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Coats of Arms of the Anglican Communion

The use of heraldry in the Church was a tradition developed by the clergy firstly to mark documents and identify people and dioceses. In English heraldry there are strict rules as to the forms and styles which make up a Coat of Arms. The College of Arms is responsible for the enforcement of standards in England, whereas Lord Lyon is the officer charged with ensuring compliance in Scotland and Ulster King of Arms covers Ireland.


Arms of the Dioceses in the Province of Canterbury

Bath & Wells

Birmingham

Bristol

Canterbury

Chelmsford

Cichester

Coventry

Derby

Ely

Exeter

Gloucester

Guildford

Leicester

Hereford

Lichfield

Lincoln

London

Norwich

Oxford

Peterborough

Portsmouth

Rochester

St.Albans

St Edmundsbury
& Ipswich

Salisbury

Southwark

Truro

Winchester

Worcester

Gibraltar
in Europe

Arms of the Dioceses in the Province of York

Blackburn

Carlisle

Chester

Durham

Liverpool

Manchester

Newcastle

Sheffield

Sodor & Man

Southwell & Nottingham

York

Arms of an Archbishop

Anglican bishops in England generally place a mitre over their shield. The exception to this rule being the Bishop of Durham who, being a palatinate bishop (bishop in a county whose lord had regal powers) has his mitre in a ducal coronet. That is a coronet decorated with three strawberry leaves.

The arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Heraldic description - Azure, an archiepiscopal staff in pale argent ensigned with a cross-pattee or, surmounted of a pall of the second edged.

Here we see the personal arms of an Archbishop impaled with the arms of the See of Canterbury.

Colours used in heraldry

Or
(gold)

Argent
(silver)

Gules
(red)

Vert
(green)

Azure
(blue)

Sable
(black)

Purpure
(purple)

Vair

Ermine

Metals

Colours

Furs

Arms of the Bishop
of Gibraltar

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Leeds
West Yorkshire & Dales

Bradford

Ripon & Leeds

Wakefield

Leeds
West Yorkshire & Dales

In 2014 a new diocese was created by the amalgamation of Bradford, Rippon & Leeds and Wakefield into the Diocese of Leeds also known as the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales.

Arms of a Bishop

A New Diocese