Bleu celeste (, "sky blue") is a rarely occurring and non-standard

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

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, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

(not being one of the seven main colours or metals or the three ''staynard colours''). This tincture is sometimes also called ciel or simply celeste. It is depicted in a lighter shade than the range of shades of the more traditional tincture azure, which is the standard blue used in heraldry. Generally considered to be European rather than English or Scottish, after the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

it started to appear in England in arms and badges relating to the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, though it is still doubtful if any more than a dozen examples could be found in British heraldry, and most British heralds consider it unheraldic. While in the post-World War I period bleu-celeste is depicted as a darker shade, in prior times it was depicted as very light, and has even been treated as a metal, as azure charges have been placed on a bleu celeste field, and ''vice versa''. Regardless, ''bleu celeste'' is still used by

heraldic authorities A heraldic authority is defined as an office or institution which has been established by a reigning monarch or a government to deal with heraldry in the country concerned. It does not include private Heraldry societies, societies or enterprises w ...

, such as Britain's

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

in London, with one example of th
arms of Jacob Flamberg
being granted in 2016 using bleu celeste in the blazon for the field, mantling and charge, in each case ''per pale/party'' with sable. ''"Per pale Bleu Celeste and Sable on a Fess wavy between three Plum Trees eradicated Argent a Wolf courant per pale Sable and Bleu Celeste langued and armed Gules"'' and ''"Party Bleu Celeste and Sable doubled Argent"'' Bleu celeste can also be seen in the arms of Israel and Peru and also in the arms of former

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

Governor General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Ray Hnatyshyn. In the arms of the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu- ...

Athletic Union the ''azure'' is defined as "sky blue".

Light blue

Coat of arms of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

In addition to bleu celeste, there is also an apparently unique example in British heraldry of the use of "light blue" in the Municipal Borough of Barnes, through which the Oxford versus Cambridge boat race passes on the Thames. The arms show the respective blades of the teams' oars, coloured dark

Oxford blue A blue is an award of sporting colours earned by athletes at some universities and schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of blues began at University of Oxford, Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge universities in Eng ...

and light Cambridge blue, and may be blazoned thus: :''Azure, on a

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a Heraldry, heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross. The word comes from the Middle French , Medieval Latin ("stirrup"). From its use as field sign, the saltire cam ...

Or between four ostrich feathers argent, two oars in saltire proper, the blade of that to the dexter dark blue and that to the sinister light blue.'' When in 1965 that borough merged with its neighbours to form the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, the coloured oars were transferred to the supporters in the arms of the new borough.

References

* Scott-Giles, C. W. (1958). ''Boutell's Heraldry'' (rev. ed.). London & New York: Frederick Warne & Co. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bleu Celeste Colours (heraldry)

Light blue

See also

References