, Subiça, Rada, Vidaurre, Qasqante, Monteagudo, and Mauleón, also including the coats of arms of other manors, houses, valleys, towns, and nobles [Valverde Ogallar, P. B.; 2001; page 326].

According to [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; page 35] the book was compiled around the year 1540, and this is the date I use for referencing this armorial.

This first manuscript created by Juan del Bosque was taken by the royal visitor Hernán Suárez de Toledo, under the pretext of taking it to Emperor Charles V, despite being requested back by the Navarrese Courts, it was never returned and was definitively lost. The armorial that has come down to us is a recreation commissioned in 1572 [Valverde Ogallar, P. B.; 2001; page 327].

According to [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1974; page 19] the recreation of this armorial was carried out based on certifications, such as those from the herald Azcárraga, and notes and partial copies of the stolen book, like the copy kept in the monastery of Leyre.

Another noteworthy bibliographic reference about this armorial, in addition to those previously mentioned, is [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 2001].

The image illustrating this bibliographic reference is the coat of arms of the king of Navarre, which I recreated based on the illustration in this armorial, on its first folio according to the numbering given to it in 1613.

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Bibliographical reference of century XVI.

Author: Bosque, Juan del.

Here are the articles quoting this reference:

• Almorrabides of Navarre
• Aybar of Navarre
• Baztanes of Navarre
• Guebara of Navarre
• Lete of Navarre
• Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982
• Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 2001
• Mauleón of Navarre
• Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1974
• Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1985
• Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; Martínez de Aguirre, J.; 2000
• Monteagudo of Navarra
• Navarra, closed carbuncle
• Navarre
• Noblemen of Navarre
• Qasqante of Navarre
• Rada of Navarre
• Subiça of Navarre
• Urroz of Navarre
• Vidaurre of Navarre

Party per fess: 1 party per pale: 1 quarterly: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]. 2 quarterly: 1 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 2 quarterly per saltire: 1 and 4 Or, four pallets Gules; 2 and 3 Argent, an eagle displayed Sable [for Aragon-Sicily]. 3 Argent, a cross potent cantoned of four crosslets Or [for Jerusalem]. 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]. Enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]. 2 quarterly: 1 Gules, a fess Argent [for Austria]; 2 Azure semé of fleurs de lis Or within a bordure compony Argent and Gules [for Burgundy modern]; 3 bendy Or and Azure within a bordure Gules [for Burgundy ancient]; 4 Sable, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules [for Brabant]; overall an inescutcheon party per pale: 1 Or, a lion rampant Sable, armed and langued Gules [for Flanders]; 2 Argent, an eagle displayed Gules, crowned, armed, beaked, langued and membered Or, charged on the wings with two trefoiled stems Or [for Tyrol]. Crest: An imperial crown with two fanons Argent, fringed Or. Behind the shield a double-headed eagle displayed Sable, nimbed, beaked and armed Or, langued and membered Gules, enfiled by an open royal crown above the shield. Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or, between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Moto environing the columns: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece.

Arms interpreted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a metal beaten finish.

Arms of Charles, Holy Roman Emperor, emblazoned by me. In English heraldry, the term supporters is used in a general sense, whether the supporters are animals, inanimate objects, plants or human figures. There is no strict terminological distinction based on the nature of the supporting figures. In Castilian heraldic tradition, by contrast, a more precise terminology is employed. The term «soportes» is used when the supporters are animals, «sostenes» when they are objects (such as columns or weapons) or plants (such trees), and «tenantes» when the figures supporting the coat of arms are human in form. In addition, inanimate supporters are relatively common in Castilian heraldry, whereas they are much rarer in English heraldry. There is also a difference in blazoning practice in the case of columns. In English, the shaft of the column is treated as the primary element, and the tinctures of the base and capital are then specified. In Spanish, the approach is the reverse: the column is described as a whole, stating its main tincture first, and then specifying that it is shafted in another metal. For example in this case: «Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or» ~ «Sostenes: dos columnas de oro, fustadas de plata».

