Home > Coat of Arms of Quebec

The shield is divided into three horizontal fields. The first bears three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue background, a traditional symbol of royal France. The second is a gold lion passant guardant on a red background, a traditional symbol of British royalty. The third is three green maple leaves on a gold background, a traditional symbol of Canada. The shield is surmounted by a royal crown, and accompanied by a silver scroll bearing the provicial motto, Je me souviens ("I remember").

1 Heraldic Blazon

The original arms that were granted by Queen Victoria in 1868 were blazoned as follows:

Or on a Fess Gules between two Fleur de Lis in chief Azure, and a sprig of three Leaves of Maple slipped Vert in base, a Lion passant guardant Or.

This was modified by Order-in-Council of the Quebec government in 1939 as follows:

Use the Royal arms of France Modern ["azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or"] in chief.

It has been argued that since heraldry is a royal prerogative, not provincial, that the Quebec government had no authority to make this change; however, this coat is the one used by the Quebec government since that time, and no serious attempt to change the situation has come to light.

The current blazon is:

Tiercé en fasce; d'azur, à trois fleurs-de-lis d'or; de gueules, à un léopard d'or, armé et lampassé d'azur; d'or, à une branche d'érable à sucre à triple feuille de sinople, aux nervures du champ. Timbré de la couronne royale. Sous l'écu, un listel d'argent bordé d'azur portant la devise JE ME SOUVIENS du même.

(Tierced in fess, first azure, three fleurs-de-lis Or; second gules, a lion passant guardant of the second, armed and langued of the first; third, of the second, a sprig of three sugar maple leaves vert, nerved of the field. Ensigned with the royal crown. Under the shield, a scroll argent bordured azure bearing the motto Je me souviens of the same.)

2 Other Canadian coats of arms

Canada - Alberta - British Columbia - Manitoba - New BrunswickThe coat of arms of New Brunswick known officially as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of the Province of New Brunswick, was begun when the shield and motto in the achievement were granted on May 26, 1868 by Queen Victoria. These arms were based upon the - Newfoundland and LabradorCoat of Arms of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador Canada consists of: a red shield with a white cross two white unicorns and two yellow lions occupy opposing quadrants of the shield two Beothuk supporters with arrows and bows a European elk ( moos - Northwest TerritoriesCoat of Arms of the Northwest Territories The Coat of Arms of the Northwest Territories (AKA: Armourial Bearings) was given royal warrant on February 7, 1957, by Queen Elizabeth II. Description The crest consists of two gold narwhals guarding a compass ro - Nova ScotiaThe coat of arms of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada officially the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of the Province of Nova Scotia, is the oldest provincial achievement of arms in Canada, and the oldest British coat of arms outside Great Britain. It was g - NunavutThe coat of arms of the territory of Nunavut, Canada known officially as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Nunavut was granted by a warrant by Romeo LeBlanc, Governor-General of Canada, dated March 31, 1999, one day before the territory of Nunavut, Cana - OntarioThe Coat of Arms of Ontario formally The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Ontario was begun when the shield was granted by Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria in 1868. The crest and supporters were granted Royal Warrant by King Edward VII in 1909. Symbols The - Prince Edward IslandThe coat of arms of Prince Edward Island known officially as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of the Province of Prince Edward Island, was begun when the shield and motto in the achievement were granted in 1905 by royal warrant of the late King Edward VII - SaskatchewanThe first part of the coat of arms of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada officially the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of the Province of Saskatchewan, was the shield, which was assigned by royal warrant of King Edward VII on August 25, 1906. It uses the - Yukon