Welsh heraldry
Heraldry in Wales has a tradition distinct from that of English and Scottish heraldry. There is evidence that heraldry was already being used in Wales by the middle of the thirteenth century; for instance, in Gwynedd, two sons of Llywelyn the Great are recorded as having borne coats of arms in this period. Following the integration of Wales into England in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Welsh heraldic tradition became merged into that of England.
Welsh kingdoms
Before the conquest of Gwynedd by Edward I, Wales was ruled by a number of Kings and Princes whose dominions shifted and sometimes merged following the vagaries of war, marriage and inheritance. All these Kings and Princes were ascribed personal coats of arms, often retrospectively if they lived before the dawn of heraldry, and these were borne by their descendants in Wales. The two principal Welsh kingdoms were those of Gwynedd, in the north, and Deheubarth in the south. Of these, the most successful, and the last, finally, to fall, was that of Gwynedd, and the arms now borne by the Princes of Wales as an escutcheon are the historic arms of the dynasty of Gwynedd as borne by the last native Princes of Wales, including Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.The arms associated with former Kingdom of Powys are a red lion rampant on a gold field. They were used by the House of Mathrafal when Powys was an independent kingdom and later by the Earls of Powis up until the late Middle Ages and can now be found on various civic coats of arms.
The arms associated with the principal dynasty of south Wales are, on the other hand, a gold lion rampant on a red field within an indented gold border. Although never included in the English Royal Arms, they continue to be borne by families descended from the dynasty of Deheubarth: most notably by the Talbot family which married an heiress of the dynasty in the 14th century.
| Arms/Standard | Kingdom/ Principality | Details |
| Kingdom of Gwynedd | Contemporary coat of arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd. Used by the Princes of Wales since 1911, and by the Caernarvonshire County Council until 1974. Quarterly Or and Gules, four lions passant guardant counter charged, armed and langued Azur. | |
| Kingdom of Powys & later the Kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn | Traditional coat of arms of Prince Gwenwynwyn of Powys. Or, a lion Gules armed and langed Azure. | |
| Kingdom of Powys Fadog | Traditional arms of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor of Powys Fadog. Argent, a lion Sable armed and langed Gules. | |
| Kingdom of Deheubarth | Traditional arms of King Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr of Deheubarth and later used by the Talbot dynasty. Gules a Lion rampant Or, a border engrailed of the last. | |
| Kingdom of Morgannwg | Attributed arms of King Iestyn ap Gwrgant of Morgannwg. Gules, three Chevronels Argent. | |
| Kingdom of Ceredigion | Attributed arms of the mythical King Gwaethfoed Fawr, Prince of Cantref Gwaelod, later used by the family of Pryse of Gogerddan, Ceredigion, and the Cardiganshire County Council. Sable, Lion rampant regardant Or. | |
| Kingdom of Dyfed | Attributed arms of the historically-dubious Prince Gwynfardd of Nanhyfer, Dyfed, a claimed ancestor of several aristocratic families in the area. Later used on the arms of the Dyfed County Council. Azures, Lion rampant between four Roses Or. | |
| Kingdom of Gwent | Attributed arms of the Kingdom of Gwent, which merged with its neighbour Glywysing to form the Kingdom of Morgannwg. Later used by the Monmouthshire County Council. Per pale Azure and Sable three Fleurs-de-Lis Or. | |
| Rhwng Gwy a Hafren | Attributed arms of Elystan Glodrydd, the reported ancestor of many families in the district of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, and founder of one of the "Five Royal Tribes of Wales". Later used by the Radnorshire County Council. Gules, a Lion rampant reguardant Or. |
Glyndŵr Rebellion
| Arms/Standard | Kingdom/ Principality | Details |
| Principality of Wales | The red lions on a gold banner was first used in Wales by Owain Lawgoch the pretender Prince of Wales in France during the 14th century, and also by Owain Glyndŵr, the de facto Prince of Wales in the 15th century. | |
| Principality of Wales | Gold dragon of Wales flag raised by Glyndwr during the Welsh War of Independence in the early 15th century. |
Other Welsh heraldry
Use
Arms of houses and of influential people are often combined, as shown in this example of the quartered arms of Hughes of Gwerclas, which gives a broad overview of Welsh heraldry. The arms are quarterly of four:- 1st grand quarter, quarterly of four:
- *1: Kingdom of Powys Fadog;
- *2: Cilin ap y Blaidd Rhudd ;
- *3: Elystan Glodrydd;
- *4: Tudor Trevor, Lord of Herford;
- 2nd grand quarter, quarterly of four:
- *1: Kingdom of Powys;
- *2: Cadwgan ap Elystan Glodrydd;
- *3: Kingdom of Powys Fadog;
- *4: Howel ap Meurig ; from Prince Cadwgan ap Bleddyn
- 3rd grand quarter, quarterly of four:
- *1: Roger of Bryntangor; from the House of Fitzgerald of Corsygedol
- *2: Tudor ap Griffith Vychan ;
- *3: Kingdom of Gwynedd;
- *4: Owain I ap Gruffydd;
- 4th grand quarter, quarterly of four:
- *1: Kingdom of Deheubarth ;
- *2: Philip ap Ivor ; from Prince Owain Gwynedd
- *3: Gruffydd ap Cynan;
- *4: Edwin of Tegeingl;
Royal Badge of Wales
A new Royal Badge of Wales was approved in May 2008. It is based on the arms borne by Llywelyn the Great, the famous thirteenth century Welsh prince, with the addition of the imperial crown atop a continuous scroll which, together with a wreath consisting of the plant emblems of the four countries of the United Kingdom, surrounds the shield. The motto which appears on the scroll, PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD, is taken from the National Anthem of Wales and is also found on Welsh design £1 coins. The badge appears on the cover of Acts passed by Senedd Cymru.The current badge follows in a long line of heraldic devices representing Wales. Its predecessors have all been variations on either the Red Dragon, an ancient emblem revived by Henry VII, or the arms of Llywelyn.