heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

, a label (occasionally ''lambel'', the French form of the word) is a charge resembling the strap crossing the horse's chest from which pendants are hung. It is usually a mark of difference, but has sometimes been borne simply as a charge in its own right. The pendants were originally drawn in a rectangular shape, but in later years have often been drawn as dovetails. The label is almost always placed in the

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the bo ...

. In most cases the horizontal band extends right across the shield, but there are several examples in which the band is truncated.

As a mark of difference

In European heraldry in general, the label was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house. Differencing, or cadency, are the distinctions used to indicate the junior branches ( cadets) of a family. In British heraldry, a system of specific ''brisures'' or "marks of cadency" developed: The eldest son, during the lifetime of his father, bears the family arms with the addition of a label; the second son a crescent, the third, a mullet, the fourth, a martlet, the fifth, an annulet; the sixth, a fleur-de-lis; the seventh, a

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

; the eighth, a

cross moline The cross moline (also cross anchory, French ''croix ancrée'' "anchor cross") is a Christian cross, constituting a kind of heraldic cross. History The name derives from its shape, which resembles a millrind, the iron clamp of the upper millsto ...

; the ninth, a double quatrefoil. On the death of his father, the eldest son would remove the label from his coat of arms and assume the unmodified arms. The label's number of points did not necessarily mean anything, although the label of three points was supposed to represent the heir during the lifetime of his father; five points, during the lifetime of his grandfather; seven points, while the great-grandfather still lived, etc. According to some sources, the elder son of an elder son places a label upon a label. However, A. C. Fox-Davies states that in the case of the heir-apparent of the heir-apparent "one label of five points is used, and to place a label upon a label is not correct when both are marks of cadency, and not charges".

As a charge

The label appears as a charge in the coats of arms of several families and municipalities, often having begun as a mark of difference and been perpetuated. It has also been used in

canting arms Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus. French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial all ...

. The number of pendants varies from three to seven (see examples below). There are also several examples of the pendants bearing charges, especially in the coats of arms of the British Royal Family (see examples below). File:Arms of the Prince of Wales.svg, A label of three points argent, Coat of Arms of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

File:Arms of Edward, Prince of Wales (1301-1307).svg, Arms of King Edward II whilst Prince of Wales File:Sahir de Quincy Coat of Arms.jpg, Arms of Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester: ''Argent, a fess azure, a label of seven points gules'' File:Armoiries de Fontois 2.svg, Arms of the lords of Fontois (or Fontoy): ''Or, an eagle gules surmounted by a label of four points azure'' File:Arms of Andrew, Duke of York.svg, Arms of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, showing an anchor in the central pendant of the label. File:Viscount Linley.svg, Arms of David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon whilst Viscount Linley: ''Quarterly 1st & 4th, the arms of his father The Earl of Snowdon with a label vert, 2nd & 3rd the arms of his mother The Princess Margaret whose label argent is charged with roses and a thistle'' File:Blason Olivier IV de Rohan seigneur de Montauban (selon Gelre).svg, Arms of Olivier IV de Rohan seigneur de

Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...

, showing three pendants beginning at the chief line of the shield File:Blason Beaufort (Luxembourg).svg, Arms of

Beaufort, Luxembourg Beaufort ( lb, Beefort, german: Befort) is a commune and town in eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher. Commune In 2005, the town of Beaufort, which lies in the centre of the ...

, an example of a truncated label File:Pas de Calais Arms.svg, Arms of the

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

of Pas-de-Calais, based on the arms of the county of Artois. The label terminates at the bordure and is charged with castles Or. File:Arms of Richard, Duke of Gloucester.svg, Arms of the Duke of Gloucester File:Duke of Norfolk Arms.svg, Arms of the Duke of Norfolk File:Arms of Sir Hugh de Courtenay, KG.png, Arms of Courtenay File:Mowbray3.svg, Arms of Lord Mowbray, Segrave & Stourton File:Image-Blason Sicile Péninsulaire.svg, Arms of the Count of Anjou

References

* A. C. Fox-Davies, revised by J. P. Brooke-Little, Richmond Herald (1969). ''A Complete Guide to Heraldry''. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons. {{DEFAULTSORT:Label (Heraldry) Heraldic charges ru:Знаки младших линий рода