Kate Middleton has unveiled her new Coat of Arms.
The design features three acorns, representing Kate and her two siblings. The oak tree is also a traditional symbol of England and strength and is a feature of west Berkshire, where the Middletons have lived for 30 years.
The gold chevron in the centre of the coat of arms signifies Kate's mother, Carole, whose maiden name was Goldsmith and is who is at the heart of the family.
The white chevronels symbolise peaks and mountains, and the Middleton family's love of the Lake District and skiing.
The background colours of red and blue were chosen as they are the principle colours from the flag of the United Kingdom and match Prince William’s recently revised coat of arms.
The College of Arms likes to include a pun wherever possible and has made the two colours meet squarely in the centre as a play on the words ‘middle tone’.
Tony Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms and Senior Herald in England, helped the Middletons with their design.
He said: "It's not compulsory, but as their daughter is marrying into the Royal Family she will have a need probably to use a coat of arms."
To symbolise their marriage, Kate's Coat of Arms will combine with that of William's upon their marriage.
The Royal Wedding takes place on Friday next week.
Royal wedding: Kate Middleton coat of arms unveiled
19th April 2011
BBC News
Kate Middleton's new Coat of Arms
Kate Middleton's family has had a coat of arms designed, which will feature on the souvenir royal wedding programme.
Her father Michael commissioned the heraldic design to mark his daughter's marriage to Prince William on 29 April.
It features three acorn sprigs, one for each of the Middletons' children: an idea Miss Middleton suggested.
Royal experts say the coat of arms - which cost £4,400 to make - marks the increased social status of her parents and her potential as a future queen.
Thomas Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms and Senior Herald in England, from the College of Arms in the City of London, helped the Middletons with the design.
The oak tree was a traditional symbol of England and of strength and a feature of west Berkshire, where the family have lived for 30 years.
Mr Woodcock said the gold chevron in the centre of the coat of arms signified Miss Middleton's mother, Carole, whose maiden name was Goldsmith.
Kate's coat of arms includes a tied ribbon, showing she is an unmarried woman, and features three acorn sprigs, representing each of the Middleton children. At its centre is a gold inverted "V" reflecting Kate's mother Carole's maiden name of Goldsmith and white chevronels, symbolising mountains, representing the family's love of the Lake District and skiing
William's coat of arms has a design derived from that of his father, the Prince of Wales, and has a main shield featuring the three lions, lion rampant and harp stringed argent of England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland respectively. It also has the English lion and Scottish unicorn supporters. The white label features a sea shell or "escallop", taken from the family coat of arms of his mother, Princess Diana. The blue garter symbolises his appointment as a Knight of the Garter.
Thomas Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms, unveils the Middleton coat of arms
White chevronels - narrow chevrons above and below the gold chevron - symbolise peaks and mountains, and the Middleton family's love of the Lake District and skiing.
Mr Woodcock said: "It's not compulsory, but as their daughter is marrying into the Royal Family she will have a need probably to use a coat of arms."
He said Miss Middleton could have been granted her own heraldic design but her father wanted the whole family to be able to use it.
Elaborate lozenge
The cover sheet of the souvenir Royal Wedding programme features Kate Middleton's new Coat of Arms and also that of Prince William
A version of the coat of arms, which can only be used by Kate or her 27-year-old sister Pippa - who will be a bridesmaid at the wedding - as it denotes a Middleton spinster, will be printed on the back of the souvenir programme. Prince William's will be on the front.
Miss Middleton's heraldic design features a tied ribbon to show she is an unmarried woman.
Overall, it is designed like an elaborate lozenge rather than a shield, a shape reserved for men.
She will be able to use the coat of arms up until her wedding day, after which it will be combined with that of Prince William.
Mr Woodcock said: "With any new design of a coat of arms you have to make sure that the design is distinct not just in colour but in the linear appearance.
"And, as there is a 16th Century coat of arms with a chevron between three sprigs of oak, we've made the differences - dividing the background colours."
Multimedia nuptials
Herald painter Robert Parsons sketches the new Coat of Arms
Broadcast footage of the wedding will be streamed live on the royal YouTube channel, accompanied by a live blog put together by staff at Clarence House and St James's Palace.
The commentary will provide historical information and links to previously unpublished photographs and video footage with live updates on social media sites such as facebook and twitter.
Members of the public have been invited to send their good wishes in the form of a video message to be shown in an online digital wedding book.
150,000 copies of the official souvenir programme booklet will go on sale on the day of the wedding.
The booklet will be handed out along the processional route by a team of military cadets and Explorer Scouts.
The cost will be £2, with proceeds to go to the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
But it will also be available to download for free the day before the wedding from the official Royal Wedding website.
HOW DO YOU GET A COAT OF ARMS?
Coats of Arms came into being during medieval tournaments like jousting when knights would be recognised by the motifs on their shields or helmets and heralds quickly learnt the different ones in use, taking up responsibility for the control of their use.
Their use declined in competition and battle but they became more widely used in society.
The College of Arms, a branch of the Royal household, is the official body in the UK that deals with coats of arms and their team of experts - funded by the fees they charge and not taxpayers money - design and research heraldic or genealogical issues.
The arms are given for free while the money people pay is for the research and design of the coat of arms.
However, that doesn't mean that just anybody can pay the fee and get a coat of arms. The cumulative knowledge of the Earl Marshal gathered over hundreds of years has given them the skill of tactfully suggesting that people don't proceed with their application.
The late Peter Gwynn-Jones, a former Garter King of Arms, once said: 'In practice, eligibility depends upon holding a civil or military commission, a sound university degree or professional qualification, or having achieved some measure of distinction in a field beneficial to society as a whole.'
news.bbc.co.uk
The design features three acorns, representing Kate and her two siblings. The oak tree is also a traditional symbol of England and strength and is a feature of west Berkshire, where the Middletons have lived for 30 years.
