The blazon, or heraldic description, is: Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second.

The coat of arms was adopted in the 12th century by William the Lion and has been used by successive Scottish and British monarchs.

The exact form of this varied, but in its fullest version it typically included a helm, mantling, crest, two mottoes, supporters, a compartment, and the collar of the Order of the Thistle.

These were often stylised to represent the physical crown, sceptre, and sword used by Scottish monarchs, together called the Honours of Scotland.

In some early examples the lion holds a sword or wears a crown, and the royal tressure has sometimes been interpreted as an orle or bordure.

When her son, James VI, inherited the kingdoms of England and Ireland he began using one unicorn and one lion supporter, a practice continued to the present day.

[2] In the reign of James III, the Scottish Parliament made a curious attempt to get rid of the royal tressure, passing an act stating that "the King, with the advice of the three Estates ordained that in time to come there should be no double tressure about his arms, but that he should bear whole arms of the lion without any more".

This state of affairs does not appear to have lasted very long, with James III soon re-instating the royal tressure, first without its top, and then in its original form.

[3] Upon the creation of the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland in 1672 Charles II registered the blazon of the achievement of the King of Scots as: "Or, a Lyon rampant gules armed and langued azure within a double tressur flowered and counter-flowered with flowers de lis of the second, Encircled with the order of Scotland the same being composed of Rue and thistles having the Image of St. Andrew with his crosse on his brest y unto pendent.

Above the shield ane Helment answerable to his Majesties high qualitie and jurisdiction with a mantle or doubled ermine adorned with ane Imperiall Crowne beautified with crosses pattee and flowers de lis surmounted on the top for his Majesties Crest of a Lyon sejant full faced gules crowned or holding in his dexter paw a naked sword proper and in the sinister a Scepter both erected paleways supported be two Unicornes Argent crowned with Imperiall and goarged with open Crownes, to the last chains affixed passing betwixt their fore leggs and reflexed over their backs or, he on the dexter imbracing and bearing up a banner of cloath of gold charged with the Royall Armes of Scotland and he on the sinister another Banner azure charged with a St Andrews Crosse argent, both standing on ane compartment placed underneath from which issue thistles one towards each side of the escutcheon, and for his Majisties Royall Motto's in ane escroll over all In defence, and under on the table of the compartment Nemo me impune Lacessit.

[8] The motto of the Order of the Thistle, Nemo me impune lacessit, appears on a blue scroll overlying the compartment.

The unicorn is placed in the dominant position on the dexter side, and the shield is encircled by the collar of the Order of the Thistle instead of the Garter.

However, unlike the royal arms of Canada, those of Nova Scotia portray the unicorn as the imperially crowned dexter supporter, in the Scottish style.

The motto munit hæc et altera vincit appears above the crest in keeping with the Scottish heraldic style.

(Both the flag and shield of the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia also feature the Scottish arms on an inescutcheon).

In 2002, the Queen granted arms to the Monarchist League of Canada which featured a royal tressure with maple leaves instead of the usual fleurs-de-lis.

Four lilies, taken from the Scottish royal coat of arms, on a blue background, are reminiscent of Saint Wendelin.

In 1465, the parish of St. Wendel sent two parishioners to Scotland to research the legend of Saint Wendelin's royal Scottish origins.

After allegedly positive confirmation, the Scottish lion coat of arms was used in the seal of the parish of St. Wendel.