Coat of arms of Denmark facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Greater coat of arms of Denmark
State version
Versions
Royal version
Royal version achievement

Armiger	Frederik X, King of Denmark (greater version) Government of Denmark (lesser (state) version)
Adopted	First documented in the 1190s. Designated as dynastic arms 1959. Last modified 20 December 2024.
Crest	Crown of King Christian V
Torse	tasseled strings Or
Blazon	A shield quartered by a cross pattée argent bordured gules, first quarter Or, three lions passant in pale azure crowned and armed Or langued gules, nine lily pads gules (for Denmark); second quarter azure, a ram passant argent armed and unguled Or (for the Faroe Islands); third quarter azure, a polar bear rampant argent (for Greenland); fourth quarter Or, two lions passant in pale azure armed Or langued gules (for Schleswig). Overall an escutcheon Or two bars gules (for Oldenburg)
Supporters	two wild men armed with clubs Proper
Compartment	pedestal
Motto	Latin: Magnanimi Pretium
Order(s)	Order of the Dannebrog, and Order of the Elephant
Other elements	The monarch places this coat of arms on a mantle gules lined with Ermine. Above the mantle is a pavilion gules again topped with the royal crown.

Relief of the coat of arms at the Danish House in Paris

The coat of arms of Denmark is a special symbol for the country. It has two main versions: a smaller one for the government and a larger one for the royal family. Think of it like a country's official logo!

The smaller version, called the state coat of arms, shows three blue lions wearing crowns. They are walking across a golden shield. Around them are nine red shapes that look like hearts, but they actually represent lily pads. A royal crown sits on top of the shield.

The larger version is called the royal coat of arms. It's much more detailed and is used by the King and his family. This version has changed over time, with the newest design introduced in 2024 by King Frederik X.

What is the history of Denmark's coat of arms?
What does the royal coat of arms look like?
- How has the royal coat of arms changed over time?
- What's new in the 2024 royal arms?
  - Who designed the new royal arms?
How are the different versions used?
- Government use
- Other royal family members
Images for kids

What is the history of Denmark's coat of arms?

The Danish coat of arms in the Gelre Armorial, 14th century. This is the oldest coloured image of the Dannebrog. The crest was used by Danish monarchs from the 13th century until c. 1420. The flag is not part of the crest.

The very first known picture of this symbol is from a seal used by King Canute VI around the year 1194. We know what colors it was from around 1270.

For a long time, the number of "hearts" (lily pads) wasn't set. There could be many more than nine. Also, the lions used to face forward, looking at you. In 1819, King Frederick VI made it official: there would be exactly nine lily pads, and the lions would face sideways, walking.

Until about 1960, Denmark used both a "small" and a "large" coat of arms for official government business. But after that, the larger symbol became only for the royal family. This left Denmark with just one main national coat of arms for all other official uses.

The crown on the shield is designed after the real crown of King Christian V. This crown, along with other royal treasures, is kept safe at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen.

The Danish coat of arms is very similar to the coat of arms of Estonia and the city of Tallinn. This is because Denmark used to rule northern Estonia a long time ago.

What does the royal coat of arms look like?

The royal coat of arms is more detailed than the national one. The newest version was created on December 20, 2024.

The shield is divided into four sections by a silver cross with red edges.

The first section shows three crowned lions and nine hearts for Denmark.
The second section has a silver ram on a blue background for the Faroe Islands.
The third section features a silver polar bear on a blue background for Greenland.
The fourth section shows two lions for Southern Jutland, an area that was once part of Schleswig.

In the very center of the shield is a smaller shield with two red bars on a golden background. This represents the House of Oldenburg, the royal family that ruled Denmark for many years.

Two "wild men" (sometimes called woodwoses) hold up the shield. These figures have been part of the royal coat of arms for a very long time. Around the shield are the symbols of two important Danish honors: the Order of the Dannebrog and the Order of the Elephant.

The whole design is surrounded by a royal robe made of white fur with black spots (called ermine). A royal crown sits on top of the robe.

Since around 1960, the royal coat of arms has been used only by the King, the royal family, and their official staff. Some businesses that supply the royal family are also allowed to use it.

How has the royal coat of arms changed over time?

Over the centuries, royal coats of arms often combined the symbols of all the lands a ruler controlled. When a royal family died out, their coat of arms would become the symbol of the country itself.

The modern royal coat of arms of Denmark continues this tradition. It shows the personal symbols of the Danish monarch, even after Denmark and Norway stopped being ruled by the same king.

Coat of arms	Bearer	Description
	King Valdemar IV	This was the coat of arms of King Valdemar IV.
	Queen Margaret I	The arms of Queen Margaret I showed symbols for Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
	King Eric VII	This was the coat of arms of King Eric VII, who ruled Denmark and Norway together.
	King Christopher III	Coat of arms of Christopher III.
	King Christian I	This coat of arms was used by Kings Christian I, John I, and Christian II. It was the first to include the symbol of the House of Oldenburg.
	King John I
	King Christian II
	King Frederick I	Coat of arms of Frederick I.
	King Christian III	Coat of arms of Christian III.
	King Frederick II	Arms of Denmark and Norway used from 1559 to 1699.
	King Christian IV
	King Frederick III
	King Christian V
	King Frederick IV	The larger coat of arms of Denmark and Norway used from 1699 to 1819.
	King Christian VI
	King Frederick V
	King Christian VII
	King Frederick VI	The larger coat of arms of Denmark used from 1819 to 1903. This was the first Danish arms after Norway's symbol was replaced. It included symbols for Iceland (a stockfish), the Faroe Islands (a ram), and Greenland (a polar bear).
	King Christian VIII
	King Frederick VII
	King Christian IX
	King Christian IX	The larger coat of arms of Denmark used from 1903 to 1948. For a while, Iceland was shown with a falcon instead of a stockfish.
	King Frederik VIII
	King Christian X
	King Frederik IX	The larger coat of arms of Denmark used from 1948 to 1972. The falcon for Iceland was removed after Iceland became independent in 1944. In 1959, the "three-lions" symbol became the only national coat of arms. The older "greater coat of arms" became the symbol of the royal family.
	Queen Margrethe II	This version was used from 1972 until 2024. It included symbols for Denmark, Schleswig, the Kalmar Union (three crowns), the Faroe Islands (ram), and Greenland (polar bear). The central shield represented the House of Oldenburg.
	King Frederik X	This is the current version used since 2024.

