http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3716/vgekh4.jpg

Stall Plate of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, President of the French Republic 1974-1981. Appointed Knigth on 6 June 1980 in connection with the State Visit to France by HM King Carl XVI Gustaf.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4326/mitterrandzi8.jpg

Stall Plate of François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic 1981-1995. Died 8 January 1996. Appointed Knigth on 11 May 1984 in connection with His State Visit to Sweden.

These last two are very interesting. For Giscard, the Swedish heralds modified the French national emblem (not, by French legal definition, arms) by turning the axe head to dexter, deleting the motto scroll wrapped around the fasces, changing both branches to olive instead of oak and olive, and having them surround the fasces rather than lying behind it.

http://www.languedoc-france.info/06live/francearms2.gif

The tree with half oak and half olive leaves was the device chosen by President Mitterand for his presidential flag. The personal flag of the French president is a square tricolor, to which each president has the option of adding his initials or a symbolic device of his own choosing. Mitterand is said to have interpreted the combination of oak and olive leaves (and acorns and olives) as symbolizing northern and southern France respectively.

Thanks Joe for adding the information.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3816/beatrixtb5.jpg

Stall Plate of HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, appointed to the Order 6 October 1976.

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/1294/juancarlosum4.jpg

Stall Plate of HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain, appointed to the Order on 5 October 1979.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6081/sofiaxh1.jpg

Stall Plate of HM Queen Sofia of Spain, appointed to the Order on 5 October 1979. She was born Princess of Grecce hence the Royal Greek Arms.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8379/felipezu1.jpg

Stall Plate of HRH The Prince of Asturias, Infante Felipe of Spain. Appointed to the Order on 17 December 1991.

Does anyone know the specific meaning of the unusual cross (patee pomettee fitchee?), Alpha and Omega on the Prince of the Asturias’ label? Is it associated with the title, or with an order?

James

It is the so called Cross of Victory a permier Symbol of Asturias, which is keept in the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo. It is also feautured in the Arms of Asturias.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Escudo_de_Asturias.svg/338px-Escudo_de_Asturias.svg.png

Thanks, very interesting. I notice that the pendant Alpha and Omega appear to be an heraldic addition.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Oviedo_croix_Victoire.jpg

James

Could be a heraldic addition but, there is a real one out there with the alpha & omega:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gTQCiRKlM-U/SuV1S6yAfYI/AAAAAAAANec/vP9RjUHV3E0/s400/4033600.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gTQCiRKlM-U/SuV1SqXEOBI/AAAAAAAANeU/_-7bqBNvlFE/s400/Victoria.bmp

All this being correct, it is important that the definitively established coat of arms of HRH the Prince has a plain label Azure. The arms emblazoned for him as a Seraphim Knight were but a project of the time.

That seems to be rigth Michael, the present Arms only displays a plain blue Label:

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6240/8746.jpg

However, the Swedish heralds must have got the idea from somewhere and that would probably have been the Spanish authorities.

Has anyone seen any other representations of the charged label of the Prince of Asturias?

Regards,

Iain Boyd

This is the official, legal, description of the Prince’s arms (Real Decreto 284/2001 of March 16, 2001)

Below is the formal description of the shield:
Quote:

El fondo será de color azul de la bandera del Principado de Asturias y bordado sobre él, en su centro, escudo cuartelado: 1°, de gules, con un castillo de oro, almenado, mazonado de sable y aclarado de azur, que es de Castilla; 2°, de plata con un león rampante de púrpura coronado de oro, lampasado y armado de gules, que es de León; 3°, de oro, con cuatro palos de gules, que es de Aragón; 4°, de gules, con una cadena de oro puesta en orla, en cruz y en aspa, con un punto de sinople en abismo, que es de Navarra; entado en punta, de plata, con una granada al natural rajada de gules, sostenida, tallada y hojada de dos hojas de sinople, que es de Granada. Sobre el todo, un escusón de azur con tres flores de lis de oro, bordura de gules, que es de Borbón. El todo diferenciado con un lambel de azur de tres pies.

The highlighted section describes the label as a simple label of three points Azure. No charges.

Iain Boyd;73082 wrote:

However, the Swedish heralds must have got the idea from somewhere and that would probably have been the Spanish authorities.

Has anyone seen any other representations of the charged label of the Prince of Asturias?

 

Regards,

 

Iain Boyd

Yes indeed, the authorities of the relevant Country is always contacted as to the Arms of the newly appointed Knight. It should however be noticed that the present Arms of the Prince of Asturias with the plain blue label was approved in 2001. His Stall Plate was painted in 1996 by Bengt Olof Kälde, so the change have taken place in the Years between.

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Charles de Gaule

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Kaiser Wilhelm II