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, Or, Vert, One, Two, Four, Party per fess, Party per pale, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Pale, Quarterly per saltire, Eagle, Displayed, Cross potent, Cross couped, Cantoned, Crosslet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded, Slipped, Leaved, Fess, Semé, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Compony, Bendy, Overall, Inescutcheon, Beaked, Membered, Wing, Trefoiled, Stem, Crest, Imperial crown, Crown, Fanon, Fringed, Behind the shield, Double-headed, Nimbed, Enfiled, Open royal crown, Above the shield, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Dexter, Closed royal crown, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Scroll, Surrounded and Collar.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Metal beaten.

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; and the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure. Crest: A Crown of Prince. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece.

Arms depicted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a iridescent finish.

This is my interpretation of the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias (as heiress to the Crown of Castile), Princess of Girona (as heiress to the Crown of Aragon), and Princess of Viana (as heiress to the Kingdom of Navarre), with the Collar of the Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece. Her coat of arms is that of her father, the King, charged with a label Azure and surmounted by the crown of a princess with four pearl diadems, three visible.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency, Label of three points, Crown of Prince, Crown, Surrounded and Collar.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Iridescent.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

Azure, a pall couped Argent, its three arms charged with «es» Sable, within a triangle reversed Argent, its three arms charged with «no es» Sable, all debruised by four bezants, three on the vertex of the triangle, in dexter chief, charged with «el Padre», in sinister chief, charged with «el Hijo», in base, charged with «el Espítiru», and one on the fess point, charged with «Dios» Gules; in chief a label of three points Argent.

Escudo de azur, una perla recortada de plata, sus tres brazos cargados con «es» de sable, dentro de un triángulo ranversado de plata, sus tres brazos cargados con «no es» de sable, todo resaltado de cuatro bezantes de oro, tres sobre los vértices del triángulo, en la diestra del jefe, cargado de «el Padre», en la siniestra del jefe, cargado con «el Hijo», en la punta, cargado con «el Espítiru» y uno sobre el corazón, cargado con «Dios» todo de gules; en jefe un lambel de tres pendientes de plata.

Imaginary coat of arms that I have interpreted as follows: its base is semicircular (round); its field is illuminated in Azure; the rest is illuminated in Argent and outlined in Sable, except for the bezants which are Or and also outlined in Sable; its letters in plain tinctures, some Gules and others Sable; and the set with a glazed finish.

Pall

The pall (perla) as defined by [Avilés, J.; 1780a; page 239] is «a figure composed of three moving cotises, or that emerge from the two angles of the Chief and the Base, which meet in the center or heart of the Shield in the form of a Greek Y, as if this figure were formed from a half Saltire, and a half Pale».

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, One, Pall, Couped, Argent, Three, Charged, Letter, Sable, Within, Triangle, Reversed, Four, Bezant, In the dexter chief, In the sinister chief, In base, In the fess point, Gules, Cadency and Label of three points.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Glass.

Classification: Religious, Interpreted, Imaginary and Coat of arms.

Imaginary bearer: Jesus Christ.

Publication of my interpretation of the arms of Her Royal Highness Princess Leonor, Princess of Asturias (heir to the Crown of Castile), Princess of Girona (heir to the Crown of Aragon), and Princess of Viana (heir to the Kingdom of Navarre), with the Collar of the Illustrious Order of the Golden Fleece, her coat of arms being that of her father the King, charged with a label Azure and surmounted by the princess's crown with four pearl diadems, of which three are visible. Publication made on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria with the following text: The eminent heraldist Mr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas interprets the arms of Her Royal Highness Princess Leonor, Princess of Asturias.

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Categories: Link, Or, Four, Pale, Gules, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Crown of Prince, Crown, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Enté, In base, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded (pomegranate), Slipped, Leaved and Label.

Root: Twelve Lineages of Soria.

Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert.

Escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a semicircular (round) base; the field in flat Gules; the chains and the emerald illuminated in Or and Vert and outlined in Sable; and the whole executed with a raised-stroke finish.

This coat of arms, except for the emerald, corresponds to the blazon written in [Avilés, J.; 1780a; page 412 and figure 260] which says «Gules, a chain placed in orle, cross, and saltire Or, which some blazon differently», leaving me, as a reader, curious to know what that other way he refers to might be.

Then, [Avilés, J.; 1780a; pages 412–413] writes his version of the origin of the arms, saying that «...it was borne by Sancho VIII, called the Strong, and twenty-first King of Navarre, in the year 1212, for the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in Sierra Morena ...given to him by the King of Castile, Don Alfonso IX, whose aid he had joined...», which we would say Alfonso VIII of Castile, «the one of Las Navas».

