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English Royal Standards, House of Plantagenet, 1154-1399

Last modified: 2015-05-23 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal standard | plantagenet | henry ii | richard i | lionheart | edward iii |
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Henry II (1154-1189)

Whether Henry II used a Royal Standard is unknown.
Peter Hans van der Muijzenberg
, 23 April 2002


Richard I, Lion-Heart (1189-1199)

[Royal banner of England] image by Vincent Morley

Richard Lion-Heart likely used a shield with gold lions (although the number of lions could be in dispute). On crusade, a crusader in his army might have used a crescent as Islam at the time had no such easily recognisable symbol, using instead battle flags in plain red, plain white or plain black.
Mike Oettle, 2 October 2002

Starting with Richard I, all of the monarchs of England and after them the monarchs of The United Kingdom, have used a banner of their arms as their royal standard. In the case of Richard I his arms (and those of his predecessor Henry II) were Gules three lions passant guardant or. The lions reportedly represent England, Normandy, and Aquitaine. (1:1)

Evans (1970), Neubecker (1932), www.fleurdelis.com/royal.htm
Sam Lockton, 9 September 2002


John (1199-1216), Henry III (1216-1272), Edward I (1272-1307), Edward II (1307-1327)

The same arms used by Richard I continued for John, Henry III, Edward I, and Edward II.
Sam Lockton, 9 September 2002

The standard of the first Prince of Wales, later Edward II, was apparently the "The flag of Llewelyn": On a quartered field yellow and red four lions passant guardant countercharged; the arms of the Royal house of Gwynedd.
Peter Hans van den Muizenberg, 24 April 2002


Edward III (1327-1377)

The royal banner of Edward I, initially the three lions passant guardant or, is the earliest Royal banner of England for which a contemporary blazon is known (Symposium Conservation of Flags).
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April, 2002

Edward III (new arms, 1340-1377)

 In 1340 Edward III of England changed his arms to reflect his claim to the French throne, quartering the French Royal arms with the English, and to demonstrate he valued France above England, he placed the French arms in the first quarter [and was nevertheless not deposed as King of England]: quartered azure semé de fleur-de-lys and gules three lions passant guardant or langued gules (ratio 5:6) - Evans (1970)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April, 2002


Richard II (1377-1399)

Richard II impaled the 1340 arms with those of Edward the Confessor - Evans (1970)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April, 2002


Continued as House of Lancaster