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Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 01 Oct 2017, 12:53
by Marcus Karlsson
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Armorial Bearings of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 02 Oct 2017, 09:40
by Cameron Campbell
Just a curiosity question; Can anyone use the maple leaf as a charge in Canada, or is it's use restricted?

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 14 Oct 2017, 03:03
by Iain Boyd
Dear Cameron,

Anyone can use the maple leaf in Canada just as anyone can use the thistle in Scotland and the rose in England.

However, I believe that previous Lords Lyon have restricted the use of the thistle on occasions.

All three are regarded as the country's plant badge and, as such, can be used by anyone.

However, like anything, they can be overused!

Regards,

Iain Boyd

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 14 Oct 2017, 06:25
by Chris Green
and the rose in England


Hmmm ... Not sure if the College of Arms would acquiesce in the use of the Tudor Rose (red and white rose united slipped and leaved proper) which is the royal badge for England. There are of course many other sorts of rose (tinctures, with stalk, natural, etc) which are not associated with the Royal Family.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 25 Dec 2017, 17:31
by V Beswick-Escanlar
Iain Boyd wrote:Dear Cameron,

Anyone can use the maple leaf in Canada just as anyone can use the thistle in Scotland and the rose in England.
...
However, like anything, they can be overused!

Regards,

Iain Boyd


The CHA in its Personal Design Guide sent to prospective armigers does try to steer petitioners away from the maple leaf nowadays:

• Maple leaf: This has often been used to indicate Canadian identity, so much so that it has become commonplace. There are many ways of indicating Canada through distinctive animals, plants, birds, etc., and there are also other innovative ways of using the maple leaf. In general, the maple leaf (especially a red leaf on white) is best limited to arms of organizations that are national in scope.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 10 Jan 2018, 20:15
by Ryan Shuflin
If Canada used the same rules traditionally for royal symbols as in other nations, than the red maple leaf would not be restricted, but the flag would. The charge on the Canadian Royal Arms is three maple leaves on one stem. This does not appear to be restricted, nor does a Lion passant guardant Or on a field Gules(aka a Lion of England) although the later was limited in England to use as an augmentation of honor.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 09 Mar 2018, 03:44
by V Beswick-Escanlar
Ryan Shuflin wrote:If Canada used the same rules traditionally for royal symbols as in other nations, than the red maple leaf would not be restricted, but the flag would. The charge on the Canadian Royal Arms is three maple leaves on one stem. This does not appear to be restricted


My impression is that the red maple leaf is not restricted, but it is encouraged to use a symbol other than that alone. There are some examples of a red maple leaf alone used as a charge, e.g.:

Peter Prescott, 1998

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Jacques Thouin, 2002

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but more recent grants tend to use a red maple leaf only as a smaller element, e.g.:

Thomas Hickey, 2004

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Alan Hudson, 2005

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Conjoined red maple leaves also exist and seem unrestricted, e.g. William Letovsky, 1996:

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Except for four maples leaves conjoined, which is the mark of a Prime Minister, e.g. Charles Joseph (Joe) Clark, 1994:

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As you said I don't think using the flag itself would be permitted, but one way to make reference to it is to replicate the unique proportions of the Canadian pale, e.g. Robert MacDonald, 2003:

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Incidentally, using the arms of Canada in personal arms would also not be permitted I think, but one neat reference to it is to use the divisions and field colours uncharged, e.g. John Pope, 2001:

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Here, an uncharged shield with the divisions and field colours of the arms of Canada are used in the crest, a tribute to the armiger's grandfather, who was responsible for the design of the arms of Canada in 1921.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 09 Mar 2018, 18:12
by JMcMillan
Ryan Shuflin wrote:If Canada used the same rules traditionally for royal symbols as in other nations, than the red maple leaf would not be restricted, but the flag would. The charge on the Canadian Royal Arms is three maple leaves on one stem. This does not appear to be restricted, nor does a Lion passant guardant Or on a field Gules(aka a Lion of England) although the later was limited in England to use as an augmentation of honor.


"In other nations" is a broad way of putting it. Lord Lyon these days generally won't grant anything with "azure a saltire argent" except to an institution of national stature, and a grant of arms containing the royal tressure has required royal permission for centuries.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 03 Jun 2020, 17:22
by Charles Veale
It's not restricted. However, it becomes a little redundant if everyone had one, and would kind of defeat the purpose.

Re: Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Posted: 20 Apr 2022, 08:44
by Ryan Shuflin
JMcMillan wrote:
Ryan Shuflin wrote:If Canada used the same rules traditionally for royal symbols as in other nations, than the red maple leaf would not be restricted, but the flag would. The charge on the Canadian Royal Arms is three maple leaves on one stem. This does not appear to be restricted, nor does a Lion passant guardant Or on a field Gules(aka a Lion of England) although the later was limited in England to use as an augmentation of honor.


"In other nations" is a broad way of putting it. Lord Lyon these days generally won't grant anything with "azure a saltire argent" except to an institution of national stature, and a grant of arms containing the royal tressure has required royal permission for centuries.


You are right about other nations, but only because so few nations now grant arms, and thus only a few restrict what they grant. There is a long practice of granting part of one's arms or badges as an augmentation. As an augmentation of honor in a British context, I have seen the cross of St. George as in the Churchill arms, but also a variation of the arms as in the arms of the Duke of Rutland. The Earl of Leven has a thistle as augmentation, but it has a crown over it, like the official badge. The crown alone has also been used. I want to say that I have also seen a single "Lion of England" granted as an augmentation, but I can't find it. The CHA could have reserved the conjoined maple leafs proper and used them as an augmentation. However, that shipped has sailed and is probably problematic while the color of the charge has been changed and except for the royal arms, the CHA depicts proper as neither red nor green. I guess that is why in Canada the royal crest seems to be preferred, although not strictly speaking an augmentation, a few former governor-generals have it in their arms.