It is essentailly a Coat of Arms of Dominion with a Dynastic Inescutcheon at its centre. Spain, as with many European countries, is made up of smaller ancient kingdoms which have united over the years through wars and/or dynastic marriages. They are essentially:
- Castile
- León
- Aragon
- Navarre
- Granada
Quarterly, first quarter Gules a triple-towered castle Or masoned Sable and ajoure Azure (for Castile); second quarter Argent a lion rampant Purpure crowned Or, langued and armed Gules (for León); third quarter Or, four pallets Gules (for the former Crown of Aragon), fourth quarter Gules a cross, saltire and orle of chains linked together Or, a centre point Vert (for Navarre); enté en point Argent a pomegranate proper seeded Gules, supported, sculpted and leafed in two leaves Vert (for Granada); overall an escutcheon Azure bordure Gules, three fleurs-de-lys Or (for the regnant House of Bourbon-Anjou)
- Castile shows a Castle
- León shows a Lion
- Granada shows a Pomegranate, the Latin name for which is Punica granatum and granada in Spanish
The Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon was founded by Philip V. He was born in 1683 in Versailles, the second son of the Grand Dauphin, son of Louis XIV and was created Duke of Anjou. King Charles II was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. He is now remembered for his physical and mental disabilities, allegedly the result of inbreeding, and the war for his throne that followed his death. Not having any issue, Charles willed the throne of Spain to Philip who was a grandson of his eldest sister Marie-Thérèse who had married Louis XIV of France.
The Dynastic Inescutcheon (France Modern with the Cadency mark of a red Bordure) is also shown on the National Coat of Arms of the country, as happens in Sweden. Previously, the Arms have shown the black Eagle of St John as a Supporter, the Pillars of Hercules, the red ragged Cross of Burgundy (a saltire ragulée (or raguly) gules) and the yoke and the bundle of arrows Badges of the Catholic Monarchs.
Her Majesty's oval Shield is ensigned by a full Royal Crown also to mirror her husband as she derives rank from him and is surrounded by the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III. Established as a military order by King Charles III in 1771, it was formerly converted into a civil order in 1847, but remains the most distinguished civil award that can be granted in Spain.
The two flags above are the Guidons or Banners of His Majesty and Her Royal Highness. They are personal standards based historically on military ensigns and, though similar, are smaller in size than the Royal Standards and have a gold fringe all the way round. That for His Majesty was adopted on 19 June 2014. That for Her Royal Highness was assigned on 31 October 2015 (her 10th Birthday). The reason for including this here is that the equivalent to Letters Patent assigning Leonor her Guidon/Banner (www.boe.es/boe/dias/2015/10/31/pdfs/BOE-A-2015-11729.pdf) specifies her Coat of Arms as "The Princess of the Asturias" as appearing on a Shield rather than a Lozenge or Oval. Hence the rendering of Blazon above. The logic is presumably based on the fact that a Queen Regnant shows her Arms on a shield too but is also tied in with her being granted the Order of the Golden Fleece as heir.
Up until that date there is evidence that Infanta Leonor had been assigned a three-pointed Label with a golden Fleur-de-Lys on each Point (from the Bourbon Coat-of-Arms).
As you will notice, this and Labels for the other members of the Spanish Royal Family are shown in blue. This appears to be a change from white, as also carried by the British Royal Family. I have yet to see whether this is official or a mis-interpretation of the assignment of the Asturias Label to Infanta Leonor. As royal families are generally the only people who have Charges on their Labels it does seem difficult to imagine that the blue colour is correct as it throws up anomalies such as Sofia who has to have her red Roses frimbrant (outlined) in yellow to get over the basic rule of a colour not being placed on a colour. Any clarification would be gratefully received.
Juan Carlos was recognised as his successor by General Franco in 1969 and given the title Prince of Spain. His Coat of Arms was set out in the Spanish Decree 814 of 22 April 1971. The Arms show the simplified version with the main kingdoms of Spain and not all the historic titles which had cluttered up the ornamental Arms of the previous Spanish Monarch, HM King Alfonso XIII. In a way, we have General Franco and the Republic for that. The Shield is supported by the red ragged Cross of Burgundy (a saltire ragulée (or raguly) gules) and the yoke and the bundle of arrows Badges of the Catholic Monarchs, which were dropped by his son, King Felipe.
Please note that the Leonese Lion is red as mentioned previously and that the Pomegranate of Granada is green and red rather than the present gold, green and red.
In 1971, of course, the Shield was ensigned by a princely Crown, i.e. with four demi-arches. Juan Carlos wasn't proclaimed King until after Franco's death in 1975, although he acted as head of state during that and the previous year when Franco had been ill and was given full control by Franco on 30 October 1975 three weeks before his death. At that stage, the Crown was changed to a regal, 8 demi-arched Crown.
HM Queen Sofia was born a Princess of Greece and Denmark and is the sister of HM King Constantine II. She marshalls her paternal Coat of Arms with her husband's on an oval Shield which is ensigned by a royal Crown and surrounded by the Order of Charles III
Infanta Elena was permitted to continue to use her title and, consequently, her Label which is of three Points, the centre one charged with a chalice or surmounted by a sacred wafer argent with rays taken from the Coat of Arms of Lugo. This has set up a pattern for this and the previous generations of the Charges reflecting the title, almost like in Sweden.
The second two (middle and right) Coats of Arms are those of HRH Infanta Cristina, formerly Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. She was created Duchess in 1997 when she married handball player Iñaki Urdangarín and was assigned a Label unsurprisingly charged with a Palm Tree for Palma. Unfortuantely, HRH was involved in a highly publicised corruption inquiry which resulted, amongst other things, in her divorce. King Felipe formerly deprived his sister of her ducal title in 2015 and Don Iñaki Urdangarín is likewise excluded from using the title now.
Infanta Cristina has now been assigned a blue Label with a white cross which is taken from the Coat of Arms of her Mother Queen Sofia, i.e. the Coat of Arms of Greece. This seems to be another argument for the blue colour, but again the does not appear to be any proof or any widespread use.
The central charge on Infanta Pilar's Label is a red Lion supporting a column. This is taken from the Coat of Arms of the town of Badajoz which forms her ducal title, given to her in 1967. A couple of months later in June, she married Don Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada, Viscount de la Torre. The other two points of Infanta Pilar's Label are based on her late husband's Arms and carry a tree. As a widow, therefore, not only is Infanta Pilar's Shield encircled by the Order of Charles III but also by a black and white Cord.
Next to Infanta Pilar's Arms are her sister Infanta Margarita's Coat of Arms. She is The Duchess of Hernani in her own right having been conferred the title in 1981, again shortly before marriage. This title had actually been willed to her by her cousin Manfredo de Borbón. The next month she was given the title Duchess of Soria. Her Label therefore carries on each of the outside points the tower from the Coat of Arms of Hernani and on the central point the head of King Alfonso VIII of Aragon who was born in Soria.