CoA President Anibal Cavaco Silva

[Marcus Karlsson]

The Coat of Arms of the Anibal Cavaco Silva President of Portugal with the collar of the Spanish Order of Isabella the Catholic.


Picture by Heralder, Wikimedia Commons.

[Arthur Radburn]

National arms impaled with personal arms. I wonder if that's standard practice for the presidents of Portugal.

[Marcus Karlsson]

I'am Not sure. But one previous President Mario Soares used the Arms of the Republic only when made knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim.

[JMcMillan]

Even more complicated than just impaling national and personal. The sinister chief is the "Banda das Três Ordens," functionally equivalent to a presidential sash consisting of the ribands of the orders of Christ, Aviz, and St. James of the Sword all glommed together. Hard to believe this is real. Or perhaps I should say it's easy to hope it isn't real.

[Arthur Radburn]

President Cavaco Silva's arms as a knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim are the same :



Perhaps the segment containing the sash is meant to be an augmentation indicating the office of president (cf the way the Canadian heralds add charges to identify governors-general and prime ministers).

[Arthur Radburn]

I'am Not sure. But one previous President Mario Soares used the Arms of the Republic only when made knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim.

It seems to be the usual practice that when a knight doesn't have personal arms, the Order depicts his country's arms or flag (e.g. in the case of President Mandela) instead.

[Marcus Karlsson]

Or when they dosen't want to use the Personal Arms. President Charles the Gaulle of France for example didn't use his personal arms but got a design based on his Presidental Standard.

President Mandela's Coat of arms is Based on the new South African Flag but is not exactly the Flag.

[Michael F. McCartney]

does the design in sinister base have any personal or family reference to President Silva? Or it it just another impersonal quartering related in some way to the Pressidency?

[JMcMillan]

does the design in sinister base have any persona or family reference to President ilva? Or it it just another impersonal quartering related in some way to the Pressidency?

The name "Silva" means "forest," so the tree on top of the castle may be punning.

[Michael F. McCartney]

Ah - that makes sense. Not IIRC the typical arms of Silva, but a nice enough canting design if he's not one of "those" Silvas.