Coat of arms of Spain facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Coat of arms of Spain

Armiger	Government of Spain
Adopted	5 October 1981
Crest	Spanish Royal crown
Blazon	Quarterly: Castile, León, Aragon, and Navarre; enté en point: Granada; inescutcheon: House of Bourbon
Supporters	Pillars of Hercules with a top of supporters: Dexter An Imperial crown (Holy Roman Empire, Austrian version); Sinister A Spanish Royal crown
Motto	Plus Ultra (English: Further Beyond)

The coat of arms of Spain is a special symbol that represents the country of Spain. It stands for the Spanish people, their history, and their government as a constitutional monarchy. You can see this emblem on the bright flag of Spain. It is also used by the Government of Spain, the Spanish parliament known as the Cortes Generales, the Constitutional Court, and the Supreme Court. The design tells the story of old kingdoms that joined together long ago. It includes castles, lions, chains, crowns, and giant pillars. Every single picture on the shield has a special meaning from history.

The current version of this national emblem was officially approved by law in 1981. It replaced older designs used during different times in Spanish history, including the era of Spain under Franco. Today, the emblem shows how different regions and ancient realms came together to build one single nation. The monarch of Spain and the heir to the throne have their own personal versions. Important groups like the Senate, the Council of State, and the General Council of the Judiciary also use variations of it.

The Main Parts of the Spanish Coat of Arms
Pillars, Crowns, and the National Motto
How the Arms Changed Over Centuries
- The Habsburg Era
- The House of Bourbon and Modern Changes
Images for kids
See Also

The Main Parts of the Spanish Coat of Arms

The shield is divided into several sections that represent ancient realms. Long ago, the Iberian Peninsula had several separate kingdoms. Over many centuries, these lands joined through royal marriages, treaties, and historical events. Today, their historic symbols sit side by side on one main shield. A formal written description of a heraldic design is called a blazon.

In the top left section, you can see a golden castle. This part represents the ancient Kingdom of Castile. The castle has three tall towers and blue windows. It reminds us of the stone fortresses built across the plains of central Spain. In heraldry, red is called gules, gold or yellow is called Or, and blue is called azure. The black lines showing the stone blocks are called sable.

In the top right section, there is a purple or red lion wearing a golden crown. This stands for the old Kingdom of León. The lion is standing on its hind legs with its paws raised high. This classic heraldic pose is known as rampant. The silver or white background is called Argent. The lion has red claws and a red tongue.

The bottom left section features four red vertical stripes on a golden field. This is the historic symbol of the Crown of Aragon. In heraldic language, these vertical stripes are known as pallets. Aragon was a powerful medieval realm along the Mediterranean Sea. Its kings ruled over lands that stretched across eastern Spain and parts of southern Europe.

The bottom right section shows a bright pattern of linked golden chains. This emblem represents the mountain realm of the Kingdom of Navarre. The chains form a cross shape with an emerald green jewel placed right in the center. In heraldry, green is called vert. These chains recall a famous medieval battle where brave soldiers defended their camp.

At the very bottom point of the shield, nestled between the lower quarters, sits a small ripe fruit called a pomegranate. This part is called the enté en point and represents the historic Kingdom of Granada. In Spanish, the word for pomegranate is actually "granada"! The fruit is shown cracked open to reveal its bright red seeds, along with two small green leaves.

Right in the exact middle of the shield, there is a small oval shield called an inescutcheon. It has a blue field surrounded by a red border or bordure. Inside are three golden stylized lilies known as the fleur-de-lis. This is the family symbol of the House of Bourbon, specifically the House of Bourbon-Anjou branch. They are the royal family that has ruled Spain for much of the time since the year 1700.

