Editing Fleur-de-lis

{{short description|Stylized lily, heraldic symbol}}
{{About|the general heraldic charge|the traditional coat of arms of France, with which the ''fleur-de-lis'' is often associated|Coat of arms of France#History|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Italic title}}
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[[File:WikiProject Scouting fleur-de-lis dark blue.svg|thumb|''Fleur-de-lis'']]
[[File:Arms of France (France Moderne).svg|thumb|Arms of the Kings of France  [[blazon]]ed ''[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], three fleurs-de-lis [[Or (heraldry)|or]]'']]
The '''''fleur-de-lis''''', also spelled '''''fleur-de-lys''''' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''),{{refn|{{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|f|l|ɜr|_|d|ə|_|ˈ|l|iː|(|s|)}} {{respell|FLUR|_|də|_|LEE(SS)}}; {{IPA|fr|flœʁ də lis|lang}}. The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' gives both pronunciations for English. In French, Larousse<ref>{{lang|fr|Dictionnaire de la Langue Française}}, Paris: Lexis, 1993</ref> and Robert<ref>{{lang|fr|Petit Robert}} 1, Paris, 1990</ref> only list {{IPA|fr|lis|}}. The [[Trésor de la langue française informatisé|TLFI]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/lis|title=LIS : Définition de LIS|website=www.cnrtl.fr}}</ref> has that pronunciation for the plant itself, but, following Barbeau-Rodhe 1930, {{IPA|fr|li|}} for the compound {{lang|fr|fleur-de-lis}}.|group="pron"}} is a common [[heraldic charge]] in the ([[stylized]]) shape of a [[lily]] (in French, {{lang|fr|fleur}} and {{lang|fr|lis}} mean {{gloss|flower}} and {{gloss|lily}} respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' is depicted on the [[flag of Quebec]] and on the traditional [[coat of arms of France]] that was used from the [[High Middle Ages]] until the [[French Revolution]] in 1792, and then again in brief periods in the 19th century. This design still represents France and the [[House of Bourbon]] in the form of [[Heraldry#Marshalling|marshalling]] in the arms of [[Coat of arms of Spain|Spain]], [[Coat of arms of Quebec|Quebec]], and [[Coat of arms of Canada|Canada]] — for example.

Other European nations have also employed the symbol. The ''fleur-de-lis'' became "at one and the same time, religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in [[French heraldry]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pastoureau |first=Michel |author-link=Michel Pastoureau |translator-last=Garvie |translator-first=Francisca |year=1997 |title=Heraldry: Its Origins and Meaning |series=[[Découvertes Gallimard|New Horizons]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFfkAQAACAAJ |location=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson |page=98 |isbn=0-500-30074-7}}</ref> The [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] and [[Saint Joseph]] are among [[saint]]s often depicted with a lily.

Some modern usage of the ''fleur-de-lis'' reflects "the continuing presence of heraldry in everyday life", often intentionally, but also when users are not aware that they are "prolonging the life of centuries-old insignia and emblems".<ref>Michel Pastoureau, ''Heraldry: its origins and meaning'', pp. 93–94</ref>

==Etymology==
''Fleur-de-lis'' is the stylized depiction of the lily flower. The name itself derives from ancient Greek ''λείριον'' > Latin ''lilium'' > French ''lis''.

The lily has always been the symbol of fertility and purity, and in Christianity it symbolizes the [[Immaculate Conception]].

==Origin==
[[File:Clovis recevant la fleur de lys - XVe siècle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.23|15th-century manuscript depicting an [[angel]] sending the ''fleurs-de-lis'' to [[Clovis I|Clovis]]. From the [[Bedford Hours]] in the [[British Library]], London.]]

According to [[Pierre Augustin Boissier de Sauvages|Pierre-Augustin Boissier de Sauvages]], an 18th-century French [[naturalist]] and [[lexicography|lexicographer]]:<ref name= "Sauvages1756">{{cite book| author= Pierre Augustin Boissier de Sauvages |title=Languedocien Dictionnaire François|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B8RDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA154| access-date=27 July 2013|year=1756|page=154}}</ref>

[[File:Fleur.iris.2.png|upright=1.23|thumb|''[[Iris (plant)|Iris]]'' compared with ''fleur-de-lis'' [[ornament (architecture)|ornament]]<ref name= "architecture_dictionnaire_flore">{{cite web|url= http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionnaire_raisonn%C3%A9_de_l%E2%80%99architecture_fran%C3%A7aise_du_XIe_au_XVIe_si%C3%A8cle_-_Tome_5,_Flore |title=Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle – Tome 5, Flore – Wikisource |language=fr |publisher=Fr.wikisource.org |access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref>]]
<blockquote>The old fleurs-de-lis, especially the ones found in our first kings' sceptres, have a lot less in common with ordinary lilies than the flowers called ''flambas'' [in [[Occitan language|Occitan]]], or irises, from which the name of our own fleur-de-lis may derive. What gives some colour of truth to this hypothesis that we already put forth, is the fact that the French or Franks, before entering Gaul itself, lived for a long time around the river named [[Lys (river)|Lys]] in the Flanders. Nowadays, this river is still bordered with an exceptional number of irises —as many plants grow for centuries in the same places—: these irises have yellow flowers, which is not a typical feature of lilies but fleurs-de-lis. It was thus understandable that our kings, having to choose a symbolic image for what later became a coat of arms, set their minds on the iris, a flower that was common around their homes, and is also as beautiful as it was remarkable. They called it, in short, the fleur-de-lis, instead of the flower of the river of ''lis''. This flower, or iris, looks like our fleur-de-lis not just because of its yellow colour but also because of its shape: of the six petals, or leaves, that it has, three of them are alternatively straight and meet at their tops. The other three on the opposite, bend down so that the middle one seems to make one with the stalk and only the two ones facing out from left and right can clearly be seen, which is again similar with our fleurs-de-lis, that is to say exclusively the one from the river Luts whose white petals bend down too when the flower blooms.</blockquote>
[[File:Sumpf-Schwertlilie an der Isar.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Yellow ''[[Iris pseudacorus]]'' flowers on a blue field of water]]

The heraldist François Velde is known to have expressed the same opinion:<ref name="François Velde">{{cite web
 | last = Velde
 | first = François
 | title = The Fleur-de-lis
 | url = http://www.heraldica.org/topics/fdl.htm
 | access-date = 2013-09-13}}</ref>
 
<blockquote>However, a hypothesis ventured in the 17th c. sounds very plausible to me. One species of wild iris, the ''Iris pseudacorus'', yellow flag in English, is yellow and grows in marshes (cf. the azure field, for water). Its name in German is Lieschblume (also gelbe Schwertlilie), but Liesch was also spelled Lies and Leys in the Middle Ages. It is easy to imagine that, in Northern France, the Lieschblume would have been called 'fleur-de-lis'. This would explain the name and the formal origin of the design, as a stylized yellow flag. There is a fanciful legend about Clovis which links the yellow flag explicitly with the French coat of arms.<ref name="François Velde"/></blockquote>

===Alternative derivations===
Another (debated) hypothesis is that the symbol derives from the ''[[angon]]'' or ''sting'',<ref name="books.google.com">Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, ''A Treatise on the Arts, Manufactures, Manners, and Institutions of the Greek and Romans'' Volume 2 (1835)[https://books.google.com/books?id=5llkAAAAMAAJ&dq=frankish+angon+and+fleur+de+lis&pg=PA298] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227070100/https://books.google.com/books?id=5llkAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA298&lpg=PA298&dq=frankish+angon+and+fleur+de+lis&source=bl&ots=6I1v_IjH23&sig=ACfU3U0O5L0VpDnI3qPnDQkdBpcY-e_-nw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAgaSVqKDqAhXFHM0KHV4BBL0Q6AEwF3oECAQQAQ#v=onepage&q=frankish%20angon%20and%20fleur%20de%20lis&f=false|date=27 December 2022}}</ref> a typical Frankish throwing spear.<ref name="books.google.com"/>

===Ancient usages===
It has consistently been used as a royal emblem, though different cultures have interpreted its meaning in varying ways. [[Roman Gallia (Gaul)|Gaulish]] coins show the first Western designs which look similar to modern ''fleurs-de-lis''.<ref name="Michel Pastoureau p.99">Michel Pastoureau, ''Heraldry: its origins and meaning'' p. 99</ref> In the [[Eastern world|East]] it was found on the gold helmet of a [[Scythians|Scythian]] king uncovered at the Ak-Burun [[kurgan]] and conserved in [[Saint Petersburg]]'s [[Hermitage Museum]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.anaharsis.ru/histori/Skif/R19.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328035055/http://www.anaharsis.ru/histori/Skif/R19.htm | url-status=dead |title= Золотой шлем скифского царя. Ак-Бурун, VI в. до н. э. – Сервис регистрации доменов и хостинга *.RU-TLD.RU |archive-date=28 March 2009|website=www.anaharsis.ru}}</ref>

See also the very similar lily symbol on [[Yehud coinage|coins from the Achemenid and Ptolemaic province of Yehud]] (c. 350-200 BCE) and [[Hasmonean dynasty#Numismatics|Hasmonean-ruled Judah]] (2nd and 1st century BCE).

