The coat of arms of Liechtenstein is the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of the ruling Prince of

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German language, German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constit ...

, currently Hans-Adam II. As the sovereign emblem of the Prince, its use is restricted to the Prince and members of his House, though private individuals are permitted to use the arms if it is in the interest of the State. The arms are a history of the

House of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein, from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty' ...

and show some of the different territories and families with which it has been connected, either by acquisition or by marriage.

Description

The first quarter shows the arms of Silesia, the second the arms of the , the third the arms of the Duchy of Troppau, and the fourth a variant of the arms of the Cirksena family of Agnes von OstfrieslandThe first wife of

Gundakar, Prince of Liechtenstein Gundakar of Liechtenstein (30 January 1580 – 5 August 1658) (''Prince'' from 1623) was a member of the House of Liechtenstein and as such the owner of a large estate. He also served the Habsburg dynasty. Family He was the youngest son of Bar ...

(1580–1658). (representing the

County of Rietberg The County of Rietberg (german: Grafschaft Rietberg) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present-day German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was situated on the upper Ems in Westphalia, between the Prince-Bishopric of Paderbo ...

). The base is occupied by the arms of the

Duchy of Jägerndorf The Duchy of Krnov ( la, Ducatus Carnoviensis, cs, Krnovské knížectví, pl, Księstwo Karniowskie) or Duchy of Jägerndorf (german: Herzogtum Jägerndorf) was one of the Duchies of Silesia, which in 1377 emerged from the Duchy of Troppau (O ...

, while the arms of the Princely House itself are displayed on an inescutcheon. The whole shield is surrounded by a purple (

purpure In heraldry, purpure, () is a tincture, equivalent to the colour "purple", and is one of the five main or most usually used ''colours'' (as opposed to ''metals''). It may be portrayed in engravings by a series of parallel lines at a 45-degree angl ...

)

mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...

with ermine lining, along with fringes and tassels of gold. At the top is placed the Princely hat. The arms of the Princely House are sometimes used alone, and thus form the Lesser Arms of Liechtenstein. When shown alone, the arms are ensigned by the Princely hat.

References

External links

*
Coat of arms of the Prince of Liechtenstein
– House of Liechtenstein
Flag and coat of arms of Liechtenstein

''Gesetz vom 30. Juni 1982 über Wappen, Farben, Siegel und Embleme des Fürstentums Liechtenstein''
National symbols of Liechtenstein

Lichtenstein {{Liechtenstein-stub

Description

See also

References

External links