Of course, we start with the Sovereign's Coat of Arms as shown above. After many years over the centuries of changing dynasties and Unions within Scandinavia, the Swedish Royal Coat of Arms has settled into a slightly 'Scandinavian' pattern - one it at least shares with Denmark. Namely, a Quarterly Shield of Arms specific to the country, separated by a Cross which extends throughout and a dynastic Inescutcheon. This pattern was developed by King Carl VIII in the 15th Century. In the First and Fourth Quarter we see the Three Crowns which developed as the Arms of Sweden during the 13th and 14th Centuries under King Magnus III and Magnus Eriksson, possibly to mark the Union of Sweden, Denmark and Scania. In the Second and Third Quarters is a slightly older representation of Sweden - the Gold Lion of Bjelbo or Folkung. This was a family that intermarried to provide most of the Jarls (a title equivalent to Earl) and ultimately the Kings of a united Sweden from the 12th to the middle of the 14th Century when heraldry was in its infancy.
The Inescutcheon represents the reigning dynasty of Bernadotte, descended from a Prince introduced by Napoleon, who had previously appointed him Prince of Pontecorvo. Jean Bernadotte, who reigned as King Carl XIV Johan, had risen through the ranks, married Désirée Clary, the sister-in-law of Napoleon's brother Joseph, and had then led Sweden into an anti-Napoleon alliance. His Arms combine the Bridge of Pontecorvo, a Napoleonic Eagle and the constellation Ursa Major or the Haywain. The latter was a later addition and is both a symbol of Sweden's eternal existence and is also called Karlavagnen (Charles' Wain) in Swedish. This, presumably, to cement Carl Johan's dynasty in Swedish minds, even though it was, and still is, a successful dynasty in itself.
The other half of the Inescutcheon represents the House of Vasa, which was a ruling dynasty in the 16th and 17th Centuries, roughly equivalent to the Tudors and Stuarts of England and Great Britain, and which saw the beginnings of the modern state of Sweden. Subsequent dynasties have sought to lay claim to descent from the House of Vasa, which ended with the abdication of the unmarried and celibate Queen Christina in 1654, with marriages to female-line descendants. The main Charge, though, is not a vase! It is a bundle of withies or willow stems (apparently where the name Vasa comes from) used in thatching and also, in another form, to mark deep water in estuaries. This bundle of stems is also used in the coronets of Swedish princes and princesses where other monarchies would use crosses, fleurs-de-lys or leaves, though, strangely enough, not in the monarch's own Crown.
Although undoubtedly a symbol of kingship, I cannot find any mention as to why the lion Supporters are a) looking behind (other than the general representation of being vigilant) and b) why they have forked tails. This presumably has nothing to do with an allusion to the early Folkung dynasty as a) the lion in the Folkung Quarter has a single tail and b) the Swedish for 'forked tails' is kluvna svansar.
The full Achievement is topped off by a typically Continental European ermine-lined and gold-fringed pavilion. In the Swedish case (as well as the Dutch and Luxembourg cases) I am a little confused. There are two Royal Crowns - one on top of the pavilion and one on top of the Shield as well, as opposed to Denmark and Norway, which only have the Crown on top of the pavilion, and Belgium which has the more British-style helm on top of the Shield. Why...?
The representation is simply surrounded by the Sash Ribbon and the Badge of the Order of the Seraphim and ensigned by the Swedish Royal Crown. This is Her Majesty's Coat of Arms as represented on her stall-plate as a Member of the Order. I can find no official representation which uses Supporters or a Canopy.
We now come to possibly the most interesting aspect of Swedish Royal Heraldry but which will probably take the quickest to explain...
The striking feature of Swedish Royal Heraldry is the Third Quarter. Each Prince or Princess of Royal Birth is given a Dukedom. Hence, to differentiate Coats of Arms and in contrast to systems which use Labels such as Spain, Belgium and the UK, each carries the Coat of Arms of their respective Dukedom in that Quarter. The title is not hereditary, it is personal.
The exception to this is HRH Princess Madeleine who has two Dukedoms. She therefore carries the Coat of Arms of each province - Hälsingland (the goat) and Gästrikland (the elk).
There is a certain symmetry to it all which was lacking, even in the King's generation. As Crown Prince, Carl Gustav was Duke of Jämtland. His shield was split into ungainly thirds (see left). Matters were worse in previous years at the time of unions with fellow Scandinavian kingdoms.