Among the [[pre-Columbian]] [[Maya peoples|Maya]] of [[Central America]], the water lily represented the watery surface of the [[Xibalba|underworld]] and the Earth's regenerative power, being depicted as a fleur-de-lis in Maya art.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.artic.edu/artworks/126858/water-lily-vessel | title=Water-Lily Vessel }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/exploring-the-early-americas/interactives/reading-pre-columbian-artifacts/items/item-4.html | title=Fleur-de-lys Vase with Primary Standard Sequence Glyph Band - Reading Pre-Columbian Artifacts - Exploring the Early Americas &#124; Exhibitions - Library of Congress | website=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> The fleur-de-lis also appears alongside some depictions of the rain god [[Chaac]], the Maya counterpart of the [[Aztec]] [[Tlaloc]] or [[Zapotec peoples|Zapotec]] [[Cocijo]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bukowskis.com/sv/auctions/583/1512-a-mayan-polychrome-tripod-ceremonial-chocolate-bowl-late-classic-ca-550-950-a-d | title=A MAYAN POLYCHROME TRIPOD CEREMONIAL CHOCOLATE BOWL, late Classic, ca 550-950 A.D. }}</ref>

==Dynastic and related territorial heraldry==
For the transition from religious to dynastic symbolism and the beginning of European heraldic use of the ''fleur-de-lis'', see [[#France|France section]], chronologically followed by England through [[#English claims|claims to the French crown]].

List in alphabetical order by country:

===Albania===
[[File:Stema e Karl Topisë.png|upright|thumb|[[Medieval Albania|Albanian]] Prince [[Karl Thopia]] stone engraving of his coat of arms. (14th century)]]

In Albania, ''fleur-de-lis'' ({{langx|sq|Lulja e Zambakut}}) has been associated with the different [[Albanians|Albanian]] [[Albanian nobility|noble families]]. This iconic symbol holds a rich historical significance and has adorned the emblems and crests of various noble houses, reflecting both cultural heritage and a sense of identity within the country. One notable household that has prominently featured this emblem is the [[Thopia family]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Georg von Hann |first1=Johann |title=Albanesische Studien |date=1854 |publisher=Verlag von Friedrich Mauke |location=Wien |page=119 |edition=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ippen |first1=Theodor |journal=Zobodat |title=Denkmäler verschiedener Altersstufen in Albanien |date=1907 |pages=67–69}}</ref> a ruling house in [[Medieval Albania]] during the [[Principality of Albania (medieval)|Medieval Principality of Albania]]. [[Karl Thopia]] was a grandson of [[Robert, King of Naples|Robert of Anjou]]. A few other notable [[Albanians|Albanian families]] that have distinctly featured the iconic ''fleur-de-lis'' in their heraldic coat of arms are the [[Durazzo family]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Durazzo Marcello |url=https://www.storiaememoriadibologna.it/durazzo-marcello-519716-persona |publisher=Storia e Memoria di Bologna |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> [[Skuraj family]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ippen |first1=Theodor |journal=Zobodat |title=Denkmäler verschiedener Altersstufen in Albanien |date=1907 |pages=31–33}}</ref> [[Muzaka family]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Guadalupi |first1=Francesco |title=Madonna della Misericordia – Mesagne (Br) |date=19 June 2021 |url=http://www.brundarte.it/2021/06/19/madonna-della-misericordia-_-mesagne-br |publisher=Brundarte |access-date=19 June 2021}}</ref> [[Lukarić|Luccari family]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Razzi |first1=Serafino |last2=Ferretti |first2=Lodovico |title=La storia di Ragusa |date=1903 |publisher=A. Pasarić |location=University of California |page=6}}</ref> [[Engjëlli family]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zabarella |first1=Jacopo |title=Il Galba Overo Historia della Sereniss Fameglia Quirina |date=1671 |publisher=Cadorin |location=Österreichische Nationalbibliothek |page=58}}</ref> and many other [[Albanian nobility|Albanian noble families]].
{{multiple image
| align = center
| image1 = Topia coat of arms.svg
| total_width = 320
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = Coat of arms of the [[Thopia family]] 
(1328–1479)
| image2 = Stema e Durazzove.png
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = Coat of arms of the [[Durazzo family]]
(since 1388)
| footer = 
}}

===Bosnia and Herzegovina===
[[File:TvrtkoIRevers.png|upright|thumb|[[Medieval Bosnia|Bosnian]] king [[Tvrtko I of Bosnia|Tvrtko I's]] gold coin (14th century) reverse – with the Bosnian state ''fleur-de-lis'' coat of arms. ({{lang|la|GLORIA TIBI DEUS SPES NOSTRA}})]]

The ''fleurs-de-lis'' was the symbol of the [[House of Kotromanić]], a ruling house in [[History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (958–1463)|medieval Bosnia]] during the medieval [[Kingdom of Bosnia]], adopted by the first Bosnian king, [[Tvrtko I]], in recognition of the [[Capetian House of Anjou]] support in assuming the throne of Bosnia. The coat of arms contained six ''fleurs-de-lis'',<ref name=spot>{{cite web |title= Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992–1998 |work= Flagspot.net |url= http://flagspot.net/flags/ba-1992.html#heral |access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref>{{Ref label|h|h|h}} where the flower itself is today often considered to be a representation of the [[Autochthon (nature)|autochthonous]] golden lily, ''[[Lilium bosniacum]]''.<ref name="klix.ba-Šest ljiljana">{{cite web |author1=B. H. |title=Šest ljiljana vezenih u zlatu: Koja je simbolika prve zastave Bosne i Hercegovine |url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/sest-ljiljana-vezenih-u-zlatu-koja-je-simbolika-prve-zastave-bosne-i-hercegovine/240504009 |website=www.klix.ba |access-date=29 June 2024 |language=hr |date=4 May 2024}}</ref>

The emblem was revived in 1992 as a [[National symbols of Bosnia and Herzegovina#Heraldry|national symbol of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and was part of the [[Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina#Independent Republic Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1995)|flag of Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1992 to 1998]].<ref name="klix.ba-Šest ljiljana" /><ref name=spot/> The state insignia were changed in 1999. The former [[flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] contains a ''fleur-de-lis'' alongside the [[Coat of arms of Croatia|Croatian]] [[Variations of the field#Chequy|chequy]]. Fleurs also appear in the flags and arms of many [[Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina|cantons]], [[Municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina|municipalities]], cities and towns. Today, it is a traditional [[Bosniaks#Symbols|symbol of the Bosniak people]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Senimir |last=Resić|title=En historia om Balkan – Jugoslaviens uppgång och fall|language=sv|publisher=Historiska Media|page=294|location=Lund|url=http://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/en-historia-om-balkan---jugoslaviens-uppgang-och-fall-9789185507870|year=2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229183931/http://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/en-historia-om-balkan---jugoslaviens-uppgang-och-fall-9789185507870|archive-date=2014-12-29|access-date=2022-08-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nato.int/sfor/indexinf/articles/030512a/t030512a.htm | title=SFOR – Bosnia and Herzegovina in ten flags |website=www.nato.int}}</ref> It is still used as official insignia of the Bosniak [[Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina#Regiments|Regiment of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mpr.gov.ba/userfiles/file/Biblioteka/zakoni/hr/ZAKON%20O%20ZASTAVI%20BiH/Zakon%20o%20zastavi%20BiH%20-%2019%20-%2001.pdf |title=Zakon o Zastavi Bosne i Hercegovine |language=bs |website=Ministry of Justice |location=Bosnia and Herzegovina |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119223607/http://www.mpr.gov.ba/userfiles/file/Biblioteka/zakoni/hr/ZAKON%20O%20ZASTAVI%20BiH/Zakon%20o%20zastavi%20BiH%20-%2019%20-%2001.pdf |archive-date=19 November 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

''Fleurs-de-lis'' today also appear in the flags and arms of many [[Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina|cantons]], [[Municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina|municipalities]], cities and towns of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

{{multiple image
| align             = center
| image1            = Coat of arms of Kingdom of Bosnia.svg
| total_width       = 320
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = Coat of arms of the [[Kingdom of Bosnia]] (1377–1463)
| image2            = Coat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1998).svg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = Coat of arms derived from the shield of the coat of arms of Bosnian King [[Tvrtko I of Bosnia|Tvrtko I Kotromanić]]
| footer            = 
}}

===Brazil===
In Brazil, the arms and flag of the city of [[Joinville]] feature three ''fleurs-de-lis'' surmounted with a label of three points (for the [[House of Orléans]]), alluding to [[François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville]], son of King [[Louis-Philippe I]] of France, who married [[Princess Francisca of Brazil]] in 1843.

