Azure 3 Fleurs-de-Lis Or

The arms of France, since the late 12th century, have been Azure, a semis of fleurs-de-lis or, changed in 1376 to Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or.

These arms appear elsewhere in Europe, either as the arms of families, or as quarters. In a number of cases, they can be shown to be augmentations of honor, that is, concessions made by a French king, entitling a family to use the French arms as a mark of honor to reward the actions of a member of that family. For some families, the quarter of France indicated that they had once been allied to the royal family of France in marriage. In other cases, it just seems to be a coincidence that the coat of arms of that family happens to be the same as that of France. Here are some of the examples I was able to document.

Augmentations of Honor

Alliances

  • La Trémoille
  • Rohan
  • Cerda, duke of Medina-Celi (Spain)
  • Guénégault
  • Coincidences

    Cities

    A number of French cities have a chief of France.