Prince William has incorporated a touching tribute to his late mother in his newly unveiled crest to mark his inauguration into the world's oldest order of chivalry.
The Prince, who last month became the 1,000th Knight of the Garter, has included a small red escallop or sea shell in the centre of the design.
It is a poignant touch to honour the memory of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales who died in 1997.
Since the end of the 16th century the scallop has been the symbol of the Spencer family coat of arms and it was also used by the Princess.
The decision to recognise his mother is a break with tradition as it is highly unusual for members of the Royal Family to include maternal symbols in their heraldic emblems.
The scallop was included at the insistence of the Prince, 26, who took a keen interest in the design.
The crest will now be mounted above his seat at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle where the Prince was formally appointed to the elite order by the Queen in a ceremony last month. .
It was carved in lime wood as has been the tradition since the Order was established by Edward III in 1348.
In medieval times they were worn on top of knight’s helmets in battle and lime wood was used because it was light, strong and durable. There are several layers of 24 carat gold leaf and they are designed to last 1,000 years.
Membership of the Order of the Garter is traditionally given to those who have held public office, have contributed to national life or who have served the Queen personally. The Prince has become one of the order’s Royal Knight Companions, which recognises his seniority within the royal family.
The origins of the Order of the Garter, whose symbol is a blue garter worn below the knee, will probably never be known for certain because the earliest records of it were destroyed by fire.
Ian Brennan, the sculptor from Hampshire who worked on the design for four weeks, said: “It is a really nice gesture that Prince William has acknowledged his late mother in the design. It is also fairly unusual in royal circles.
”It is made of lime wood, as is the tradition, and there are several layers of 24 carat gold leaf. They are designed to last 1,000 years. Each crest is unique to each member of the Order of the Garter.”
The three scallop shells on the Spencer family Coat of Arms are in white but Prince William’s is in red to make it stand out on the white band around the lion’s neck.
Peter Gwynn-Jones, garter principal King of Arms at the College of Arms, said: “It is a welcome innovation to incorporate maternal symbols into the Royal Family’s arms and it is something that Prince William and his family wanted to do.
“In the fullness of time, Prince William’s Arms will change as the Prince of Wales’ shall, but a precedent has been set here that others in the Royal Family may well follow.”
The Order consists of the Queen who is Sovereign of the Order, Prince Charles who automatically became a member when he became the Prince of Wales in 1958, and 24 Knights Companions.
The Duke of Edinburgh joined the Order in 1947 on his marriage to then Princess Elizabeth, the Princess Royal in 1994 and the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex in 2006 to mark the Queen’s 80th birthday. Other members include Baroness Thatcher.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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