===Byzantium (Roman Empire) ===
[[File:Entrance of the emperor Nikephoros Phocas (963-969) into Constantinople in 963 from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes.jpg|thumb|Five gold ''fleur-de-lis'' on red, in ''Synopsis Istorion'' illustration]]
The ''fleur-de-lis'' pattern is clearly depicted in an illustration of emperor Nikephoros Phocas's welcome ceremony in Constantinople (963 AD) included in [[Madrid Skylitzes|Synopsis Istorion]] (dated 1070s).

The ''fleur-de-lis'' pattern can also be found on Ionic capital of Panagia Skripo church (dated 870AD):


===Canada===

The [[Royal Banner of France]] or "Bourbon flag" symbolizing [[Early modern France|royal France]], was the most commonly used flag in [[New France]].<ref name="Association1915">{{cite book|author=New York State Historical Association|title=Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association with the Quarterly Journal: 2nd-21st Annual Meeting with a List of New Members|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Eog-AAAAYAAJ|year=1915|publisher=The Association|quote=It is most probable that the Bourbon Flag was used during the greater part of the occupancy of the French in the region extending southwest from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi, known as New France&nbsp;... The French flag was probably blue at that time with three golden fleur - de - lis}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Wallace |first=W. Stewart |author-link=W. Stewart Wallace |title=Flag of New France |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia|The Encyclopedia of Canada]] |volume=II |location=Toronto |publisher=University Associates of Canada |year=1948 |pages=350–351|quote=During the French régime in Canada, there does not appear to have been any French national flag in the modern sense of the term. The "Banner of France", which was composed of fleur-de-lys on a blue field, came nearest to being a national flag, since it was carried before the king when he marched to battle, and thus in some sense symbolized the kingdom of France. During the later period of French rule, it would seem that the emblem&nbsp;... was a flag showing the fleur-de-lys on a white ground.&nbsp;... as seen in Florida. There were, however, 68 flags authorized for various services by Louis XIV in 1661; and a number of these were doubtless used in New France}}</ref> The "Bourbon flag" has three gold ''fleur-de-lis'' on a dark blue field arranged two and one.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/national-flag-of-canada|title=Background: The First National Flags |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |date=28 November 2019 |access-date=1 March 2021 |quote=At the time of New France (1534 to the 1760s), two flags could be viewed as having national status. The first was the banner of France — a blue square flag bearing three gold fleurs-de-lys. It was flown above fortifications in the early years of the colony. For instance, it was flown above the lodgings of Pierre Du Gua de Monts at Île Sainte-Croix in 1604. There is some evidence that the banner also flew above Samuel de Champlain's habitation in 1608.&nbsp;... the completely white flag of the French Royal Navy was flown from ships, forts and sometimes at land-claiming ceremonies.}}</ref> The fleur-de-lys was also seen on New France's currency often referred to as [[Card money in New France|"card money"]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lester 
|first=Richard A. 
|year=1964 
|title=Money and Banking in Canada |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=O15Wba6gaDQC |editor=Edward P. Neufeld 
|pages=9–23 
|location=Montreal 
|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press 
|chapter=Playing-Card Currency of French Canada 
|isbn=9780773560536 
|oclc=732600576
}}</ref> The white Royal Banner of France was used by the military of New France and was seen on naval vessels and forts of New France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inquinte.ca/story/canada-150-years-of-history-the-story-behind-the-flag|title=Inquinte.ca &#124; Canada 150 Years of History ~ The story behind the flag|website=inquinte.ca|quote=When Canada was settled as part of France and dubbed 'New France,' two flags gained national status. One was the Royal Banner of France. This featured a blue background with three gold ''fleurs-de-lis''. A white flag of the French Royal Navy was also flown from ships and forts and sometimes flown at land-claiming ceremonies.}}</ref> After the fall of New France to the British Empire the fleur-de-lys remained visible on churches and remained part of French cultural symbolism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fleur-de-lys|title=Fleur-de-lys &#124; The Canadian Encyclopedia|website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}</ref> There are many [[Francophone|French-speaking Canadians]] for whom the ''fleur-de-lis'' remains a symbol of their French cultural identity. [[Québécois people|Québécois]], [[Franco-Ontarians]], [[Franco-Ténois]] and [[Franco-Albertans]], feature the ''fleur-de-lis'' prominently on their [[List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols|flags]].

The fleur-de-lys, as a traditional royal symbol in Canada, has been incorporated into many [[national symbols of Canada|national symbols]], [[List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols|provincial symbols]] and municipal symbols, the [[Canadian Red Ensign]] that served as the nautical flag and [[civil ensign]] for Canada from 1892 to 1965 and later as an informal [[flag of Canada]] before 1965 featured the traditional number of three golden fleur-de-lys on a blue background.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-history.html |title=History of the National Flag of Canada|publisher=Department of Canadian Heritage|access-date=25 January 2021|date=4 February 2020|website=canada.ca}}</ref> The [[Coat of arms of Canada|arms of Canada]] throughout its variations has used fleur-de-lys, beginning in 1921 and subsequent various has featuring the blue "Bourbon Flag" in two locations within arms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-history.html|title=The history of the National Flag of Canada|first=Canadian|last=Heritage|date=28 August 2017|website=aem}}</ref> The Canadian [[royal cypher]] and the arms of Canada feature [[St Edward's Crown]] that displays five [[cross pattée]] and four fleur-de-lys.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldry.ca/content/arms_badges_royal_arms.php|title=Arms & Badges - Royal Arms of Canada, A Brief History|website=www.heraldry.ca}}</ref> The ''fleur-de-lis'' is featured on the [[flag of Quebec]], known as the ''fleurdelisé'', as well as the flags of the cities of [[Montreal]], [[Sherbrooke]] and [[Trois-Rivières]].
{{multiple image
| align = center
| image1 =Royal coat of arms of Canada (1957–1994).svg
| total_width = 320
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = The [[arms of Canada]] (1957 version)
| image2 = Fleur de lys du québec.svg
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = The [[Quebec]] version of the fleur-de-lys

}}

===France===
{{Main|Coat of arms of France#History}}

====Royal symbol: background, later legends====
The ''fleur-de-lis'' symbolic origins with French monarchs may stem from the baptismal lily used in the crowning of King [[Clovis I]] (r. c. 481–509).<ref>Ellen J. Millington, ''Heraldry in History, Poetry, and Romance'', London, 1858, pp. [https://archive.org/details/heraldryinhisto01millgoog/page/n332 332]–[https://archive.org/details/heraldryinhisto01millgoog/page/n343 343].</ref> The French monarchy may have adopted the ''fleur-de-lis'' for its royal coat of arms as a symbol of purity to commemorate the conversion of Clovis I,<ref>Lewis, Philippa & Darley, Gillian (1986) Dictionary of Ornament</ref> and a reminder of the ''fleur-de-lis'' [[ampulla]] that held the oil used to [[Anointing#Hebrew Bible#|anoint the king]]. So, the ''fleur-de-lis'' stood as a symbol of the king's divinely approved right to rule. The thus "anointed" kings of France later maintained that their authority was directly from God. A legend enhances the mystique of royalty by informing us that a vial of oil—the [[Holy Ampulla]]—descended from Heaven to anoint and sanctify Clovis as King,<ref>Ralph E. Giesey, ''Models of Rulership in French Royal Ceremonial in Rites of Power: Symbolism, Ritual, and Politics Since the Middle Ages'', ed. Wilentz (Princeton 1985), p. 43.</ref> descending directly on Clovis or perhaps brought by a dove to Saint Remigius. One version explains that an angel descended with the ''fleur-de-lis'' ampulla to anoint the king.<ref>Michel Pastoureau: ''Traité d'Héraldique'', Paris, 1979</ref> Another story tells of Clovis putting a flower in his helmet just before his victory at the [[Battle of Vouillé]].<ref name="François Velde"/> Through this propagandist connection to Clovis, the ''fleur-de-lis'' has been taken in retrospect to symbolize all the Christian [[Franks|Frankish]] kings, most notably [[Charlemagne]].<ref name="Sherman1995">{{cite book |author= Claire Richter Sherman |year= 1995 |title= Imaging Aristotle: Verbal and Visual Representation in Fourteenth-century France |publisher= University of California Press |pages= 10– |isbn= 978-0-520-08333-2 |oclc= 1008315349 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4j72YuNSyN4C&pg=PA10}}</ref>
[[File:Image-Charlemagne-by-Durer.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Charlemagne]]'', by [[Albrecht Dürer]]. The [[anachronistic]] coats-of-arms above him show the [[German eagle]] and the French ''fleur-de-lis'']]

