Coat of arms of Alberta
Encyclopedia
The original coat of arms of Alberta was granted to Alberta
by a Royal Warrant
of King Edward VII
on 30 May 1907. The shield is also featured on the flag of Alberta
.
augmented the armorial bearings by Royal Warrant with a crest, supporters, and a motto. The helmet under the crest was changed from a steel helmet to a gold royal helmet on 15 January 2008.
Shield
Compartment
Supporters
Motto
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
by a Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
on 30 May 1907. The shield is also featured on the flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta
In 1958, the Alberta Government authorized the design of an official flag. On 1 June 1968, the flag of Alberta, Canada, was adopted .The flag has the proportions 1:2, with the provincial shield of arms in the centre of a royal ultramarine blue background...
.
History
On 30 July 1980, Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
augmented the armorial bearings by Royal Warrant with a crest, supporters, and a motto. The helmet under the crest was changed from a steel helmet to a gold royal helmet on 15 January 2008.
Symbolism
CrestCrest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
- The crest sits above the shield and consists of a royal helmet crowned with a red and silver wreath, on top of which sits a beaverAmerican BeaverThe North American Beaver is the only species of beaver in the Americas, native to North America and introduced to South America. In the United States and Canada, where no other species of beaver occurs, it is usually simply referred to as "beaver"...
, resting on top of which is St Edward's Crown. White and red are the official colours of CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the beaver is the official animal of Canada.
Shield
- The shield represents the natural resources and beauty of the varied of Alberta landscape: the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and their foothills, the grass prairiePrairiePrairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
s, and the cultivated wheat fields. The St George's CrossSt George's CrossSt George's Cross is a red cross on a white background used as a symbolic reference to Saint George. The red cross on white was associated with St George from medieval times....
is an allusion to the arms of the Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay CompanyThe Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, which once controlled what is now Alberta.
Compartment
- The compartment or base is a grassy mount with wild rosesRosa acicularisRosa acicularis, also known as the prickly wild rose, the prickly rose, the bristly rose and the Arctic rose, is a species of wild rose with a Holarctic distribution in northern regions of Asia, Europe, and North America....
, the official flower of Alberta.
Supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
- The supporters sit on either side of the shield and consist of a golden lionLion (heraldry)The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
on the left (representing power) and a pronghorn antelope on the right (representing Alberta's natural resources). Neither of these is the official animal of Alberta (which is the bighorn sheepBighorn SheepThe bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
).
Motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
- Fortis et Liber, meaning "strong and free", a phrase from the English lyrics of "O CanadaO CanadaIt has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
".
See also
- Symbols of AlbertaSymbols of AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's provinces, and has established several provincial symbols.-Official symbols:-Other symbols:...
- Canadian heraldryCanadian heraldryCanadian heraldry is the cultural tradition and style of coats of arms and other heraldic achievements in both modern and historic Canada. It includes national, provincial, and civic arms, noble and personal arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays as corporate logos, and Canadian heraldic...
- National symbols of CanadaNational symbols of CanadaNational symbols of Canada are the symbols that are used in Canada and abroad to represent the country and its people. Prominently, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century, and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of...
- List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
- HeraldryHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...