Queen Victoria's Coat of Arms - Leeds, UK - Coats of Arms on Waymarking.com

An information board in front of the statue has the following information.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S STATUE

After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 a Memorial Committee was formed, and a subscription fund launched to raise money for a statue of the Queen. Nearly £8000 was raised, and George J. Frampton was commissioned to redesign Victoria Square. His scheme would have meant raising the level of the square, surrounding it with a balustrade, and planting trees round a statue of the Queen in the centre. There were to be broad carriage drives on each side. It was also planned to demolish properties opposite the Town Hall to create a vista across to the station. Buying up the properties for demolition was too costly, and this part of the scheme was abandoned. The design for the statue was approved, and Frampton's 30ft high bronze figure of Queen Victoria was placed in the centre of Victoria Square. The seated figure stands on a base of Portland stone, and there are bronze figures of Peace and Industry on either side. The statue was unveiled by the Lord Mayor, Edwin Woodhouse, on 27th November 1905. As a photograph of 1905 shows, a large crowd gathered to watch the proceedings.

In 1937 Victoria Square was remodelled. A terrace was built, approached by steps from the road (then Park Lane), and the curved steps in front of the Town Hall replaced by straight ones, to allow a carriageway and car park to be built in front of the Hall. The statues of Wellington, Peel and Queen Victoria were removed to Woodhouse Moor.

The Coat Of Arms
The coat of arms represents her title as Queen of the United Kingdom from when she ascended the throne in 1837 and this version of arms has been used by the United Kingdom’s monarchs until the present time. The shield is quartered with the bottom left quarter has a harp representing Ireland, the top right quarter has a rampant red lion representing Scotland. Each of the two remaining quarters contain three gold lions passant representing England. Around the shield is a representation of a garter containing the French phrase ‘Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense’. The phrase is used in the heraldic awards for Knights of the Garter, and can be translated as ‘Shame to him who thinks evil of it’ Below the shield is the motto of the arms ‘Dieu et Mon Droit’. This refers to her ‘Divine Right’ to be monarch although even at that time the concept was probably quite outdated. The shield is surmounted by a crown. The left hand side of the shield has a lion supporter representing England, and the right hand side supporter is a unicorn, representing Scotland. The lion is wearing a crown and the unicorn is correctly shown is wearing a chain to hold it in place because it is a wild animal that cannot be tamed.

Bearer of Coat of Arms: Noble (aristocratic) family Full name of the bearer: Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?: On the front of the plinth of the statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor Park. Material / Design: Stone Blazon (heraldic description): Quarterly, First and Fourth Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure (for England), Second quarter Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory Gules (for Scotland), Third quarter Azure a harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland), the whole surrounded by the Garter; for a Crest, upon the Royal helm the imperial crown Proper, thereon a lion statant guardant Or imperially crowned Proper; Mantling Or and ermine; for Supporters, dexter a lion rampant guardant Or crowned as the Crest, sinister a unicorn Argent armed, crined and unguled Proper, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lys a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or; Motto 'Dieu et mon Droit' in the compartment below the shield, with the Union rose, shamrock and thistle engrafted on the same stem. Address: Woodhouse Moor Park Woodhouse Lane Leeds West Yorkshire United Kingdom Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): [Web Link] Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link]

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