The graphic evolution of ''crita''{{clarify|date=November 2023}} to ''fleur-de-lis'' was accompanied by textual [[allegory]]. By the late 13th century, an allegorical poem by [[Guillaume de Nangis]] (d. 1300), written at [[Joyenval Abbey]] in [[Chambourcy]], relates how the golden lilies on an azure ground were miraculously substituted for the [[crescent]]s on Clovis' shield, a projection into the past of contemporary images of heraldry.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

In the 14th century, French writers asserted that the monarchy of France, which developed from the Kingdom of the West Franks, could trace its heritage back to the divine gift of royal arms received by Clovis. This story has remained popular, even though modern scholarship has established that the ''fleur-de-lis'' was a religious symbol before it was a true heraldic symbol.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pastoureau |first=Michel |author-link=Michel Pastoureau |translator-last=Garvie |translator-first=Francisca |year=1997 |title=Heraldry: Its Origins and Meaning |series='[[Découvertes Gallimard|New Horizons]]' series |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFfkAQAACAAJ |location=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson |pages=99–100 |isbn=9780500300749}}</ref> Along with true lilies, it was associated with the Virgin Mary, and when the 12th-century [[House of Capet|Capetians]], Louis VI and Louis VII, started to use the emblem, their purpose was of connecting their rulership with this symbol of [[saint]]liness and divine right.<ref name=ACFD>Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, ''A Complete Guide to Heraldry'', London, 1909, p. [https://archive.org/stream/completeguidetoh00foxdrich#page/274/mode/2up 274].</ref>

====First royal symbol; ''France Ancient''====
[[Louis VI of France|Louis VI]] (r. 1108–1137) and [[Louis VII of France|Louis VII]] (r. 1137–1180) of the [[House of Capet]] first started to use the emblem, on [[sceptre]]s for example. Louis VII ordered the use of ''fleur-de-lis'' clothing in his son [[Philip II of France|Philip's]] coronation in 1179,<ref name=ACFD/> while the first visual evidence of clearly heraldic use dates from 1211: a [[Seal (emblem)|seal]] showing the future Louis VIII and his shield strewn with the "flowers".<ref name="Michel Pastoureau p.100">{{cite book |last=Pastoureau |first=Michel |author-link=Michel Pastoureau |translator-last=Garvie |translator-first=Francisca |year=1997 |title=Heraldry: Its Origins and Meaning |series='[[Découvertes Gallimard|New Horizons]]' series |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFfkAQAACAAJ |location=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson |page=100 |isbn=0-500-30074-7}}</ref>

Until the late 14th century the [[National emblem of France|French royal coat of arms]] was ''[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]] semé-de-lis [[Or (heraldry)|Or]]'' (a blue shield "sown" (''semé'') with a scattering of small golden ''fleurs-de-lis''), the so-called ''France Ancient'', but Charles V of France changed the design to a group of three in about 1376 (see next section for ''France Modern'').{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

[[File:Coronation of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castille 1223.jpg|thumb|upright|Coronation of [[Louis VIII]] and [[Blanche of Castile]] at Reims in 1223]]

In the reign of [[Louis IX of France|King Louis IX]] (St. Louis) the three petals of the flower were said to represent faith, wisdom and chivalry, and to be a sign of divine favour bestowed on France.<ref name="MichaudPoujoulat1836">{{cite book|author1=Joseph Fr. Michaud|author2=Jean Joseph François Poujoulat|title=Nouvelle collection des mémoires pour servir a l'histoire de France: depuis le XIIIe siècle jusqu'à la fin du XVIIIe; précédés de notices pour caractériser chaque auteur des mémoires et son époque; suivis de l'analyse des documents historiques qui s'y rapportent |url=https://archive.org/details/nouvellecollect03michgoog| access-date=27 July 2013 |year=1836|publisher=Éditeur du Commentaire analytique du Code civil}}</ref> During the next century, the 14th, the tradition of Trinity symbolism was established in France, and then spread elsewhere.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

====English claims====
In 1328, King [[Edward III of England]] inherited a claim to the crown of France, and in about 1340 he [[Quartering (heraldry)|quartered]] ''France Ancient'' with the [[Coat of arms of England|arms of Plantagenet]], as "arms of [[Pretender|pretence]]". {{Ref label|c|c|c}} After the kings of France adopted ''France Modern'', the kings of England adopted the new design as quarterings from about 1411.<ref>Fox-Davies</ref> The monarchs of England (and later of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]) continued to quarter the French arms until 1801, when [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]] abandoned his formal [[English claims to the French throne|claim to the French throne]].{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

On 29 December 1429, [[Charles VII of France|King Charles VII]] ennobled the family of [[Joan of Arc]], seen as a French hero in the ensueing [[Hundred Years' War]], with an inheritable symbolic denomination. The Chamber of Accounts in France registered the family's designation to nobility on 20 January 1430. The grant permitted the family to change their surname to du Lys.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

====''France Moderne'' (1376–1790s, etc.)====
In about 1376, [[Charles V of France|Charles V]] changed the design from the all-over scattering of flowers to a group of three,{{Ref label|a|a|a}}{{Ref label|b|b|b}} thus replacing what is known in heraldic terminology as the ''France Ancient'', with the ''France Modern''.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

''France moderne'' remained the French royal standard, and with a white background was the French national flag until the [[French Revolution]], when it was replaced by the [[Flag of France|tricolor]] of modern-day France. The ''fleur-de-lis'' was restored to the French flag in 1814, but replaced once again after the revolution against [[Charles X of France|Charles X]] in 1830.{{Ref label|d|d|d}} 

After the end of the [[Second French Empire]], [[Henri, comte de Chambord]], was offered the throne as King of France, but he agreed only if France gave up the tricolor and brought back the white flag with ''fleurs-de-lis''.<ref name="Goubert2002">{{cite book |author=Pierre Goubert |title=The Course of French History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1VbZMbFw89YC |access-date=27 July 2013 |date=12 April 2002|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-203-41468-2}}</ref> Curiously the French ''[[drapeau tricolore|tricolore]]'' with the royal crown and fleur-de-lys was possibly designed by the count in his younger years as a compromise.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Whitney |title=Flags: Through the Ages and Across the World |url=https://archive.org/details/flagsthroughages00smit/page/75 |url-access=registration |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York |year=1975 |page=[https://archive.org/details/flagsthroughages00smit/page/75 75] |isbn=978-0-07-059093-9}}</ref> His condition that his country needed to abandon the red and blue colors that it had adopted to symbolize the ideals of the [[French Revolution]] of 1789 was rejected and France became a [[French Third Republic|republic]].

====Current use====
It remains an enduring symbol of France which appears on French postage stamps, although it has never been adopted officially by any of the [[French Republics (disambiguation)|French republics]], that unlike other republican nations, never officially adopted a coat of arms. <!--intentional link to DAB page--><ref name=Duby>Georges Duby, ''France in the Middle Ages 987–1460: From Hugh Capet to Joan of Arc''</ref>

Although the origin of the ''fleur-de-lis'' is unclear, it has retained an association with French nobility and associated cities and regions. It is widely used in French city emblems as in the coat of arms of the city of Lille, Saint-Denis, Brest, [[Clermont-Ferrand]], [[Boulogne-Billancourt]], and [[Calais]]. Some cities that had been particularly faithful to the French Crown were awarded a heraldic augmentation of two or three ''fleurs-de-lis'' on the chief of their coat of arms; such cities include Paris, [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Reims]], [[Le Havre]], Angers, [[Le Mans]], [[Aix-en-Provence]], Tours, [[Limoges]], [[Amiens]], Orléans, Rouen, Argenteuil, Poitiers, [[Chartres]], and [[Laon]], among others. The ''fleur-de-lis'' was the symbol of [[Île-de-France]], the core of the French kingdom. It has appeared on the coat-of-arms of other historical provinces of France including Burgundy, Anjou, Picardy, Berry, Orléanais, Bourbonnais, Maine, Touraine, Artois, Dauphiné, Saintonge, and the County of La Marche. Many of the current French ''[[Departments of France|departments]]'' use the symbol on their coats-of-arms to express this heritage.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

The ''fleur-de-lis'' appears for instance on the coat-of-arms of [[Guadeloupe]], an overseas département of France in the Caribbean, [[Saint Barthélemy]], an overseas collectivity of France, and [[French Guiana]]. The overseas department of [[Réunion]] in the Indian Ocean uses the same feature. It appears on the coat of [[Port Louis]], the capital of [[Mauritius]] which was named in honour of King Louis XV. On the [[coat of arms of Saint Lucia]] it represents the French heritage of the country.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
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While the ''fleur-de-lis'' has appeared on countless European [[coat of arms|coats of arms]] and flags over the centuries, it is particularly associated with the [[French monarchy]] in a historical context and continues to appear in the arms of members of the Spanish branch of the French [[House of Bourbon]], including the [[king of Spain]] and the [[grand duke of Luxembourg]].

