The National Coat of Arms of Denmark is three blue lions surrounded by nine red hearts, all in a golden shield. Historically, the lions faced the viewer and the number of hearts was not regulated, and could be much higher. Historians believe that the hearts originally were sea-leaves (søblade) but that this meaning was lost early due to worn and crudely made signets used during the Middle Ages. The current version was adopted in 1819 during the reign of King Frederick VI. Rare examples exist of the three lions jointly holding a banner in their front paws, and this became the basis for the coat of arms of the South Jutland County. The crown on the shield is the crown of King Christian V, not to be confused with the crown of King Christian IV. Both, and other royal insignia, are located in Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen.

The blazon in heraldic terms is: Or, three lions passant in pale azure crowned and armed or langued gules, nine hearts gules.

This insignia is almost identical to the coat of arms of Estonia which can be traced directly back to King Valdemar II and the Danish rule in Estonia 1219-1346. The main differences are as follows: In the Danish coat of arms the lions are crowned, face forward, and accompanied by nine hearts. In the Estonian coat of arms, the lions face the viewer, they are not crowned, and no hearts are present. The Danish coat of arms has also been the inspiration for the coat of arms of the former Duchy of Schleswig, a former Danish fief (two blue lions in a golden shield.) The hearts of the coat of arms also appear in the coat of arms of the German district of Lüneburg.

Related symbols

• The coat of arms of Estonia
• The coat of arms of Schleswig (also represented in the coat of arms of Denmark's royal family)
• The coat of arms of South Jutland County
• The coat of arms of Lüneburg
• The coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein
• The coats of arms of Dannenberg and Landkreis Dannenberg

Danish culture | National coats of arms

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