[citation needed] The newly independent Kingdom of Belgium decided to base its coat of arms and flag on the symbols used by the short-lived United Belgian States.

In the course of the Dutch Revolt the provinces rebelling against the rule of King Philip II adopted a common seal in 1578 showing the Leo Belgicus wearing a crown and holding a sword and a sheaf of arrows.

The crown stood for sovereignty, the sword for the war against Spain and the arrows for the concord and unity among the rebellious provinces.

It was only when most of Brabant was reconquered by Spain in the 1580s and Holland came to dominate the Republic, that the colours of the Dutch lion (or and gules) became the definitive tinctures of the arms of the United Provinces.

The inscription of the seal of 1578 reads Concordia res parvae crescunt (through unity small things grow), a quote taken from Sallust's Jugurthine War.

Two lions guardant proper support the shield as well as a lance with the national colours black, yellow and red.

Underneath the compartment is placed the motto L'union fait la force in French or Eendracht maakt macht in Dutch, or Unity Is Strength in English.

[1][2] The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle.

Sable, a lion rampant or, armed and langued Gules charged on the shoulder with an escutcheon of the House of Wettin.

The supporters each accompanied by a banner of gold, fringed likewise, bearing Sable, a golden lion, armed and langued Gules (Brabant).