====Duby's interpretation====
According to French historian [[Georges Duby]], the three petals represent the [[Estates of the realm|three medieval social estates]]: the commoners, the nobility, and the clergy.<ref name=Duby/>

===Italy and the pope===
{{anchor|Florentine lily|Florentine fleurs-de-lis}}
{{anchor|Florentine lily|Florentine fleurs-de-lis}}
In Italy, the fleur de lis - called ''giglio bottonato'' ([[:it:Giglio bottonato|it]]) - is mainly known from the crest of the city of [[Florence]]. In the Florentine ''fleurs-de-lis'' {{Ref label|f|f|f}} the [[stamen]]s are always posed between the [[petal]]s. Originally ''[[argent]]'' (silver or white) on ''[[gules]]'' (red) background, the emblem became the standard of the imperial party in Florence (''parte [[Guelphs and Ghibellines|ghibellina]]''), causing the town government, which maintained a staunch ''[[Guelphs and Ghibellines|Guelph]]'' stance, being strongly opposed to the imperial pretensions on city states, to reverse the color pattern to the final ''gules'' lily on ''argent'' background.<ref>Luciano Artusi, Firenze araldica, pp. 280, Polistampa, Firenze, 2006, {{ISBN|88-596-0149-5}}</ref> This heraldic charge is often known as the '''Florentine lily''' to distinguish it from the conventional (stamen-not-shown) design. As an emblem of the city, it is therefore found in icons of [[Zenobius of Florence|Zenobius]], its first bishop,<ref>Hall, James (1974). ''Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art''. Harper & Row. {{ISBN|0-06-433316-7}}. p.124.</ref> and associated with Florence's patron Saint [[John the Baptist]] in the Florentine [[Florin (Italian coin)|fiorino]]. Several towns subjugated by Florence or founded within the territory of the Florentine Republic adopted a variation of the Florentine lily in their crests, often without the stamens.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

In Italy, ''fleurs-de-lis'' have been used for some [[Papal Tiara|papal crowns]]{{Ref label|g|g|g}} and coats of arms, the [[House of Farnese|Farnese]] [[Duchy of Parma|Dukes of Parma]],{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} and by some [[Doge of Venice|doges of Venice]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}
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===Lithuania===
The design of the arms of [[Jurbarkas]] is believed to originate from the arms of the [[Sapieha]] house, a [[Lithuanian noble]] family which was responsible for Jurbarkas receiving [[Magdeburg law|city rights]] and a coat of arms in 1611.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jurbarkotic.lt/about-region|title=Jurbarkas Tourist Information Centre - About region|website=www.jurbarkotic.lt|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref><ref name="ngw">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Jurbarkas|title=Jurbarkas - Herb Jurbarkas (coat of arms, crest)|website=www.ngw.nl|date=22 September 2018 |language=en-GB|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref>

The three ''fleurs-de-lis'' design on the Jurbarkas coat of arms was abolished during the [[History of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1764–1795)|final years]] of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], but officially restored in 1993 after the [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania|independence]] of present-day Lithuania was re-established. Before restoration, several variant designs, such as using one over two ''fleurs-de-lis'', had been restored and abolished. The original two over one version was briefly readopted in 1970 during the [[Baltic states under Soviet rule (1944–1991)|Soviet occupation]], but abolished that same year.<ref name="rimsa">{{Cite book|title=Heraldry of Lithuania|last=Rimša|first=Edmundas Antanas|publisher=|year=1998|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>

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===Malta, Order of Malta===
[[File:St Venera coa.svg|upright|thumb|Coat of arms of St. Venera local council, Malta]]

Three ''fleurs-de-lis'' appeared in the personal coat of arms of Grandmaster [[Alof de Wignacourt]] who ruled the [[History of Malta under the Order of Saint John|Malta]] between 1601 and 1622. His nephew [[Adrien de Wignacourt]], who was Grandmaster himself from 1690 to 1697, also had a similar coat of arms with three ''fleurs-de-lis''.

The town of [[Santa Venera]] has three red ''fleurs-de-lis'' on its flag and coat of arms. These are derived from [[Wignacourt Arch|an arch]] which was part of the [[Wignacourt Aqueduct]] that had three sculpted ''fleurs-de-lis'' on top, as they were the heraldic symbols of [[Alof de Wignacourt]], the Grand Master who financed its building. Another suburb which developed around the area became known as [[Fleur-de-Lys, Malta|Fleur-de-Lys]], and it also features a red ''fleur-de-lis'' on its flag and coat of arms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fleurdelys.org.mt/?page_id=851|title=Fleur-de-Lys|website=Fleur-de-Lys Administrative Committee|date=18 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075504/http://fleurdelys.org.mt/?page_id=851|archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>

===Serbia===
[[File:Novac kralja Milutina.jpg|thumb|300x300px|13th-century [[Serbian dinar|Serbian currency]] in [[Kingdom of Serbia (medieval)|medieval Kingdom of Serbia]] at the time of [[List of Serbian monarchs|King]] [[Stefan Milutin]], with the state's ''fleur-de-lis'' coat of arms, [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] and the king]]

The ''fleur-de-lis'' was the symbol of the [[Nemanjić dynasty|House of Nemanjic]], a ruling [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian Orthodox]] house in [[Serbia in the Middle Ages|medieval Serbia]] during the medieval [[Principality of Serbia (early medieval)|Principality of Serbia]], [[Grand Principality of Serbia]], [[Kingdom of Serbia (medieval)|Kingdom of Serbia]] and [[Serbian Empire]], adopted by the [[List of Serbian monarchs|Serbian king]], [[Stefan Nemanjić]]. The coat of arms contained two ''fleurs-de-lis''. Today, the ''fleur-de-lis'' is, alongside the [[Serbian cross|Serbian Cross]], [[Serbian eagle]] and [[Flag of Serbia|Serbian Flag]], national [[Serbs|symbols of the Serb people]].

Fleurs also appear in the flags and arms of many [[Municipalities and cities of Serbia|municipalities]].
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===United Kingdom===
''Fleurs-de-lis'' feature prominently in the [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|Crown Jewels]] of England and [[Honours of Scotland|Scotland]]. In English heraldry, they are used in many different ways, and can be the [[cadency]] mark of the sixth son. Additionally, it features in a large number of royal arms of the [[House of Plantagenet]], from the 13th century onwards to the early Tudors (Elizabeth of York and the de la Pole family).{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

The [[wiktionary:tressure|tressure]] [[wiktionary:flory|flory]]–[[wiktionary:counterflory|counterflory]] (flowered border) has been a prominent part of the design of the [[Royal coat of arms of Scotland|Scottish royal arms]] and [[Royal Standard of Scotland|Royal Standard]] since [[James I of Scotland]].{{Ref label|e|e|e}}

<blockquote><poem>
The treasured fleur-de-luce he claims
To wreathe his shield, since royal James
 —Sir [[Walter Scott]], ''[[The Lay of the Last Minstrel]]''<ref>Sir Walter Scott (1833) ''The Complete Works of Sir Michael Scott'', Volume 1 of 7, Canto Fourth, VIII, New York: Conner and Cooke</ref></poem></blockquote>

In the United Kingdom, a ''fleur-de-lis'' has appeared in the official arms of the [[Norroy and Ulster King of Arms|Norroy King of Arms]] for hundreds of years. A silver ''fleur-de-lis'' on a blue background is the arms of the [[Baron Digby|Barons Digby]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Moncrieffe, Ian |author2=Pottinger, Don|title=Simple Heraldry Cheerfully Illustrated| publisher=Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.|page=54}}</ref>