The gold chevron in the centre of the coat of arms signifies Kate's mother, Carole, whose maiden name was Goldsmith and is who is at the heart of the family.
The white chevronels symbolise peaks and mountains, and the Middleton family's love of the Lake District and skiing.
The background colours of red and blue were chosen as they are the principle colours from the flag of the United Kingdom and match Prince William’s recently revised coat of arms.
The College of Arms likes to include a pun wherever possible and has made the two colours meet squarely in the centre as a play on the words ‘middle tone’.
Tony Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms and Senior Herald in England, helped the Middletons with their design.
He said: "It's not compulsory, but as their daughter is marrying into the Royal Family she will have a need probably to use a coat of arms."
To symbolise their marriage, Kate's Coat of Arms will combine with that of William's upon their marriage.
The Royal Wedding takes place on Friday next week.
Royal wedding: Kate Middleton coat of arms unveiled
19th April 2011
BBC News
Kate Middleton's new Coat of Arms
Kate Middleton's family has had a coat of arms designed, which will feature on the souvenir royal wedding programme.
Her father Michael commissioned the heraldic design to mark his daughter's marriage to Prince William on 29 April.
It features three acorn sprigs, one for each of the Middletons' children: an idea Miss Middleton suggested.
Royal experts say the coat of arms - which cost £4,400 to make - marks the increased social status of her parents and her potential as a future queen.
Thomas Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms and Senior Herald in England, from the College of Arms in the City of London, helped the Middletons with the design.
The oak tree was a traditional symbol of England and of strength and a feature of west Berkshire, where the family have lived for 30 years.
Mr Woodcock said the gold chevron in the centre of the coat of arms signified Miss Middleton's mother, Carole, whose maiden name was Goldsmith.
Kate's coat of arms includes a tied ribbon, showing she is an unmarried woman, and features three acorn sprigs, representing each of the Middleton children. At its centre is a gold inverted "V" reflecting Kate's mother Carole's maiden name of Goldsmith and white chevronels, symbolising mountains, representing the family's love of the Lake District and skiing
William's coat of arms has a design derived from that of his father, the Prince of Wales, and has a main shield featuring the three lions, lion rampant and harp stringed argent of England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland respectively. It also has the English lion and Scottish unicorn supporters. The white label features a sea shell or "escallop", taken from the family coat of arms of his mother, Princess Diana. The blue garter symbolises his appointment as a Knight of the Garter.
Thomas Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms, unveils the Middleton coat of arms
White chevronels - narrow chevrons above and below the gold chevron - symbolise peaks and mountains, and the Middleton family's love of the Lake District and skiing.
Mr Woodcock said: "It's not compulsory, but as their daughter is marrying into the Royal Family she will have a need probably to use a coat of arms."
He said Miss Middleton could have been granted her own heraldic design but her father wanted the whole family to be able to use it.
Elaborate lozenge
The cover sheet of the souvenir Royal Wedding programme features Kate Middleton's new Coat of Arms and also that of Prince William
A version of the coat of arms, which can only be used by Kate or her 27-year-old sister Pippa - who will be a bridesmaid at the wedding - as it denotes a Middleton spinster, will be printed on the back of the souvenir programme. Prince William's will be on the front.
Miss Middleton's heraldic design features a tied ribbon to show she is an unmarried woman.
Overall, it is designed like an elaborate lozenge rather than a shield, a shape reserved for men.
She will be able to use the coat of arms up until her wedding day, after which it will be combined with that of Prince William.
Mr Woodcock said: "With any new design of a coat of arms you have to make sure that the design is distinct not just in colour but in the linear appearance.
"And, as there is a 16th Century coat of arms with a chevron between three sprigs of oak, we've made the differences - dividing the background colours."
Multimedia nuptials
Herald painter Robert Parsons sketches the new Coat of Arms
Broadcast footage of the wedding will be streamed live on the royal YouTube channel, accompanied by a live blog put together by staff at Clarence House and St James's Palace.
The commentary will provide historical information and links to previously unpublished photographs and video footage with live updates on social media sites such as facebook and twitter.
Members of the public have been invited to send their good wishes in the form of a video message to be shown in an online digital wedding book.
150,000 copies of the official souvenir programme booklet will go on sale on the day of the wedding.
The booklet will be handed out along the processional route by a team of military cadets and Explorer Scouts.
The cost will be £2, with proceeds to go to the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
But it will also be available to download for free the day before the wedding from the official Royal Wedding website.
HOW DO YOU GET A COAT OF ARMS?
Coats of Arms came into being during medieval tournaments like jousting when knights would be recognised by the motifs on their shields or helmets and heralds quickly learnt the different ones in use, taking up responsibility for the control of their use.
Their use declined in competition and battle but they became more widely used in society.
The College of Arms, a branch of the Royal household, is the official body in the UK that deals with coats of arms and their team of experts - funded by the fees they charge and not taxpayers money - design and research heraldic or genealogical issues.
The arms are given for free while the money people pay is for the research and design of the coat of arms.
However, that doesn't mean that just anybody can pay the fee and get a coat of arms. The cumulative knowledge of the Earl Marshal gathered over hundreds of years has given them the skill of tactfully suggesting that people don't proceed with their application.
The late Peter Gwynn-Jones, a former Garter King of Arms, once said: 'In practice, eligibility depends upon holding a civil or military commission, a sound university degree or professional qualification, or having achieved some measure of distinction in a field beneficial to society as a whole.'
news.bbc.co.uk
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