A medieval ship flag from the 1420s showing the arms of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Pomerania.

The earliest known example of the Danish coat of arms, the seal of Canute VI, 1190s.

Over the 20th century, the royal arms became simpler. Older versions included symbols for many other areas and old titles, like Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, and even "King of the Wends" and "King of the Goths."

Iceland's symbol, first a fish and then a falcon, was removed from the royal arms in 1948. This happened after Iceland became independent from Denmark in 1944.

What's new in the 2024 royal arms?

On December 20, 2024, King Frederik X updated the royal arms. The last change was made by his mother, Queen Margrethe II, in 1972.

In the new version, Greenland and the Faroe Islands have been given more importance. They each have their own section on the shield. This shows how important these parts of the Danish Realm are to the King.

The two lions representing Southern Jutland also have their own section. This is a special way to remember the history of that area.

Along with the new coat of arms, the royal flags have also been updated. The King's flag now has the new coat of arms in the middle. The Queen's flag has both her coat of arms and the King's new one. Even Crown Prince Christian has a new flag with the royal coat of arms. These new flags started flying on January 1, 2025, at the royal palaces.

One big change in the 2024 update was the removal of the three crowns. These crowns had been in the royal arms for 500 years. They symbolized the Kalmar Union, a historical alliance between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Removing them was a surprising change.

Who designed the new royal arms?

Ronny Skov Andersen, a royal coat of arms painter, designed the new version of the royal coat of arms. He also led a special committee that helped create the new arms for the King. This committee included experts in history and heraldry.

How are the different versions used?

Government use

Different versions of the Danish Royal Arms are used by the government, the Parliament, and courts. The government and its offices usually use a simpler version of the royal arms. This version does not have the large robe or the crown on top. You can see this simpler royal arms on Danish passports and at Danish embassies around the world.

The version used by the government of Denmark
Arms of the Royal Danish Army
Aviator badge of the Royal Danish Air Force

Other royal family members

Coat of arms from Trinity Church, Copenhagen

Other members of the royal family also have their own coats of arms. These are similar to the King's but have special differences to show who they are.

Coat of arms	Bearer	Description
	Queen Mary	Queen Mary's coat of arms combines her husband's shield with her own. Her shield shows a red eagle and a black boat, representing her Scottish background. It also has two gold stars from Australia and a gold rose, her personal symbol.
	Crown Prince Christian	Crown Prince Christian’s coat of arms is like the royal coat of arms. The main differences are his special crown and a purple robe.
	Prince Joachim	Prince Joachim's coat of arms is similar to the royal coat of arms. It has a special central shield that includes symbols for the House of Oldenburg and his mother's family.
	Princess Marie	Princess Marie's coat of arms combines her husband's shield with her own. It shows a blue horseman, representing her maiden name. It also has three red hearts for Denmark and a lily symbol for France.

Images for kids

Seal of Valdemar II the Victorious (reigned 1202–41)
Seal of Eric V Klipping (reigned 1259–86)
Seal of Eric VI Menved (reigned 1286–1319). The two eagles are references to his mother, Agnes of Brandenburg.
Royal standard of Denmark, c.1300
Seal of Valdemar IV Atterdag (reigned 1340–75), early 1340s
Fresco of Valdemar IV Atterdag as king. Notice the crest on the Danish coat of arms, Saint Peter's Church, Næstved.
One of the seals of Eric VII "of Pomerania", 1398. The three Danish lions carry a Danish flag (top-left corner).
Seal of Christopher III "of Bavaria", 1440s
Sigilum secretum of Christian I, 1449
Sigilum secretum of Christian I, 1457–60
Seal of King Hans (reigned 1481–1513)
Seal of Christian III (reigned 1534–59)
Coat of arms of Christian III as it appeared in the first Danish-language Bible, 1550
Coat of arms of Frederick II. Engraving by Jens Bircherod, 1581
Eric XIV of Sweden added the Norwegian and Danish arms to the Swedish national coat of arms (the two lower quarters). This was one of the main events leading to the Northern Seven Years' War.
Coat of arms of Frederick II, 1592 engraving
Coat of arms from the first issue of Kongelig allene privilegerede Tronhiems Adresse-Contoirs Efterretninger, 1767, showing the arms of Denmark, Norway and the Kalmar Union
Royal coat of arms, 1972–2024
Denmark
Faroe Islands
Greenland
Oldenburg
Schleswig
Bavaria
Bornholm
Delmenhorst
Ditmarsken
Femern
King of the Goths/Jutland
Gotland
The Swedish royal House of Bjälbo, in the 17th century perceived as the arms of Götaland
Holstein
Iceland
Iceland in later arms.
Palatinate
Lauenborg
Norway
Øsel
Pomerania
Stormarn
King of the Wends/Funen
Kalmar Union

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Coat of arms of Denmark Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.