GREAT BRITAIN, ROYAL ARMS OF. The arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland are quarterly, first and fourth gules, three lions passant gardant in pale, or, for Eng land; second, or, a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counterflory gules, for Scotland; third, azure, a harp or stringed argent, for Ire land; all surrounded by the garter.
the royal helmet, the Imperial crown proper, thereon a lion statant gardant or, imperially crowned, also proper.
a lion rampant gardant, or, crowned as the crest. Sinister, a unicorn argent, armed erined, and unguled or, gorged with a coronet composed of crosses pattC•e and fleur-de-lis, a chain affixed thereto, passing be tween the fore legs, and reflexed over the back, also or.
Motto. Dieu at mon Droit in the compart ment below the shield, with the union rose, sham rock, and thistle ingrafted on the same stem. For illustration of Arms of Great Britain, see Colored Plate of National Coats of Arms in article HERALDRY.
Arms have been ascribed by heralds to the Saxon and Norman monarchs of England in the tenth and eleventh centuries; hut as heraldry was, in point of fact, unknown till the middle of the twelfth century, the ascriptions must be dealt with as fabulous.
The supporters borne in former times by the Kings of England varied much, particularly dur ing the earlier period when these appendages of the shield were invested with more of a decorative than an heraldic character, and perhaps often left to the fancy of the engraver. James I. for the first time clearly defined the royal supporters; adopting the lion of England and unicorn of Scotland as they have ever since been borne, the unicorn having been, up to 1707, allowed the precedence in Scotland.