Symbols of the Historic Kingdoms
Region	Symbol	Heraldic Meaning
Kingdom of Castile	Golden stone castle	Gules, a three-towered castle Or
Kingdom of León	Crowned purple lion	Argent, a lion rampant purpure
Crown of Aragon	Four red vertical stripes	Or, four pallets gules
Kingdom of Navarre	Golden chains with green center	Gules, chains linked in cross and border Or
Granada	Pomegranate fruit	Argent, a ripe pomegranate seeded gules

Pillars, Crowns, and the National Motto

Around the central shield, you will find several famous heraldic symbols. On either side of the shield stand two large stone columns. These are known as the Pillars of Hercules. In ancient Greek mythology, the hero Hercules set up two giant pillars at the edge of the known world. These pillars represent the two rocky cliffs flanking the Strait of Gibraltar. This narrow body of water connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Wrapping around these two columns is a bright red ribbon. On the ribbon, words are written in golden letters in the ancient Latin language. The words say Plus Ultra, which means "Further Beyond." Before the voyages of Christopher Columbus, people believed nothing lay beyond the ocean. An older motto said Non Plus Ultra, meaning "Nothing Further Beyond." After Spanish explorers crossed the sea, the motto changed to celebrate discovery.

Each pillar has a crown resting right on top of its capital. On the left column sits the Imperial crown of the old Holy Roman Empire. On the right column sits the Spanish Royal Crown. Resting directly on top of the main shield is another large heraldic crown. This closed royal crown features golden arches decorated with pearls, precious gems, and a tiny cross standing upon a blue globe.

How the Arms Changed Over Centuries

The Spanish coat of arms did not appear overnight. It changed slowly over hundreds of years as kings, queens, and leaders came and went. In the Middle Ages, different kings governed separate regions. Over time, these leaders united their lands, creating shared coats of arms to show their unity.

The story really began with two famous rulers named Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Together, they were called the Catholic Monarchs. When they married, they brought together the two largest realms on the Iberian Peninsula. Their combined shield featured the castles of Castile, the lions of León, and the stripes of Aragon. They also added the pomegranate of Granada after bringing that realm into their kingdom in 1492.

After Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, the monarchs rewarded him with his own special coat of arms. The letters patent granted to him in 1493 allowed him to use the castle and lion symbols alongside images of islands in the sea. This showed how deeply heraldry was tied to exploration and royal honor during that exciting era.

The Habsburg Era

When King Charles I of Spain took the throne, the shield became much more complex. Charles was the son of Philip I of Castile and Queen Joanna of Castile. He was also chosen as the leader of the Holy Roman Empire, where he was known as Charles V. Because he ruled lands across Austria, Germany, the Low Countries, and Italy, he added many new symbols to his coat of arms.

Charles brought symbols from Austria, Burgundy, Flanders, and Brabant onto his shield. He placed the entire design on the chest of a giant two-headed black eagle. Charles was also the ruler who first added the Pillars of Hercules and the famous motto Plus Ultra to the royal arms. This showed that his empire stretched across the ocean to lands far beyond Europe.

Later, King Philip II of Spain simplified some of these designs so they were easier to recognize. When he became the ruler of Portugal during the Iberian Union in 1580, he added the Portuguese shield to the center of his arms. Spanish monarchs continued to include this symbol until the year 1668, when they recognized Portugal as an independent realm under a peace treaty.

The House of Bourbon and Modern Changes

In the year 1700, King Charles II of Spain died without any children. A young prince named Philip V of Spain became the new monarch. He was the grandson of King Louis XIV of France and belonged to the famous House of Bourbon. Philip brought the three golden fleurs-de-lis to Spain. This blue oval emblem has remained an important part of the Spanish arms ever since.

During the eighteenth century, King Charles III of Spain updated the arms once again. He added decorative chains representing noble orders, like the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Order of the Holy Spirit. Later, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Spain went through several changes in government. During times when Spain was a republic, such as the First Spanish Republic and the Second Spanish Republic, the royal crown was replaced with a stone wall design called a mural crown.

After the period of Spain under Franco, the country returned to a peaceful democracy. Spanish leaders created the 1978 constitution and designed the official coat of arms that we see today. Approved by law in October 1981, this modern design honors ancient heritage while celebrating a united, modern nation. Today, school children across Spain recognize this historic emblem on government buildings, official papers, and their national flag.