--- title: Behind the Design of Meghan Markle's Coat of Arms description: The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, received her official coat of arms. Here's what its design means, according to Kensington Palace. canonical: https://time.com/5292101/meghan-markle-coat-of-arms/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-05-25T19:16:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:53:08.564Z og:title: Here’s What Every Detail in Meghan Markle’s New Coat of Arms Means og:description: It's filled with symbolism og:url: https://time.com/5292101/meghan-markle-coat-of-arms/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt507bbf09ae7d4113/69893135656a3f5f07bd4817/meghan-markle-net-worth.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: meghan-markle-net-worth.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here’s What Every Detail in Meghan Markle’s New Coat of Arms Means twitter:description: It's filled with symbolism twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt507bbf09ae7d4113/69893135656a3f5f07bd4817/meghan-markle-net-worth.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here’s What Every Detail in Meghan Markle’s New Coat of Arms Means > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=858448bd-33aa-4744-bcbb-3dd3cc93cb7c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. May 25, 2018 7:16 PM UTC  Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex travel in the Ascot Landau Carriage during their carriage procession after their wedding on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex travel in the Ascot Landau Carriage during their carriage procession after their wedding on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Nick Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. May 25, 2018 7:16 PM UTC [Meghan, Duchess of Sussex](http://time.com/5228207/meghan-markle-title-royal-wedding/) just received a coat of arms, which is full of symbolic nods to Markle’s upbringing — and yet another [departure from royal traditional](http://time.com/5284141/prince-harry-meghan-markle-royal-wedding-review/). Coats of arms are traditionally given to the father of a royal bride-to-be in the days before the wedding, [_People_ reports](https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-receives-coat-of-arms/). But with [Markle’s father absent from the wedding](http://time.com/5278568/thomas-markle-wedding/), Markle was given the coat of arms directly_._ And unlike most coats of arms, it does not include Markle’s family name. Markle worked with the College of Arms to ensure that the design “was both personal and representative,” according to a [statement from Kensington Palace](https://www.royal.uk/her-royal-highness-duchess-sussex-coat-arms) — and there’s more to it than meets the eye. Here’s what each part of Markle’s coat of arms means. ## Shield The right half of the shield is filled with nods to California, Markle’s home state. The shield’s blue background represents the Pacific Ocean while its two golden rays represent California sunshine. Golden poppies, California’s state flower, are also dotted across the grass at the shield’s base. Finally, quills printed on the shield are meant to represent “communication and the power of words,” two things close to Markle’s heart. Markle’s arms are placed on the shield alongside Prince Harry’s, to symbolize their new union. This means their arms have been “impaled,” according to Kensington Palace. ## Supporters When a woman marries into the royal family, she is given a “supporter”—one of the figures on either side of the shield—and takes one of her husband’s, Kensington Palace explains. “The Supporter relating to The Duchess of Sussex is a songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak, which with the quill represents the power of communication,” the statement says. The other supporter, a lion, is one of Prince Harry’s. ## Coronet The crown topping Markle’s coat of arms “is the Coronet laid down by a Royal Warrant of 1917 for the sons and daughters of the Heir Apparent,” according to Kensington Palace. 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