Twenty Seven years ago Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma was assasinated by the IRA while on vacation.
Anyway, he was a great man and had an attractive coat of arms as well.
Can anyone explain the presence of the escutcheon, (assuming that is what it is), and why it is seemingly above where it would normally be located?
Mark Olivo wrote:
Can anyone explain the presence of the escutcheon, (assuming that is what it is), and why it is seemingly above where it would normally be located?
Yes, I think I can! Mountbatten was a member of the Royal family of England, and therefore bears the Royal Arms properly differenced on an escutcheon of pretense.
Now, back on topic to the heraldry – I also agree that these are very, very attractive arms. Does anyone know if the practice of hatchments (is that correct?) for deceased armigers is still practiced in the UK? I think it is a rather charming custom and hopefully has not gone the way of the dinosaur. I also think it would be nice to see a copy of that one if it were around. I bet it would also be rather beautiful, sad given the circumstances, but beautiful.
Also, is the four feathers a specific part of the crest or the artist’s representation? I usually see them in groups of five not four.
In response to the queries regarding the armorial bearings of The Earl Mountbatten of Burma:
1) The second crest borne by Lord Mountbatten of Burma and other members of the Mountbatten family, including The Marquess of Milford Haven, viz: ‘Out of a ducal coronet or a plume of four ostrich feathers alternately argent and sable’ is for the family of Battenburg whose name was anglicized at the time of the First World War to that of Mountbatten. A variant of this crest is one with five ostrich feathers and is borne by another ‘member’ of the Mountbatten family, the present Queen’s consort, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
2) The escutcheon as depicted upon the armorial bearings of the Mountbatten family is not an escutcheon of pretence as it is not shown centrally but at honour point. An escutcheon of pretence is a temporary bruisure upon a shield, whilst an escutcheon shown at honour point is inclusive with the arms as a whole and is therefore deemed to be hereditary. The particular ‘internal’ (if we may so call it) escutcheon in question is a variation of the present Royal Arms as assigned to HRH Princess Alice, daughter of HM Queen Victoria and HRH Prince Albert. Princess Alice married Louis VI Grand Duke of Hesse in 1862. Their eldest daughter, Princess Victoria married her cousin HSH Prince Louis Alexander of Battenburg who was created in 1917 the 1st Marquess of Milford Haven. It was at this time the family name changed from Battenburg to Mountbatten. It was their second son, Lord Louis Mountbatten who was to become the last Viceroy of India and the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, whilst their eldest daughter, Lady (Victoria) Alice married HRH Prince Andrew of Greece in 1903 and was the mother of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Therefore the escutcheon of the Royal Arms duly differenced with ‘a label of three points argent the centre point charged with a rose gules barbed and seeded proper and each of the other points with an ermine spot sable’ for Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse acts as an augmentation of honour in remembrance of the family’s descent from Queen Victoria.
3) Regarding the present day use of Hatchments from a British perspective over the last decade or two there have been a number of funerals or memorial services that have been heraldic in content with hatchments of the deceased being carried in procession or displayed in the church during the course of the service. I attended the memorial service for Sir Colin Cole (Garter King of Arms 1978-1992) in 2001 at the Church of St Lawrence Jewry in the City of London and there displayed below the pulpit was a hatchment displaying Sir Colin’s arms. I have at least one acquaintance who has already prepared his hatchment in readiness for his demise.
I do sincerely hope that the foregoing is of interest and help.
Yours aye,
John
John J. Tunesi of Liongam
A link of interest with the arms of Viscount Mountbatten before his elavation to earl.
Thanks, John, I knew ‘escutcheon of pretense’ was wrong somehow, but didn’t know the appropriate term for it.
I neglected to mention that my favorite part of Mountbatten’s arms is the queue-forchee on the two lion supporters. Not a big deal but just a little touch that struck my fancy.
I still do not understand why this "escutcheon" is at the honor point. It was my understanding that when one possessed one, it was to be placed in the center, be it for honor or pretense. It seems irregular. I can find no references to such a practise in my texts. Are there more official instances of arms containing such an escutcheon born by armigers who do not descend (via primogeniture) from a non-heraldic heiress?
I will have to research that a bit for you, but two examples come to mind. I am pretty sure that the arms of Sir Winston Churchill contained such an augmentation of honor that was inherited, at least from his father, if not from a more distant ancestor (possibly one of the Dukes of Marlborough). As a matter of fact, Churchill arms contained two escutcheons in the point of honor, France modern superimposed on the Cross of St. George. You can find an image here www.winstonchurchill.org
Another example is that of the Dukes of Wellington. The augmentation (inescutcheon of the Union Jack, in point of honor) was awarded after the first duke’s victory over Napoleon. I believe this augmentation still exists on the current duke’s arms.
As I said, I will have to research it a bit, but this is just a quick answer to your query, Tripp.
Cheers,
Hassan
Stuart wrote:
I still do not understand why this "escutcheon" is at the honor point. It was my understanding that when one possessed one, it was to be placed in the center, be it for honor or pretense.
Could you cite a source to back that up because I’ve never heard that an escutcheon must always be in the center. So, I’m curious to know why you were under the impression that an escutcheon at the honor point would be, as you call it, "irregular". It would be helpful to know who gave you to understand that because it is quite inaccurate.
Tripp,
I did find more info on the two examples of the inescutcheons in point of honor. My source is ‘Dictionary of Heraldry,’ edited by Stephen Friar, under the entry "Augmentation of Honour." Friar cites the Churchill and the Wellesley arms. Here is what he had to say:
"During the Stuart period, the family of Churchill received two augmentations of honour. The first was granted to Sir Winston Churchill for services to Charles I, and comprised a Canton of St George. The second, to his son John, Duke of Marlborough, following his victory at Blenheim, was an Escutcheon of St George charged with another of France Modern to be borne in cheif on his quartered arms."
Here is his blazon from http://www.heraldica.org/topics/famous/misc.htm
"Sir Winston Churchill: Quarterly, 1st and 4th field sable, a
lion rampant argent, a canton argent with a cross gules (Churchill).
2nd and 3rd quarterly, 1st and 4th field argent, 2nd and 3rd gules
a fret or. Each of the 2nd and 3rd field of the shield has a
bend sable, charged with three scallops argent (Spencer). In honor point
an inescutcheon of St George charged with another of France Modern.
A crescent azure for cadency. Two helms, dexter a
lion couchant argent holding a red banner with a white hand,
sinister a coronet, and up from this the wings and head of a white
griffin with a collar striped red white red. Around the shield
a garter, under it a scroll: FIEL PERO DESDICHADO."
The second example he cites were those of Wellesley and here is what he had to say:
"The augmentation granted to Charles Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was more muted and comprised an inescutcheon of the Union Badge or the United Kingdom."
These are only two examples and I have included a picture of the second arms as an attachement. There are other non British examples I have found in a roll of arms. Would be happy to send you an electronic copy if you PM me with your e-mail.
There are also Germanic examples of noble arms where there are three inescutheons of pretence or honor. One in center point, one in chief, and one even somewhere in base point of some sort of grand quartering.
I hope this info helps.
Cheers,
Hassan
