Royal Arms

Royal Arms EIIR

The Royal Arms in the Visitor Centre were commissioned by The Friends of St. Wulfram's Church to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday in 2006. They were designed and painted by Alan Eveleigh.

Earliers monarchs' arms were personal but Queen Victoria and subsequent monarchs have all used the arms depicted here.


Royal Arms of Charles II

James I on his accession marshalled the Tudor Arms quarterly with those of Scotland, the red lion rampant in a decorated border on a gold field (or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory and counter flory all gules) together with the newly formed arms of Ireland, a gold harp with silver strings in a blue field (Azure a harp or stringed argent). He also introduced the familiar unicorn which is used today. These Stuart Arms lasted until 1701.

At the Restoration all churches were required to display the Royal Arms as a sign of their loyalty, and again the Borough must have put them up since the town arms are underneath, with a small oak leaf motif as a reference to Charles II. The Stuart Arms were used until 1701, although the France modern did not disappear until the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Motto: HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE. (evil be to him who evil thinks).
Unusually, these Royal Arms include the arms of the borough of Grantham, originally the arms of the de Warrenne family, on whom the lordship of the major was bestowed by King John.


Tudor Royal Arms

The arms dated 1586 E.R. with the loyal motto VIVAT REGINA and the Grantham Borough Arms underneath are as they were used from 1405 to 1603. Edward III took as his arms those of France, whose throne he claimed, marshalled quarterly with the three lions passant of England. At that time the French arms had a white field bearing gold fleurs de lys (argent semy de lys), now named by heralds France ancient.

Later the King of France, to symbolize the Trinity, reduced the charges to three (argent three fleurs de lys), giving the so-called France modern. Henry IV also made this change and the arms (Quarterly in one and four France modern and in two and three England) were retained by the Tudors, although they substituted the Welsh dragon of Cadwaladr for the greyhound as a supporter.

Unusually, these Royal Arms include the arms of the borough of Grantham, originally the arms of the de Warrenne family, on whom the lordship of the major was bestowed by King John.