We venture over the North Sea to Denmark for our first look at a Continental European Royal Crest. Whilst most monarchies nowadays use just the Crown for a Crest, there is evidence that traditional Crests were used by royalty when heraldry was first starting.
The above illustration is taken from Page 55 verso in the Dutch book Wapenboek Gelre, written between 1395-1402 by Geldre Claes Heinen. Not only does this show a Crest for the Kings of Denmark, but also displays the earliest known undisputed colourised image of the Dannebrog - the Danish flag.
The Danish Royal Crest appears to be a pair of Horns in ermine with four red discs surrounded by an arrangement of peacock feather heads attached to the outside of the horns in the middle and towards the top. Horns have been used many times on the Continent in Crests.
The Crest was used by Danish monarchs apparently from the 13th century until around 1420 under Eric of Pomerania. By 1448, when Christian I came to the Throne and founded the Oldenburg Dynasty, a simple Crown was placed on top of the Shield.
The only male member of the Danish Royal Family to marry a major member of the British Royal Family was Prince George, husband of Queen Anne. He was created Duke of Cumberland. His Arms were those of Denmark and Norway of the time, differenced by a Label of three Points ermine. His Crest, however, appears to have been a rampant Demi-Lion guardant in blue, rising out of an open Coronet and similarly crowned. The Lion is undifferenced. The Crown which the Helmet rests on is a Danish Prince's Crown and I was about to say that there is no evidence of the Crest otherwise, leading one to believe that it had been granted in Great Britain. However, I have found the following... |
This is the Coat of Arms of the Counts of Rosenborg, especially the descendants of the three princely brothers: Viggo, Aage and Erik, sons of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and, in turn, grandsons of King Christian IX. All three brothers married non-royal wives and therefore without the monarch's permission. As a consequence they were all created Count of Rosenborg but remained Prince and Highness. They were granted a 'third' of the Danish Arms each, namely a single blue Lion and three Hearts. From Viggo's Stall Plate as Knight of the Elephant, they retained a princely Crown as a Crest. However, their children were not of royal rank and were simply Counts within the Danish peerage. They therefore required Crests. As the illustration shows, they had striped Horns for Oldenburg (although I would have expected the colours to be red and yellow to match the Shield rather than the red and white/silver shown here), a Rose and double-towered Castle for Rosenborg and, in first place, the crowned blue demi-Lion as in Prince George's Arms. |
Maybe the demi-Lion is the Crest for a Danish prince or for the family. If so, it is not clear when this was introduced.