Coat of arms of Denmark

The "heart" shapes originally represented waterlily pads; a royal decree of 1972 still specifies these figures as søblade ("lake leaves").

The current design was traced to 1819 during the reign of King Frederick VI who fixed the number of hearts to nine and decreed that the heraldic beasts were lions, consequently facing forward.

A rare version exists from the reign of king Eric of Pomerania in which the three lions jointly hold the Danish banner, in a similar fashion as in the coat of arms of the former South Jutland County.

The main difference from the real crown is that the latter is covered with table cut (taffelsten) diamonds rather than pearls.

The main differences are as follows: In the Danish coat of arms the lions are crowned, face forward, and accompanied by nine hearts.

It shows great similarities with the contemporary insignia of England's Richard the Lionheart and the current arms of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

The centre escutcheon, two red bars on a golden shield, represents the House of Oldenburg, the former royal dynasty that ruled Denmark and Norway from the middle of the fifteenth century.

The House of Glücksburg continues the use of the arms of the old Oldenburg dynasty, and the symbol is still officially referred to by its old association[clarification needed].

Two woodwoses (vildmænd) act as supporters; this element can be traced back to the early reign of the Oldenburg dynasty.

Olaf on his seal still displayed the Estridsen (for Denmark) and Sverre (for Norway) coats of arms in two separate shields.

The centre escutcheon, two red bars on a golden shield, represents the House of Oldenburg, the former royal dynasty that ruled Denmark and Norway from the middle of the fifteenth century.

The House of Glücksburg continues the use of the arms of the old Oldenburg dynasty, and the symbol is still officially referred to by its old association.

The falcon was in turn removed from the royal arms in 1948 following the death of King Christian X in 1947 and reflecting the 1944 breakup of the Dano-Icelandic union.

He has also been chairman of the committee that was appointed shortly after the accession to the throne on 14 January with the aim of ensuring that the King would have a new coat of arms.

[16] This simplified Royal Arms also feature on the cover of passports, embassies and consulates of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Relief of the coat of arms at the Danish House in Paris
The Danish coat of arms in the Gelre Armorial , 14th century. This is the oldest coloured image of the Dannebrog . The crest was used by Danish monarchs from the 13th century until c. 1420 . [ 1 ] The flag is not part of the crest.
A medieval ship flag captured by forces from Lübeck in the 1420s showing the arms of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Pomerania. The original flag was destroyed in World War II during a British attack on the city, but a 19th-century copy remains in Frederiksborg Palace , Denmark. The saint accompanying the Virgin Mary and infant Christ is Saint James the Greater , identified by his scallop shell emblem. Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
The earliest known example of the Danish coat of arms, the seal of Canute VI , 1190s. The only known copy of this insignia was discovered in 1879 in the Grand Ducal archive of Mecklenburg-Schwerin , Germany. Note the king's closed crown which differs from the open crowns shown on the seals of his successors, and the shield that is semé of hearts rather than showing only nine. [ 8 ]
Coat of arms from Trinity Church, Copenhagen
Small Coat of arms of Estonia