Saint Margaret's coat-of-arms

The design of Saint Margaret's coat-of-arms was discovered in Scotland in a booklet published about Queen Margaret. The Crown shows Margaret’s position as Queen of Scotland, wife of King Malcolm. The fleur-de-lis as stylized Iris depicts Margaret’s heritage from the Norman Kings and the Royal Family of France. The diamond-shaped lozenge represents the armorial bearings particular to a woman (the means of defense of a woman was always depicted by this variety of escutcheon). The Lion Rampant indicates the authority of the Scottish government vested in the sovereign. The Lion as the King of Beasts’ has always been borne on shields, particularly those of royalty. The Cross and Birds were taken from the arms of Edward the Confessor, Margaret’s uncle. The Birds are known as mantles, a heraldic form representing a swallow. The Cross itself represents Christendom.