Armorial of French peers
They represent the primitive constituents of elective monarchy, before the succession became hereditary in the House of Capet.
Since 1180, they were responsible for ensuring the succession and were involved in the ceremony of coronation where each represents a symbolic function of the nomination.
[1] In 1297, Philip IV of France created three new peerages, to replace some of the lay peerages which had merged into the crown (Normandy and Toulouse; while Champagne was held by Philip IV's wife, Joan I of Navarre).
In the fifteenth century, Charles VII began granting peerages to foreigners, to his Scottish allies in particular.
Quarterly in I and IV gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, charged with an emerald proper, in II and III azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony argent and gules, a bordure argent.
The holder of the fief was also: Quarterly azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure engrailed gules and Guyenne.
The holder of the title was also: Azure three fleurs de lys or and a bend gules charged with three lions rampants argent.
The holder of the title was also: Azure three fleurs de lys or a bordure gules charged with eight plates.
Argent a lion gules tail forked in saltire, armed, langued and crowned or.
Azure three fleurs de lys or a bendlet gules couped charged with a crescent argent in chief.
The holder of the title was also: Quarterly in 1 and 4 paly or and azure of six pieces, a chief gules charged with three hydras of seven heads also or and in 2 and 3 azure a lion argent a bordure gules charged with fleurs de lys or.
Argent a lion gules tail forked in saltire, armed, langued and crowned or.
Quarterly; 1 argent, a cross patty gules between four eagles sable displayed and affronty; Overall, Quarterly, 1 and 4 barry or and sable, 2 and 3 gules a lion argent tail forked, armed and langued or, crowned and collared of the same, a bendlet couped; 2 d’Alençon; 3 de Bourgogne; 4 de Clèves charged in fess point de La Marck; Overall d’Albret d’Orval.
Quarterly: in 1 and 4, or, a lion gules, crowned of the same (Albert); in 2 and 3, Azure, two wolves affronty argent (Segur).
Quarterly: I and IV, or, a lion gules, armed, langued and crowned azure (d'Albert); II and III, gules two olive branches argent, set like a crown, crossing in chief and in base, a chief chequy argent and azure (d'Ailly).
Per fess and per three pallets, I quarterly Castile and Leon; II Aragon; III Navarre; IV per saltire Aragon and Hohenstaufen-Sicily; V, barry of six sable and or, a crancelin vert (Saxony); VI or; VII quarterly 1 and 4, azure a fess or between three lion heads caboshed guardant and 2 and 3, argent on a bend gules cottised sable three vols argent; VIII quarterly Foix and Bearn.
Inescutcheon, per pale, argent a walnut tree vert; b. gules a cross cleché, voided and pommety or, and a chief gules, charged with a cross potent argent (de Nogaret).
Quarterly: 1 and 4 or two maces sable in saltire and tied gules; 2 and 3, grand-quarterly in I and IV azure three fleurs of lys or, a label and a bendlet couped brochant argent (d'Orléans-Longueville), in II and III quarterly azure three fleurs of lys or between a bendlet couped (de Bourbon).
Azure, three lions passant guardant or, armed, langued and crowned gules, one over the other.
The holder of the title was also: Azure three fleurs de lys or and a bendlet couped gules.
[34] Azure, a fasces or, bound argent, the axe of the same, a fess gules, brochant overall and ch.
[38] Barry argent and azure (of sixpieces), three chevrons gules brochant overall, that of the chief écimé.
Quarterly, in I gules a lion or armed and langued Azure, in II barry or and sable of six pieces, in III argent a fess gules, in IV or a lion sable, on an escutcheon azure a cross or between eighteen billets of the same, five and five in chief positioned in saltire, four and four in base positioned two and two brochant overall.
The holder of the title was also: Per fess gules and or, in lion rampant guardant argent on gueules and sable on or.
Quarterly: in I, per pale, a or, a fess chequy argent and gules of three tiers (de La Marck), b, Azure, an escutcheon argent bordered or, between eight crosslets or in orle, 3, 2 and 3 (de Brézé); in II, per pale, a, argent three fess gules, b, Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, a bendlet couped gules (de Bourbon); III, per pale, a, azure crusilly crosslets in foot fitchy or, a lion argent brochant (de Commercy), b, paly or and gules; IV, per pale, a, quarterly fusilly bendwise argent and Azure, and sable, a lion or (du Palatinat), b, azure seven plates, a chief or (de Poitiers-Valentinois); overall, argent, two pallets sable (de Harlay).
Azure, three mullets pierced or, a chief argent, charged with a lion passant gules[48].
Quarterly: in I and IV quarterly azure three fleurs de lys or (de France) and gules three lions passant guardant or (England); in II or, a lion gules, in double tressure flory and counter-flory of the same (Scotland); in III Azure, a harp or, stringed argent (Ireland); a bordure compony of twelve pieces azure a fleur-de-lys or and gules a lion passant or.
[49] Also Duke of Penthièvre Gules two olive branches argent, set like a crown, crossing in chief and in base, a chief chequy argent and azure (d'Ailly), an escutcheon or, a lion gules, armed, langued and crowned azure (d'Albert).
Per fess gules and or a lion a lion rampant guardant per fess argent and sable Since 1727, the holder of this title is the Prince of Conti Quarterly: in 1, argent, a bouquet of three roses gules, stalked and leaved vert, 1 and 2 (Rosset); in 2, gules, a lion or (Lasset); in 3, quarterly argent and sable (Vissec de Latude); in 4, Azure, three rooks or (Rocozel).
[55] Also Duke of Stainville, or of Choiseul[56] Azure three fleurs de lys or a bordure engrailed gules.
