Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor

	IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF KNIGHTS BACHELOR Institutional Heraldry of the World: United Kingdom England

Official blazon
English	Arms: Gules, a sword erect proper quillons and pomel Or, grip purpure, scabbard azure, garnished Or, the blade part drawn, the scabbard enfiled through a Saxon crown between in chief two spurs Or. Crest: On a chapeau gules, turned up Or, in front of a sun in splendour gules, the rays Or, a sword erect proper, quillons and pomel Or, grip purpure, scabbard azure, garnished Or, the blade part drawn, the scabbard enfiled through a Saxon crown Or, mantled gules doubled Or. Supporters: Dexter - a female figure proper robed argent, purfled azure, holding in the exterior hand a palm branch vert. Sinister - the figure of a knight armed in mail proper, the long surcoat argent, doubled azure, drawing his sword proper quillons and pomel Or, grip purpure, scabbard azure garnished Or pendent by a guige vert, on the exterior arm a shield gules, charged with a sword erect proper quillons and pomel Or, grip purpure, scabbard azure, garnished Or, the blade part drawn the scabbard enfiled through a Saxon crown between in chief two spurs Or. Motto: Trouthe and Honour

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on March 8, 1971.

Before the Conquest, in Saxon times, it is supposed that Knights received their institution at the hands of great Prelates with accompanying religious ceremony and the Saxon crown incorporated in the arms of the Society may be regarded as an allusion to this ancient custom which however, was restrained by a Synod held at Westminster in 1102.

The Spurs in the shield have been a symbol of knighthood and have constantly been featured in the ceremonies associated with the making as well as the degrading of a knight.

The sword, partly drawn from its scabbard, signifies vigilance, and the tinctures of the shield of arms,red, blue and gold, are taken from the royal arms, the purple hilt of the sword making a significant allusion of the designation of the Society as Imperial.

The chapeau featured in the crest is a form of headgear associated with men of rank and appropriately crowns the helm, much in the mediaeval manner, exemplified by the crest of the Black Prince, a royal lion of England statant or sejant upon a chapeau gules turned up ermine reposing upon the helm. The rest of the crest repeats the theme of the shield and introduces also a sun in splendour. The sun in splendour might stand either for the energy with which a true Knight pursues his course or it might be intended as a substitute for a more devotional device such as glory.

The supporters reflect the sentiment of the motto, Truth and Honour represented by the female figure on one side and the knight bearing a shield of the arms of the Society, on the other.

Literature: Heraldry Gazette 62(1975)54.