In English and Canadian heraldry the ''fleur-de-lis'' is the [[Cadency|cadence]] mark of a sixth son.<ref>{{cite book |author1= Moncrieffe, Ian |author2= Pottinger, Don |title= Simple Heraldry Cheerfully Illustrated |publisher= Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. |page= 20}}</ref>

A ''fleur-de-lis'' can also be seen on the [[flag of Monmouthshire]], Wales: Per pale azure and sable three ''fleurs-de-lys'' or.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Monmouthshire Flag |url=http://monmouthshire-association.org.uk/flag |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=The Monmouthshire Association}}</ref>

It can also be found on the arms of the Scottish clan chiefs of both Carruthers; gules two engrailed chevrons between three ''fleur-d-lis'' or and the brouns/browns: gules a chevron between three ''fleur d-lis'' or.<ref name="armorial-history">{{cite web |url=http://www.clancarruthers.com/carruthers-armorial-history.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818010616/http://www.clancarruthers.com/carruthers-armorial-history.html |archive-date=August 18, 2017 |title=Carruthers: Our History through our Arms |website=www.clancarruthers.com}}</ref><ref name="clanhistory">{{cite web |url=https://clancarrutherssociety.org/clan-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006114929/https://clancarrutherssociety.org/clan-history/ |title=Clan Carruthers Society – Clan History |website=clancarrutherssociety.org |date=19 August 2018 |archive-date=6 October 2019}}</ref>
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===United States===
''Fleurs-de-lis'' crossed the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] along with Europeans going to the [[New World]], especially with French settlers. Their presence on North American flags and coats of arms usually recalls the involvement of French settlers in [[New France]] of the town or region concerned, and in some cases the persisting presence there of a population descended from such settlers.

[[File:176th Medical Brigade (United States) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia.jpg|thumb|The ''fleur-de-lis'' is used in the insignia of the 176th Medical Brigade as a tribute to the unit's service in France.]]
In the US, the ''fleur-de-lis'' symbols tend to be along or near the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] and [[Missouri River|Missouri]] rivers. These are areas of strong [[French colonial empire]] settlement. It appears on the flag or seal of the cities of [[Baton Rouge]], [[Detroit]], [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], [[New Orleans]], [[Ocean Springs, Mississippi|Ocean Springs]] and [[St. Louis]]. On 9 July 2008, Louisiana governor [[Bobby Jindal]] signed a bill into law making the ''fleur-de-lis'' an official symbol of the state.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=22251 |title=Fleur-de-lis Now Official State Symbol |website=arklatexhomepage.com |access-date=10 July 2008 |archive-date=27 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327200346/http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=22251 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Following [[Hurricane Katrina]] on 29 August 2005, the ''fleur-de-lis'' has been widely used in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, as a symbol of grassroots support for [[Reconstruction of New Orleans|New Orleans' recovery]].<ref name="neworleans">{{cite web |url=https://www.nola.com/300/article_aa0c0f38-cb1a-5ff4-868b-260040be122e.html |title=2005: The ''fleur-de-lis'' becomes a symbol of post-Katrina pride in New Orleans |website=www.nola.com |date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=September 24, 2022}}</ref> The coat of arms of [[St. Augustine, Florida]] has a ''fleur-de-lis'' on the first quarter, due to its connection with [[Huguenots]]. Several counties have flags and seals based on pre-1801 British royal arms also includes ''fleur-de-lis'' symbols. They are [[King George County, Virginia]] and [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's County]], [[Somerset County, Maryland|Somerset County]], [[Kent County, Maryland|Kent County]], and [[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery County]] in Maryland.
It has also become the symbol for the identity of the [[Cajuns]] and [[Louisiana Creole people]], and their French heritage.
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===Other countries, cities, families===
Other countries include:
*Spain, in recognition of rulers from the [[House of Bourbon]].

*Principality of Moldova 
:Coins minted in the [[Principality of Moldavia]] (today split between [[Romania]], [[Moldova]], and [[Ukraine]]) during the reign of [[Peter II of Moldavia]] (r. 1375–1391), carry the ''fleur-de-lis'' symbol.<ref>[[:ro:Fișier:Petru Musat Coins.png|Petru Musat Coins image]]</ref>

*Germany: [[Fugger family]]
:As a dynastic emblem it has also been very widely used, not only by noble families but also, for example, by the [[Fugger]]s, a medieval banking family.

*Other European cities
:Among the numerous cities which use it as a symbol are some whose names echo the word ''lily'', for example, [[Liljendal]], Finland, and [[Lelystad]], Netherlands. This is called [[canting arms]] in heraldic terminology. Other European examples of municipal coats-of-arms bearing the ''fleur-de-lis'' include [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] in England, [[Morcín]] in Spain, [[Wiesbaden]] and [[Darmstadt]] in Germany, the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] municipalities of [[Schlieren, Zurich|Schlieren]] and [[Prilly|Prilly]], [[Skierniewice]] and [[Gryfice]] in Poland, and [[Brody]] in Ukraine. The Baltic cities of Jurbarkas (see above [[#Lithuania|under&nbsp;Lithuania]]), [[Daugavpils]] in Latvia, and the municipality of [[Jõelähtme Parish|Jõelähtme]] in Estonia also have one or more ''fleurs-de-lis'' on their coats-of-arms.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
[[File:Schlieren-blazon.svg|thumb|right|Coat of arms of Schlieren, Switzerland]]

==Military==
[[File:The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H12824.jpg|thumb|A soldier of the [[Manchester Regiment]] with the unit's ''fleur-de-lis'' [[cap badge]] on his helmet, 1941]]

''Fleurs-de-lis'' are featured in the military heraldry of various nations.

The [[British Army]]'s [[63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot|63rd Regiment of Foot]] started using the ''fleur-de-lis'' as a regimental symbol from the mid-18th century onwards, supposedly to commemorate their role in Britain's [[Invasion of Guadeloupe (1759)|capture of Guadeloupe]] from France in 1759. In 1881, the 63rd Regiment was [[Childers Reforms|reorganised into]] the [[Manchester Regiment]], which also used the ''fleur-de-lis'' as a regimental symbol, and in 1923 it was officially approved as the regiment's [[cap badge]]. The regiment's successor unit, the [[King's Regiment]], continued to use the same cap badge from 1958 until its amalgamation into the [[Duke of Lancaster's Regiment]] in 2006.<ref>Shepperd, Alan (1973), [https://books.google.com/books?id=NGnTJ49weLwC&dq=manchester+regiment+cap+badge+guadeloupe&pg=PA39 ''The King's Regiment'']{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Osprey Publishing Ltd, {{ISBN|0-85045-120-5}} (p. 39)</ref>

It is also the formation sign of the 2nd (Independent) Armored Brigade of the Indian Army, known as the 7th Indian Cavalry Brigade in First World War, which received the emblem for its actions in France.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/OrBat/Combat/250-Armoured.html |title=Bharat Rakshak :: Land Forces Site – Armoured Formations |access-date=30 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140929214916/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/OrBat/Combat/250-Armoured.html |archive-date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

In the United States, the [[New Jersey Army National Guard]] unit [[112th Field Artillery Regiment|112th Field Artillery (Self Propelled)]]—part of the much larger [[42nd Infantry Division (United States)|42nd Infantry Division]] Mechanized—has the ''fleur-de-lis'' in the upper left side of their [[distinctive unit insignia]]; the [[U.S. Army]]'s [[2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States)|2nd Cavalry Regiment]], [[319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment]], [[62nd Medical Brigade]], [[256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)|256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team]]; and the Corps of Cadets at [[Louisiana State University]]. The [[U.S. Air Force]]'s Special Operations Weather [[United States military beret flash|beret flash]] also used a ''fleur-de-lis'' in its design, carried over from its [[Vietnam War]]-era commando weatherman beret flash.<ref name="Weatherman History">[https://media.defense.gov/2015/Sep/11/2001329838/-1/-1/0/AFD-150911-027.pdf Air Force Weather, Our Heritage 1937 to 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930185519/https://media.defense.gov/2015/Sep/11/2001329838/-1/-1/0/AFD-150911-027.pdf |date=30 September 2020 }}, prepared by TSgt C. A. Ravenstein (Historical Division, AW3DI, Hq AWS), dated 22 January 2012, last accessed 14 March 2020</ref>

It is also featured by the [[Intelligence Corps (Israel)|Israeli Intelligence Corps]] established in the 1970s,<ref>{{cite web|title=About the Corps|url=http://www1.idf.il/aman/site/about/about.asp?folder_id=40004|publisher=Israel Defense Forces|access-date=2008-01-30|language=he|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311093701/http://www1.idf.il/aman/Site/About/About.asp?folder_id=40004|archive-date=2007-03-11|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the First World War [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]].

