Coat of arms of Natal

Natal coat of arms
Details
Adopted	1907

The coat of arms of Natal was the official heraldic symbol of Natal as a British colony from 1907 to 1910, and as a province of South Africa from 1910 to 1994. It is now obsolete.

History

As a British colony, Natal's first official symbol was a Public Seal, authorised by Queen Victoria in 1846, and also used as a flag badge from 1870. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The seal (illustrated right) depicted the British royal coat of arms in the upper half; in the lower half was an ornamental frame enclosing a scene of two wildebeest (gnu) galloping across a plain. The wildebeest became the popular symbol of Natal, and when the government decided in 1905 to obtain an official coat of arms, the wildebeest were the obvious choice for the design. The arms, designed by G. Ambrose Lee, the York Herald at the College of Arms, were granted by King Edward VII by Royal Warrant on 16 May 1907.^{[2][3] [4]}

After Natal became a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the provincial administration took over the arms. They were used as provincial arms until Natal was reconstituted as KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.

Blazon

In their original form, as used by the colonial government, the arms consisted only of a shield, blazoned as follows:

Azure, in front of mountains and on a plain two black wildebeesten in full course at random all proper. ^[4]

The provincial administration embellished the arms by placing an imperial crown (so-called 'Tudor crown') above the shield, and a riband inscribed 'Natal' below it. The arms were recorded in this form at the College of Arms in July 1955, and registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in January 1969. ^[5]

As the 'Tudor crown' was no longer the official heraldic version of the crown in 1955, and Natal did not want to change to the new St Edward's crown, the 'Tudor crown' above the arms was modified to make it unique to Natal. The fleurs de lis of the 'Tudor crown' were replaced by crosses, but in general appearance the crown looked the same. ^[3]

References

1. ^ The Royal Warrant is in the Western Cape Archives: reference GH 1/177.
2. ^ ^{a b} Leverton, B.J. (1962). 'The Origin of the Natal Coat of Arms' in Lantern (September 1962)
3. ^ ^{a b c} Brownell, F.G. (1993). National and Provincial Symbols
4. ^ ^{a b} HMSO (1910). Flags, Badges and Arms of the British Dominions beyond the Seas
5. ^ Bureau of Heraldry.

• Brownell, F.G. (1993). National and Provincial Symbols.
• Leverton, B.J. (1962). 'The Origin of the Natal Coat of Arms' in Lantern (September 1962).
• Pama, C. (1965). Lions and Virgins.

See also

• Coat of arms of the Cape Colony
• Coat of arms of the Orange Free State
• Coat of arms of the Orange River Colony
• Coat of arms of South Africa
• Coat of arms of the Transvaal
• South African heraldry

External links

• South African Heraldry Website