Royal Badge of Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal Badge of Wales |
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| Adopted | 2008 |
| Motto | Pleidiol Wyf i'm Gwlad, Welsh for "I am true to my country" |
| Badge | Within a circular riband vert fimbriated Or bearing the motto Pleidiol Wyf i'm Gwlad in letters the same and ensigned with a representation of the Crown proper, an escutcheon quarterly Or and gules four lions passant guardant counterchanged armed and langued azure, encircled by a wreath alternating of leek, thistle, clover, leek and rose. |
The Royal Badge for Wales was officially approved in May 2008. It is a special symbol based on the shield used by Llywelyn the Great, a powerful Welsh prince from the 1200s. His shield showed four lions.
The badge also includes the St Edward's Crown at the top. A scroll wraps around the shield with a special message. Around the whole design is a wreath made of plants. These plants represent the four countries of the UK: the leek for Wales, the thistle for Scotland, the clover for Ireland, and the rose for England.
The message on the scroll is Pleidiol Wyf i'm Gwlad. This is Welsh for "I am true to my country." This motto comes from the National Anthem of Wales. You could also see this motto on Welsh £1 coins made between 1985 and 2000. Today, the badge appears on official documents called Acts passed by the Senedd, which is the Welsh Parliament. It is also part of the Welsh Seal.
This modern badge is part of a long history of symbols for Wales. Before this, symbols often featured the Red Dragon or the arms of Llywelyn. Unlike England, Scotland, and Ireland, Wales does not have its own symbol on the main Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. This is because Wales was joined with England a long time ago. However, the current badge is now used by the Welsh Parliament for its laws and acts.
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History of Welsh Symbols
Llywelyn the Great's Coat of Arms
Before the Normans arrived in England, Wales had many kings and princes. Their lands often changed due to wars, marriages, or family inheritance. Each of these rulers had their own special coat of arms. Even if they lived before coats of arms were common, symbols were later created for them.
The two main Welsh kingdoms were Gwynedd in the north and Deheubarth in the south. Gwynedd was the most successful kingdom and the last to remain independent. The arms used by the Prince of Wales since 1910 are the historic arms of Gwynedd. These were used by famous Welsh princes like Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. These arms show four lions, colored gold and red, facing forward and walking.
The Red Dragon Badge
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A royal heraldic badge featuring the Red Dragon has been used for Wales since the time of King Henry VII. This badge shows a red dragon standing on a green mound.
In 1953, the dragon badge was made even more special. It was placed inside a circular ribbon with the motto "Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN." This means "the red dragon inspires action." The ribbon was topped with a crown.
Interestingly, Winston Churchill, who was Prime Minister then, did not like this design. He thought it looked "odious" and "monstrous."
In 1956, this dragon badge was added to the Cardiff city's coat of arms. It was placed around the necks of the two supporters (figures holding the shield). The badge was also used on a flag for Wales. This flag had a white top half and a green bottom half. However, in 1959, the government stopped using this flag. They chose the current flag instead, after the Gorsedd of Bards asked them to.
The Red Dragon badge was used by the Wales Office until 2017. It also appeared on official documents from the National Assembly for Wales and was part of their logo for a while.
There is another dragon badge for the Prince of Wales. This one has a special silver "label" with three points on the dragon's shoulder. This helps to show that it belongs to the Prince, not the monarch.
Llywelyn's Arms for Wales
When King Edward VIII became Prince of Wales in 1911, he was given his own special coat of arms. Along with the usual royal arms, his main shield included a smaller shield inside. This smaller shield had the arms of Llywelyn of Gwynedd. This was done to represent the principality of Wales.
Before this time, it was not clear if Llywelyn's arms were seen as the "arms of Wales." They were simply known as "Llywelyn's arms." They had not been used by heirs to the English or British thrones before. In fact, a book from 1909 said it was a shame that the Prince of Wales's arms didn't include anything about Wales. Before this, the only symbol of Wales in the royal arms was the red dragon on a green mound.
In the 1960s, a special flag was created for the Prince of Wales to use in Wales. This flag featured the arms of Llywelyn.
In 2007, the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales talked with the Prince of Wales. They also spoke with the College of Arms, which is in charge of coats of arms. They wanted to create a new official symbol for the Assembly. A new royal badge was designed in 2008 by Peter Gwynne-Jones, based on Llywelyn's arms.
Images for kids
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The escutcheon granted to The Princes of Wales since 1911.
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The heraldic banner of The Prince of Wales introduced in 1960, for use in Wales.
See also
In Spanish: Escudo de Gales para niños