The [[Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine]] used{{when|date=November 2023}} the emblem with the [[coat of arms of Ukraine]] in conjunction with four golden ''fleurs-de-lis'', along with the motto "Omnia, Vincit, Veritas".{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

==Religion and art==
[[File:Albarello fleur-de-lys Louvre UCAD4288.jpg|thumb|upright|''Fleur-de-lis'' on 14th-century Syrian ''albarello'']]
[[File:Huguenot cross.svg|thumb|A [[Huguenot cross]]; the twelve petals of the ''fleur-de-lys'' represent the [[Apostles in the New Testament|twelve Apostles]]]]
In the [[Middle Ages]], the symbols of lily and ''fleur-de-lis'' overlapped considerably in Christian religious art. The historian [[Michel Pastoureau]] says that until about 1300 they were found in depictions of Jesus, but gradually they took on Marian symbolism and were associated with the [[Song of Songs|Song of Solomon]]'s "lily among thorns" (''lilium inter spinas''), understood as a reference to Mary. Other [[Religious text|scripture]] and religious literature in which the lily symbolizes purity and chastity also helped establish the flower as an iconographic attribute of the Virgin. It was also believed that the ''fleur-de-lis'' represented the [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]].<ref name="heraldica1">{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldica.org/topics/fdl.htm |title=The Fleur-de-Lys |publisher=Heraldica.org |access-date=3 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Post|first=W. Ellwood|title=Saints, Signs, and Symbols|year=1986|publisher=Morehouse-Barlow|location=Wilton, Connecticut|page=29}}</ref>

In [[Great Britain in the Middle Ages|medieval England]], from the mid-12th century, a noblewoman's seal often showed the lady with a ''fleur-de-lis'', drawing on the Marian connotations of "female virtue and spirituality".<ref>Susan M. Johns, ''Noblewomen, Aristocracy and Power in the Twelfth-Century Anglo-Norman Realm'' (Manchester 2003) p130</ref> Images of Mary holding the flower first appeared in the 11th century on coins issued by cathedrals dedicated to her, and next on the seals of cathedral [[Chapter (religion)|chapters]], starting with [[Notre Dame de Paris]] in 1146. A standard portrayal was of Mary carrying the flower in her right hand, just as she is shown in that church's [[Virgin of Paris]] statue (with lily), and in the centre of the [[stained glass]] rose window (with ''fleur-de-lis'' sceptre) above its main entrance. The flowers may be "simple [[wiktionary:fleuron|fleurons]], sometimes garden lilies, sometimes genuine heraldic fleurs-de-lis".<ref name="Michel Pastoureau p.100"/> As attributes of the [[Madonna (art)|Madonna]], they are often seen in pictures of the Annunciation, notably in those of [[Sandro Botticelli]] and [[Filippo Lippi]]. Lippi also uses both flowers in other related contexts: for instance, in his ''Madonna in the Forest''.

The three petals of the heraldic design reflect a widespread association with the [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]], with the band on the bottom symbolizing Mary. The tradition says that without Mary no one can understand the Trinity since it was she who bore the Son.<ref>{{cite book|author1=F. R. Webber|author2=Ralph Adams Cram|title=Church Symbolism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9ZPngEACAAJ|date=October 2013|publisher=Literary Licensing, LLC|isbn=978-1-4941-0856-4}}</ref> A tradition going back to 14th-century France<ref name="Michel Pastoureau p.99"/> added onto the earlier belief that they also represented faith, wisdom and chivalry. Alternatively, the cord can be seen as representing the one divine substance ([[Godhead in Christianity|godhood]]) of the three persons, which binds them together.

"Flower of light" symbolism has sometimes been understood from the archaic variant ''fleur-de-luce'' (see Latin ''lux, luc-'' = 'light'), but the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' suggests this arose from the spelling, not from the [[etymology]].<ref>A "fanciful derivation", ''Oxford English Dictionary '' (1989)</ref>

==Civilian institutions and organisations==
===Education===
The emblem appears in coats of arms and logos for universities (like [[Washington University in St. Louis]], [[Saint Louis University]] in [[Spain]], [[Rossall School]] in [[England]] {where it appears in the namesake Mitre Fleur De Lys boarding house}, [[University of Lincoln]] in [[England]] and [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]]) and schools such as in [[Hilton College (South Africa)]], [[Adamson University]] and [[St. Paul University System|St. Paul's University]] in the [[Philippines]]. The Lady Knights of the [[University of Arkansas at Monticello]] have also adopted the fleur de lis as one of the symbols associated with their coat of arms. The [[flag of Lincolnshire]], adopted in 2005, has a ''fleur-de-lis'' for the city of Lincoln. It is one of the symbols of the American [[Fraternities and sororities|sororities]] [[Kappa Kappa Gamma]] and [[Theta Phi Alpha]], the American [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternities]] [[Alpha Epsilon Pi]], [[Sigma Alpha Epsilon]] and [[Sigma Alpha Mu]], as well as the international co-ed service fraternity [[Alpha Phi Omega]]. It is also used by the high school and college fraternity Scouts Royale Brotherhood of the Philippines.

===Scouting===
[[File:World Scout Emblem.png|thumb|upright|[[World Scout Emblem|Emblem]] of the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]]]]
{{Main|Fleur-de-lis in Scouting}}

The ''fleur-de-lis'' is the main element in the logo of most [[Scouting]] organizations. The symbol was first used by [[Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell|Sir Robert Baden-Powell]] as an arm-[[badge]] for soldiers who qualified as [[Scout (military)|scouts]] (reconnaissance specialists) in the [[5th Dragoon Guards]], which he commanded at the end of the 19th century; it was later used in [[cavalry]] regiments throughout the [[British Army]] until 1921. In 1907, Baden-Powell made brass ''fleur-de-lis'' badges for the boys attending his first experimental "Boy Scout" camp at [[Brownsea Island]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoutingmilestones.co.uk/badges |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207011337/http://www.scoutingmilestones.co.uk/badges |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-12-07 |title=The Evolution of The World Badge |last1=Walker |first1=Colin |date=March 2007 |website=Scouting Milestones |access-date=11 December 2013 }}</ref> In his seminal book ''[[Scouting for Boys]]'', Baden-Powell referred to the motif as "the arrowhead which shows the North on a map or a compass" and continued; "It is the Badge of the Scout because it points in the right direction and upward&nbsp;... The three points remind you of the three points of the [[Scout Promise]]",<ref>Baden-Powell, Robert [http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/yarn03.pdf ''Scouting for Boys''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023161825/http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/yarn03.pdf |date=23 October 2014 }}, Arthur Pearson, (''Campfire Yarn No. 3 – Becoming a Scout'')</ref> being duty to God and country, helping others, and keeping the [[Scout Law]]. The [[World Scout Emblem]] of the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]] has elements which are used by most national Scout organizations. The stars stand for truth and knowledge, the encircling rope for unity, and its [[reef knot]] or square knot, service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://troop25longbeach.com/Fleur-de-Lis.aspx |title=Origin of the World Scouting Symbol 'Fleur-de-lis' |publisher=Troop 25, Scouting of America |location=US |access-date=30 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717104241/http://troop25longbeach.com/Fleur-de-Lis.aspx |archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref>
{{seealso|compass rose}}

===Sports===
[[File:Svdarmstadt98.svg|thumb|upright|Emblem of [[SV Darmstadt 98]]]]

The ''fleur-de-lis'' is used by a number of sports teams, especially when it echoes a local flag. This is true with the teams from Quebec ([[Quebec Nordiques|Nordiques]] (ex-[[National Hockey League|NHL]]), [[Montreal Expos]] (ex-[[Major League Baseball|MLB]]) and [[CF Montréal]] ([[Major League Soccer|MLS]])), the teams of {{nowrap|[[New Orleans]],}} [[Louisiana]] {{nowrap|([[New Orleans Saints|Saints]] ([[National Football League|NFL]]),}} {{nowrap|[[New Orleans Pelicans|Pelicans]] ([[National Basketball Association|NBA]]),}} and {{nowrap|[[New Orleans Zephyrs|Zephyrs]] ([[Pacific Coast League|PCL]])),}} the [[Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns]] ([[NCAA Division I]]), the [[Serie A]] team [[ACF Fiorentina|Fiorentina]], the [[Bundesliga]] side [[SV Darmstadt 98]] (also known as ''Die Lilien'' – The Lilies), the [[Ligue 1]] team [[Paris Saint-Germain]], the [[rugby league]] team [[Wakefield Trinity|Wakefield Trinity Wildcats]], the [[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]] team [[Detroit City FC]].{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

