It will be a great discovery for many that the coat of arms of France, as such, is absent, which means that there is no such word in the list of national symbols of the Fifth Republic, instead the definition of "emblem" is used. True, it consists of various elements filled with deep meaning and symbolism.
The most popular and famous symbol of France is undoubtedly the flag, which consists of three stripes of different colors, placed vertically. At the same time, a blue stripe is located closer to the shaft, a white stripe in the center, and a red stripe closer to the edge.
The emblem of the state, although it appears on some official documents, for example, on the covers of the passports of French citizens, still has no legal status. It has been considered the symbol of the country since 1953.
Difficult and beautiful
The following elements are clearly distinguished on the emblem of France:
- oak branch;
- olive branch;
- pelta - an image of a light shield in the shape of a crescent;
- fascia - attributes of power in the form of bundles of connected rods.
The oak, its branches and leaves symbolize the wisdom of the rulers, the olive branch depicted on the emblem - the desire for peace, maintaining good-neighborly relations with other states and peoples. Pelta is a symbol of readiness to defend the homeland from external enemies. In addition, the French pelta ends with images of the heads of a lion and an eagle, powerful and formidable representatives of the fauna, often appearing on the emblems of states. In addition, on the symbolic shield you can see the monogram consisting of the letters "F" and "R" - the French Republic.
Kingdom or republic
The use of this emblem emphasizes the chosen path of the political system - the republic. This explains the deliberate refusal to use the symbols of the French royal power, and, first of all, the lily flower.
Until 1305, the royal coat of arms in France was an azure shield with golden lily flowers depicted on it. Under Philip V (until 1328), the shield was cut vertically, its right half turned red, and the shield itself was crowned with a golden crown. After that, until 1376, a shield with lilies was used as the main royal symbol.
From 1376 to 1515, only three lilies were present on the shield, but the crown was returned. After that, the coat of arms was supplemented with numerous details, and its name became more complicated - the Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of France.
Each next king and emperor introduced their own coats of arms, with their own symbols and details. Until in 1898 the unofficial emblem of the Third Republic appeared, in which you can already guess some of the details of the modern symbol of France.
