Coat of arms of Quebec

The coat of arms of Quebec (armoiries du Québec) was adopted by order-in-council of the Government of Quebec on 9 December 1939,^[1] replacing the arms assigned by royal warrant of Queen Victoria on 26 May 1868.^[2]

Coat of arms of Quebec
Versions
1868–1939
Armiger	Charles III in Right of Quebec
Adopted	1939
Shield	Tierced in fess, Azure three fleurs-de-lis Or, Gules a lion passant guardant, and Or a sprig of three maple leaves Vert
Motto	Je me souviens (French for 'I remember')
Other elements	Tudor Crown
Earlier version(s)	Or on a Fess Gules between two Fleurs de Lis in chief Azure, and a sprig of three Leaves of Maple slipped Vert in base, a Lion passant guardant Or

Symbolism

The shield is divided into three horizontal fields:

• Top – three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue background, symbolizing royal France;
• Middle – a gold lion passant guardant on a red background, symbolizing the Kingdom of England;
• Bottom – three green maple leaves on a gold background, symbolizing Canada.

The shield is surmounted by the Tudor Crown and accompanied by a silver scroll bearing the province's motto, Je me souviens (French for 'I remember').

Blazon

The blazon is:

Tiercé en fasce; d'azur, à trois fleurs-de-lis d'or; de gueules, à un léopard d'or, armé et lampassé d'azur; d'or, à une branche d'érable à sucre à triple feuille de sinople, aux nervures du champ. Timbré de la couronne royale. Sous l'écu, un listel d'argent bordé d'azur portant la devise JE ME SOUVIENS du même.

Tierced (divided in three parts, horizontally) in fess, Azure three fleurs-de-lis Or, Gules a lion passant guardant, and Or a sprig of three maple leaves Vert; Motto: JE ME SOUVIENS.^[3]

History

1868 arms of Quebec on the Wilfrid Laurier Memorial in Montreal

1868 design at Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury

Arms were first granted to the province in 1868 by Queen Victoria. They were blazoned as follows:

Or on a Fess Gules between two Fleurs de Lis in chief Azure, and a sprig of three Leaves of Maple slipped Vert in base, a Lion passant guardant Or.

However, in 1939, the Quebec government adopted arms by order-in-council, replacing the two blue fleurs-de-lis on the golden field with the royal arms of France Modern in chief. Quebec is the only Canadian province to have adopted arms by its own authority.^[1]

The federal government primarily uses the 1939 variant, though the 1868 variant has been retained in some historical references, such as the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill and the badge of the Royal 22^e Régiment.^{[citation needed]}