- Kensington Palace has revealed Meghan Markle's royal coat of arms, which is meant to represent her role as the Duchess of Sussex.
- Coats of arms for members of the royal family typically look similar to the queen's, but with small customized details that are unique to the individual person.
- Markle had a hand in the design process to ensure that the symbolic design was "both personal and representative," according to an official statement.
- Markle's design includes multiple nods to California, as well as symbols to honor "communication and the power of words."
- Markle herself is represented as a songbird, "with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak."
Meghan Markle's life has changed dramatically since the royal wedding — and now her role as the Duchess of Sussex has been immortalized in a visual, historical, and highly symbolic way. Kensington Palace revealed Markle's coat of arms, which is a heraldic design that recognizes her as a member of the royal family.
"Heraldry is Europe's oldest, most visual and strictly regulated form of identity and it surrounds us in Britain, giving clues to our history and surroundings," Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms, told People in 2011.
A Coat of Arms has been created for The Duchess of Sussex: https://t.co/mJb3mqZfaZ pic.twitter.com/0EgbiS29Rb
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 25, 2018
This announcement itself is a break from tradition, as the coat of arms is typically given to the father of the bride rather than the bride herself. (Given the drama that surrounded Thomas Markle Sr. in the weeks leading up to the wedding, this break from protocol makes perfect sense.)
Additionally, the official announcement stated that Markle "took a great interest" in its creation and "worked closely with the College of Arms throughout the design process to create a Coat of Arms that was both personal and representative."
Indeed, Markle's personal touch can be clearly felt in the details. She included multiple nods to her home state of California: the blue background of the shield, representing the Pacific Ocean; two golden rays across the shield, representing sunshine; and golden poppies beneath the shield, which is California's official flower.
The collection of flowers in the grass also includes wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace, where she lives now with Prince Harry. These were also among the images embroidered on Markle's wedding veil.
The former actress even paid homage to her legacy as an outspoken activist and a writer.
For a married woman, the "supporters" — the animals on either side of the shield — customarily include one from her husband's coat of arms and one relating to the woman herself. Prince Harry is represented as the lion and Markle is represented as a songbird, "with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak." Paired with the three quills on the shield, these images represent communication and the power of words, according to the official statement.
While each coat of arms follows a very similar formula, the members of the royal family are able to add small details of personalization and identification. Prince William and Prince Harry, for example, incorporated red scallop shells — a subtle tribute to their late mother, Princess Diana, whose own coat of arms featured the same imagery.
In Prince Harry's design as well as Markle's, the lion is wearing a white three-pointed collar, signifying that he is an heir to the throne. The crown on top, called a Coronet, also represents the couple's royal rank.
Interestingly, Markle's coat of arms makes no allusion to her family name, which is another break from tradition. Kate Middleton's design included nods to her life as a Middleton as well as to her mother's maiden name.
Eventually, Prince Harry and Markle will also receive a conjugal coat of arms. This tradition combines both shields and is meant to "represent them in heraldic terms as a married couple," according to Kensington Palace. Prince William and Middleton's design (pictured above) wasn't revealed until two years after their wedding, so the newlyweds will have plenty of time to perfect it.
More on the royal wedding:
- Meghan Markle is reportedly taking 6 months of duchess lessons to please the queen
- Before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their first kiss as husband and wife, she asked him: 'Do we kiss?'
- American bishop Michael Curry was hand-picked by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry — and his sermon highlighted civil rights
- Meghan Markle's wedding bouquet is a beautiful tribute to Princess Diana
- Meet Louis Spencer, Prince Harry's hot younger cousin who caught everyone's eye at the royal wedding
You can read all of INSIDER's royal wedding coverage here.
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SEE ALSO: 16 ways in which Meghan Markle's life will change now that she's joined the royal family
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