HERA 
Handing and holding the banner ; and in Plate XI. we 
have introduced two fpecimens of them at fig. 2 and 3. 
Sometimes fupporters have been taken from the prin¬ 
cipal charges of the field, whether men or animals; 
birds of all kinds have been called to the honour of 
fupp.orting the noble efcutcheon; dragons and fea- 
horfes were admitted to the glorious employ ; and the 
beaver left his well-built dwelling on the banks of 
rivers, to uphold the buckler of the warrior : they have 
often been adopted, or fir ft granted, on account of fome 
particular action which the knight wiftied to have 
remembered. Lord Nelfon had the lion of England 
tearing the tricoloured flag of the French navy.—Sir Sid¬ 
ney Smith received the lamb with tlie banner of Jeru- 
falera in allufion to his brave achievement at St. Jean 
d’Acre ; and many other of our diftinguidled -characters 
have had granted to thern fupporters expreflive of the 
occafion or circumftance of their obtaining that honour. 
Peers of the realm, knights of the feveral orders, and 
proxies to princes of the blood royal at inftailations, are 
thofe only who enjoy this prerogative, unlefs his majefty 
is pleaded to concede to other's the privilege of bearing 
them for fome particular and fpecial caufe, generally 
mentioned in the Sign Manual. 
Supporters are not hereditary but to the eldeft fons 
of peers ; that is, that they defcend with the peerage 
according to the laws of heraldry. 
Thefe external ornaments of the fliield are fometimes 
divided, each holding an efcutcheon, as we often have 
feen at the entrance or over the gates of royal palaces, 
where the lion on one fide and the unicorn on the other 
hold the royal arms; painters and carvers have alfo 
taken the liberty, in imitation of foreign nations, to 
place the fupporters in attitudes; but this is contrary to 
the rules of heraldry, as has been obferved before. 
Specimens of fupporters will be feen to a great number 
in the plates annexed to this article. 
Heraldry Plale VIII. 
Fig. 1. The helmet and mantlings appropriated to 
the armorial bearings of the king, George III. and the 
princes of the royal blood, as defcribed under the head 
“ external ornaments." Beneath thefe are. the diftindtive 
marks for the fons and daughters of liis majefty; and, 
although they are engraved on their refpedtive coats of 
arms, yet it is requilire we fliould give a more enlarged 
view of them In this place, with a concife defcription. 
All the fons and daughters of the king bear a label 
of three points argent, each of them (except that of 
the Prince of Wales, which is plain) charged with dif- 
tiridftive marks, according to tire ancient cuftom, which 
can be traced to the fons and daughters of.Edward 111. 
each of whom bore a label, eniigned with an appro¬ 
priate charge. 
a . The Prince of Wales, A plain label of three 
points. 
b . The Duke of York. A crofsgules, on the mid¬ 
dle point or drop. 
c. The Duke of Clarence. A crofs gules, between 
two anchors azure; in allufion to his being grand 
admiral of Great Britain. 
d . The Duke of Kent. A crofs gules, between 
two fleurs-de-lis azure. 
t. The Duke of Cumberland. A fleur-de-lis 
azure, between two erodes gules. 
f . The Du ke of Sussex. Two hearts in pale, be¬ 
tween two erodes gules. 
g . The Duke of Cambridge. A crofs, on each fide 
two hearts in pale-gules. 
k. The Princess Royal. A rofe between two 
erodes gules. 
i . The Princess Augusta Sophia. Arofegules, 
between two ermine lpots fable. 
h . The Princess Elizabeth. A crofs, between 
two rofes gules. 
VoL. IX. No. 39S. 
L D R Y. 449 
/. The Princess Mary. A rofe between two 
cantons gules. J 
m. The Princess Sophia. A heart between two 
rofes gules. 
n. The Princess Amelia. A rofe between two 
hearts gules. 
To (how at once the cadency of one degree, or the 
firft removal from the ftem, the late duke of Gloucefter 
bore on a label of five points argent, a fleur-de-lis azure, 
between four erodes gules. And his fon, prince Wil¬ 
liam of Gloucefter, had, during the life-time of his 
father, the fame label, and under it the common dif- 
tindfion of the firft fon, viz. a label of three points, 
which was azure. Since the' death of the late duke, 
Prince William bears his father’.s label, as granted to 
■him according to the king’s warrant directed to Garter, 
bearing date Oct. 2, 1801, as fhown at 0 ; and his filter 
Princels, So'phia Matilda had in the fame manner the 
fame label affigned to her, on March 22, 1806, as (howa 
at p . 
This cuftom feems to have originated in England in 
the age of Henry III. and probably fooner in France. 
Robert earl of Artois bore a label of three points gules, 
each charged with three caftles or. His daughter 
Blanch, relidt of Henry de Champagne, king of Navarre, 
and fecond wife of Edmund earl of Lancafter, fecond 
fon of Henry III. bore the fame ; her hufband Edmund 
bore the arms of England, gules, three lions paflant 
uardant or, with a label of three, and fometimes of 
ve, points azure, each charged with three fleurs-de-lis 
or. He died at Bayonne in 1296. Sayer de Quincy bore 
in his arms, in the reign of king John, a label of ten or 
twelve points; but whether it was a family diftindtion, 
or a particular bearing aflumed for fome caufe unknown 
to us, is not polfible now to afeertain.. 
Fig. 2. The helmet affigned to the nobility of Great 
Britain and Ireland. See above the 'defcription under 
the title Helmet. Beneath this is the paradigm of the, 
diftinftion of houfes, as.already explained. Fig. 3. The 
helmet affigned to baronets and knights. Fig. 4. The 
helmet afligned .to e.fquires and gentlemen.—The other 
figures contained in this Engraving are defcribed under 
the head “ external ornaments” of the fhield. 
Heraldry Plate IX. 
Fig. 1. The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom 
of Great Britain and Ireland, as fettled by the king in 
council, on Nov. .5, 1800.—For the blazon of the arms, 
fee the defcription after the article “the King,” and 
the Heraldry Plate XIII. 
Fig. 2. The union flag, commonly called tire “jack,” 
©r “ union jack ;” compofed of the three croffes, viz. 
of St. George for England, of St. Andrew for Scotland, 
and of St. Patrick for Ireland ; properly combined ac¬ 
cording to the rules of heraldry ; as follows: On afield 
azure, the crofs-faltires of St. Andrew, argent; and of 
St. Patrick, gules ; over all, the crofs of St. George, 
fimbriated of the fecond. This bearing has carried the 
victorious arms of England into all the known parts of 
the world. The union jack is the only flag 1 that rides 
the ocean with the certainty of being undifturbed in its 
courfe, and IS, and we hope WILL EVER BE, the 
triumphant lyntbol of the SOVEREIGNTY OF THE 
SEAS. 
Fig. 3. The imperial crown of England, above de¬ 
fcribed. Fig. 4, the prince of Wales’s coronet. Fig. 5, 
the coronet of the princes and princefles of the blood 
royal. Fig; 6, the duke of Gloucefter’s coronet. Fig. 7, 
8, 9, 10, 11, the coronets of the nobility ; and fig. 12 
and 13, the mitres, as above defcribed. 
Fig. 14. The badge of England. The red and white 
rofe crowned, as defcribed above. 
Fig. 15. The badge of Scotland'. The thiftle pro¬ 
per, eniigned with the imperial crown of Great Britain. 
Of this badge, which is very ancient, we treat amply 
5 Y under ' 