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Or, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald and Vert.

Style keywords: Freehand, Illuminated and Outlined in sable.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon].

The figure illustrates my construction scheme outlined with my main proportions for the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Spain. The scheme is conceptually divided into three horizontal rectangles of equal height: the first one dedicated to the Royal Crown, the second to the quarters of Castile and and Leon, and the third rectangle to the quarters of Aragon and Navarre. The width of the central inescutcheon is defined as 1/3 of the total shield width. The curve of the enté en point of Granada is designed such that the resulting shapes in the quarter for Aragon and the quarter for Navarre are symmetrical, evoking the form of a pointed shield.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered and Bordure.

Style keywords: Ratio, Outlined, Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Schema, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules.

The British heraldic artist Baz Manning, responsible for painting the coats of arms of the Order of the Garter in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, produced in polychromed wood the armorial bearings of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain following his admission into the Order. During this process, I had the honour of assisting him by providing official documentation, explaining the heraldic differences between the arms of Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI, clarifying various points, and reviewing the final details of the work prior to its installation in Windsor. The illustration accompanying this post is a collage made from a photograph of the completed shield, crafted by him in painted wood, sent to me by Baz Manning while it was drying, with explicit instructions not to publish it until its formal placement in the chapel. I used that image together with my own artistic interpretation of the King’s arms to carry out a detailed, side-by-side verification of every element. Although my contribution was modest, I am deeply proud to have taken part in a work destined to occupy a permanent place within one of the United Kingdom’s most emblematic heraldic settings.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered and Bordure.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Painted wood, Boa, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

The Heraldry Society, «Education Pack, A brief explanation of Heraldry for teachers together with explanatory sheets and templates for students», Baldock, Hertfordshire, 2013.

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This bibliographical reference is illustrated with the quartered coat of arms of The Heraldry Society.

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Bibliographical reference of century XXI.

Author: The Heraldry Society.

The following articles cite this bibliographic reference:

• Balaguer, municipality of
• Chequey, chequy or checky
• Drawing the arcs of a pointed coat of arms
• Geoffrey Plantagenet
• Savoy, Duchy of
• The American College of Heraldry, coat of arms
• The Heraldry Society
• The Heraldry Society, shield

External resource:

• The Heraldry Society.

Internal resources: TheHeraldrySociety2013.EducationPack.pdf.

Emblem Azure, Saint Michael Argent, vested and nimbed Or, grasping in his dexter hand a spear Or, point downward, and in his sinister hand bearing [ Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert, of Navarre ], upon a dragon Vert, armed, langued, fanged, and the eyes Gules.

Emblema de azur, un San Miguel de plata, vestido y nimbado de oro, teniendo en su diestra una lanza de oro, con la punta hacia abajo y en su siniestra trae [ escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople, de Navarra ], sostenido por un dragón de sinople, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de gules.

Emblem interpreted by me as follows: an oval shape with proportions 5x6, wider than the original; the field illuminated in Azure; its charges outlined in Sable and illuminated in the colours Gules and Vert and the metals Argent and Or; the Archangel Saint Michael vested in Or, unlike others who appear in Argent; his emerald simplified into an area enameled Vert; and the whole emblem has a lightly beaten metal finish.

Due to its special characteristics, the difficulty in complying with the first rule of heraldry concerning metals and colours, and out of prudence, I categorize it as an emblem rather than a shield.

In a relief of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Estella, Saint Michael can be seen fighting a dragon that represents the devil, in a similar but mirrored arrangement to that of this emblem. In that relief, the Archangel Saint Michael bears a pre-heraldic shield with its umbo. According to [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1963], the umbo of the shield is a reinforcing element that is the predecessor of what would later become the pommelly carbuncle of the shield of the Kingdom of Navarre.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Male figure, Angel, Archangel, Argent, Vested, Nimbed, Or, Grasping, Dexter, Spear, Point downwards, Sinister, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Upon, Dragon, Armed, Langued, The fangs and The eyes.

Style keywords: Oval, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Soft metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Education, Emblem and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: University of Navarra.