The arms Azur semé de lis or made its first royal appearance on the Royal Seal of Louis VIII. It was based on a banner used by Phillip II (1180-1223) which was blue, embroidered with golden lilies to recall the stars of heaven. Charles V modified the arms of France in 1365 to honor the Holy Trinity reducing the number of fleurs-de-lis to three. Charles VI (1368-1422) complicated matters even more by using the old disposition, called France Ancient, on his counter seal, and the new design France Modern on every other occasion.
The fleur-de-lis was the symbol of French Royalty when Jacques Cartier landed at Gaspé in 1534, and claimed the newly explored territory in the name of Francis I of France. These lands known as New France would be ceded to Great Britain in the 1760’s upon which it was replaced by the Union Flag. The Royal Arms of France, with its three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue field, was displayed whenever French explorers claimed new land in North America. It was raised by fur trader Pierre Du Gua de Monts at the settlement on Île Sainte-Croix in 1604, and it flew from Champlain’s Habitation at Québec in 1608. With the death of King Henry IV in 1610, the Bannière Royale or France Moderne” ceased to be used as a national flag.
Manufacturer: N/A
SKU: FDL35P
Unit of Measure: 1
