Vallerian Royal Crest (Coat of Arms)

Vallerian History: Royal Crest

This blog post takes a peek into Vallerian* history that is relevant today.

If you’ve read the Royals of Valleria series, you’ve probably read a few mentions of the Vallerian Royal Crest or the Vallerian Coat of Arms. Rebecca wears a pin/brooch of the crest set in gold in jewels which, as we learned in Royals of Valleria #1, she had specially made when she became Princess Catharine’s chief of staff, to symbolize her dedication to the position and to Valleria. It was destroyed in Royals of Valleria #6 by diva designer Alberto Bocci, but Alex gifted her with a new pin later in that book (he also gifted her with a pin of the Santoro family crown; more on that in a future post).

Let’s take a look at this piece of Vallerian history. (Note: For those who want to know even more, I’ve included some “Superfan Notes” throughout the post.)

Vallerian Royal Crest (Coat of Arms)

Elements on various crests (or coat of arms – I’ll use the terms interchangeably), can change depending upon the purpose. There are a few elements of the Vallerian crest that change.

Elements of royals crests – or any crest, really – also tend to have symbolic meaning. The same is true for the Vallerian crest and here are some of the meanings (basically from the top of the crest to the bottom). Please note that these symbols can have other meanings as well, that are not listed here.

  • Crown. Designates royalty and symbolizes victory, sovereignty, and/or success. It should be mentioned that the crown is one element that can change on this crest. The above crown resembles one of the original Vallerian royal crowns. Superfan note: The current royal family line descends from the Santoro family, which took over after an abdication in the original line some time ago. The Santoro crown has been known to replace this crown on the crest for specific occasions.
  • Helmet. Symbolizes security, protection, and/or strength.
  • Griffin (on the left side of the shield). Mythical creature which symbolizes bravery, valour, endurance, alertness, and/or vigilance. Superfan note: The griffin is split into two colors to signify the abdication which split the ascension line to the throne.
  • Unicorn (on the right side of the shield). Mythical creature symbolizing courage, virtue, and/or strength.
  • Shield elements.
    • Star. The star symbolizes a noble person or family, honor, excellence, and/or constancy.
    • Sword. The sword represents military strength and success.
    • Fleur-de-lis. This symbolizes purity and/or light. Superfan note: It is also in reference to France, Valleria’s neighboring country. Due to the once common practice of royal families intermarrying, the Vallerian royal family (even the current Santoro line) share genealogy with several European monarchies. The French and Vallerian royal families share several points of intersection.
    • Laurel leaves. Symbolize triumph, peace, and/or success.
    • Leaves. Symbolize peace, abundance, and/or eternal remembrance.
    • Shape. The quartered shape of the shield is symbolic of faith and protection.
  • Lettering on the bottom. This is another element that can change, depending upon the use. This crest presently states the name of the current royal family’s name (Santoro).

The colors are also significant.

  • Purple. This shade signifies Vallerian royalty. When you see a mention of Vallerian purple in the books, this is the shade! Purple, which is not just the color of royalty, can also signify sovereignty, justice, pride, wisdom, and/or wealth. Superfan note: other Vallerian families who have a crest (such as aristocratic or high society families) cannot use purple unless they are a descendant of the current royal family line.
  • Red. Symbolizes passion, courage, and fearlessness, perseverance, warriors, and/or patience.
  • Gold. Symbolizes hope, optimism, generosity, respect, and/or elegance.
  • White. Symbolizes wisdom, sincerity, peace, and/or joy.

What do you think about the Vallerian Royal Crest? Did you enjoy learning about Vallerian history? Head to my blog and let me know in the comments!

*Disclaimer: Valleria is a fictional country created by author Marianne Knightly.

5 thoughts on “Vallerian History: Royal Crest”

  1. I love all the detail. It brings the stories to life for me that much more and I love the pictures of the palace aswell.

  2. Pingback: Marianne Knightly's #the100DayProject | Marianne Knightly

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