Royal Banner of Scotland

"The Lion Rampant" and "The Royal Standard of Scotland" redirect here. For other uses, see Lion rampant. For the Scottish variant of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, see Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.

Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland
  • Lion Rampant of Scotland
  • Royal Banner of Scotland
  • Royal Standard of Scotland
  • Banner of the King of Scots
Proportion
  • House banner is 5:4 ratio
  • Mass-produced renditions tend towards 1:2 or 2:3 ratio
Adopted13th century
DesignRed (Gules) lion rampant with blue (Azure) claws and tongue, within a red double border having a motif of alternating heraldic lilies, on a yellow (Or) field.

The Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland,[1] also known as the Royal Banner of Scotland,[2][3] or more commonly the Lion Rampant of Scotland,[4] and historically as the Royal Standard of Scotland, (Scottish Gaelic: Bratach rìoghail na h-Alba, Scots: Ryal banner o Scotland) or Banner of the King of Scots,[5] is the royal banner of Scotland, and historically, the royal standard of the Kingdom of Scotland.[6] Used historically by the Scottish monarchs, the banner differs from Scotland's national flag, the Saltire, in that its official use is restricted by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland to only a few Great Officers of State who officially represent the Monarchy in Scotland.[6] It is also used in an official capacity at royal residences in Scotland when the Head of State is not present.[7]

The earliest recorded use of the Lion Rampant as a royal emblem in Scotland was by Alexander II in 1222;[8] with the additional embellishment of a double border set with lilies occurring during the reign of Alexander III (1249–1286).[8] This emblem occupied the shield of the royal coat of arms of the ancient Kingdom of Scotland which, together with a royal banner displaying the same, was used by the King of Scots until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when James VI acceded to the thrones of the kingdoms of England and Ireland.[9] Since 1603, the lion rampant of Scotland has been incorporated into both the royal arms and royal banners of successive Scottish then British monarchs in order to symbolise Scotland, as can be seen today in the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.[10] Although now officially restricted to use by representatives of the Monarch and at royal residences, the Royal Banner continues to be one of Scotland's most recognisable symbols.[11]

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Boudreau, Claire; Cogné, Daniel; Vachon, Auguste (17 April 1998). Proceedings of the 22nd International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in Ottawa August 18–23, 1996. University of Ottawa Press. ISBN 9780776604725. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "No. 24101". The Edinburgh Gazette. 29 November 1996. p. 2862.
  4. ^ Tytler, Patrick F (1845). History of Scotland. Vol. 2: 1149–1603. William Tait. p. 433 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Innes of Learney, Sir Thomas (1934). Scots heraldry: a practical handbook on the historical principles and modern application of the art and science. Oliver and Boyd. p. 186 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b "The 'Lion Rampant' Flag". The Court of the Lord Lyon. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2008. pointing at the Lyon King of Arms Act 1672, c. 47 and the Lyon King of Arms Act 1867, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 17
  7. ^ "Union Jack". The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  8. ^ a b McAndrew, Bruce (2006). Scotland's Historic Heraldry. Boydell Press. p. 24. ISBN 1-84383-261-5. Most important, the convex shield now displays arms of a lion rampant, without as yet the embellishment of a border of any sort At Google Book Search
  9. ^ "United Kingdom Monarchs (1603-present)". The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  10. ^ "Royal Standard". The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 28 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  11. ^ "'Super regiment' badge under fire". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 16 August 2005. Retrieved 9 December 2009.