[[File:New Orleans Saints logo.svg|thumb|upright|Logo of the [[New Orleans Saints]] football team.]]
[[Marc-André Fleury]], a Canadian [[ice hockey]] [[goaltender]], has a ''fleur-de-lis'' logo on his mask. The [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] Welterweight Champion from 2006 to 2013, [[Georges St-Pierre]], has a tattoo of the ''fleur-de-lis'' on his right calf. The IT University of Copenhagen's [[soccer]] team ITU F.C. has it in its logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/itufc/|title=ITU FC|website=Facebook |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231209192038/https://www.facebook.com/itufc/ |archive-date= 9 December 2023 }}</ref> The official emblem for the {{nowrap|[[2019 FIFA Women's World Cup]], which was hosted by France, included the symbol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_960w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2017-09-19/Getty/AFP_SK356.jpg |title=Picture of 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Symbol |publisher=img.washingtonpost.com/ |access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>}}

==Art and entertainment==
===Architecture and design===
[[File:Fence, Buckingham Palace London April 2006 077.jpg|thumb|''Fleurs-de-lis'' on railings at [[Buckingham Palace]]]]

Architects and designers use it alone and as a repeated [[Motif (visual arts)|motif]] in a wide range of contexts, from [[ironwork]] to bookbinding.

In building and architecture, the ''fleur-de-lis'' is often placed on top of iron fence posts, as a pointed defence against intruders. It may ornament any tip, point or post with a decorative flourish, for instance, on [[finial]]s, the arms of a cross, or the point of a [[gable]]. The ''fleur-de-lis'' can be incorporated in friezes or cornices, although the distinctions between ''fleur-de-lis'', fleuron, and other stylized flowers are not always clear,<ref name="architecture_dictionnaire_flore" /><ref>[[s:fr:Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle – Tome 5, Flore|Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle – Tome 5, Flore]]</ref> or can be used as a motif in an all-over tiled pattern, perhaps on a floor.
It may appear in a building for heraldic reasons, as in some English churches where the design paid a compliment to a local lord who used the flower on his coat of arms. Elsewhere the effect seems purely visual, like the [[crenellation]]s on the 14th-century Muslim [[Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan]].
It can also be seen on the doors of the 16th-century Hindu [[Padmanabhaswamy Temple]].

===Literature===
During the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England]], known as the [[Elizabethan era]], it was a standard name for an iris, a usage which lasted for centuries,<ref>OED</ref> but occasionally refers to lilies or other flowers.

{{poemquote|
The lilly, Ladie of the flowring field,
The Flowre-deluce, her louely Paramoure
|[[Edmund Spenser]], ''[[The Faerie Queene]]'', 1590<ref>{{cite web|url= http://darkwing.uoregon.edu:80/~rbear/queene2.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141204105558/http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/queene2.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 December 2014 |title=The Faerie Queene: Book II. |access-date=4 December 2014}}</ref>}}

===Video games===
A heavily stylized ''fleur de lis'' symbol can be recognized as the symbol of the ICA in the [[Hitman (franchise)|''Hitman'' series]] of video games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://1000logos.net/hitman-logo/|title=Hitman logo and symbol, meaning, history, PNG}}</ref>

In the ''[[Saints Row]]'' franchise, the ''fleur de lis'' is the Logo (called "Fleur De Saints") for the Third Street Saints.

In the ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' franchise, the ''Fleur De Lis'' is the faction icon for the Adepta Sororitas.

The Pokémon villain [[List of Pokémon characters|Lysandre]], whose debut game was ''[[Pokémon X and Y]]'', is known in Japan as フラダリ ''Furadari'' meaning ''fleur-de-lis''.
''Pokémon X and Y'' are inspired by France.<ref name="Beauty"/><ref name="SN_1">{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Watts|work=[[Shacknews]]|publisher=[[GameFly]]|date=23 October 2013|access-date=30 January 2016|title=How Europe inspired Pokemon X and Y's creature designs|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/81723/how-europe-inspired-pokemon-x-and-ys-creature-designs|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719052758/http://www.shacknews.com/article/81723/how-europe-inspired-pokemon-x-and-ys-creature-designs|archive-date=19 July 2016}}</ref>
Many locations and landmarks across Kalos have real-world inspirations, including Prism Tower ([[Eiffel Tower]]), the Lumiose Art Museum (the [[Louvre]]) and the stones outside Geosenge Town ([[Carnac stones]]).<ref name="Beauty">{{cite web|first=Colin|last=Campbell|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|date=5 July 2013|access-date=22 June 2016|title=How France inspired Junichi Masuda in making Pokémon X and Y|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/5/4496064/junichi-masuda-reveals-french-inspiration-for|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623054019/http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/5/4496064/junichi-masuda-reveals-french-inspiration-for|archive-date=23 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="Inspiration">{{cite web|first=Brad|last=O'Farrell|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|date=10 April 2015|access-date=22 June 2016|title=How Pokemon's world was shaped by real-world locations|url=http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/10/8339935/pokemon-new-york-tokyo-paris|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624112152/http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/10/8339935/pokemon-new-york-tokyo-paris|archive-date=24 June 2016}}</ref>

The second form of [[Wuthering Waves]] character Cartethyia is named "Fleurdelys".<ref>{{cite web |last=Sarkar |first=Supratim |date=2025-05-07 |title=Wuthering Waves 2.4 drip marketing reveals Cartethyia, an upcoming playable character |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/how-beat-fleurdelys-wuthering-waves-wuwa-boss-location-rewards |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Sportskeeda}}</ref>

==Punishment==
===French colonial empire===

In the [[French colonial empire]], the ''[[Code Noir]]'', a [[Slave codes|slave code]] drafted by [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]], stipulated that [[Slavery in France|enslaved people]] should be [[Human branding|branded]] with the ''fleur-de-lis'' as punishment for a variety of crimes, including attempting to escape enslavement or theft. French officials in the colony of [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]] (modern-day [[Mauritius]]), which adopted the ''Code Noir'' in 1685, punished slaves who attempted to escape or stole property by branding them with the ''fleur-de-lis''.<ref>Bernardin de Saint-Pierre{{Google books|syLiLzkVkAoC|Journey to Mauritius|page= 15}}</ref> In the French colony of [[Louisiana (New France)|Louisiana]], which adopted the ''Code Noir'' in 1724, [[History of slavery in Louisiana|slaves]] who attempted to escape and were recaptured would be branded on one shoulder with the ''fleur-de-lis'' along with having their ears cut off. If they attempted to escape a second time, they would be punished by being branded with the ''fleur-de-lis'' again and have their [[hamstring]]s cut. [[Capital punishment]] was used for those who attempted to escape a third time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/10/historians-say-fleur-de-lis-has-troubled-history/29951369/ | title=Historians say fleur-de-lis has troubled history }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.uark.edu/ua/nc/ClarinetCollections/Heinrich%20Gehring/Fleur-de-Lis/Fleur-de-Lis.htm |title=The Fleur-de-lis |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170513022919/http://www.uark.edu/ua/nc/ClarinetCollections/Heinrich%20Gehring/Fleur-de-Lis/Fleur-de-Lis.htm |archive-date=13 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Louisiana's version of the ''Code Noir'' stated:
{{blockquote|XXXII. The runaway slave, who shall continue to be so for one month from the day of his being denounced to the officers of justice, shall have his ears cut off, and shall be branded with the fleur-de-lis on the shoulder: and on a second offence of the same nature, persisted in during one month from the day of his being denounced, he shall be hamstrung, and be marked with the fleur-de-lis on the other shoulder. On the third offence, he shall suffer death.<ref>{{cite web| author= BlackPast |url= https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/louisianas-code-noir-1724/ |title=(1724) Louisiana's Code Noir is italicized|date= 28 July 2007 |publisher=Blackpast.org |access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>}}

Branding slaves with the ''fleur-de-lis'' was also a punishment used in the French colony of [[Saint-Domingue]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/11/black-spartacus-the-epic-life-of-toussaint-louverture-review-superb-history-of-haiti | title=Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture review – superb history of Haiti | newspaper=The Observer | date=11 October 2020 | last1=Thomson | first1=Ian }}</ref>

===France===

Being branded with the ''fleur-de-lis'' was also a punishment used in [[Metropolitan France]]. In his 1577 biography of French [[Protestant Reformers|Protestant reformer]] [[John Calvin]], [[Jérôme-Hermès Bolsec]] claimed that Calvin had committed [[sodomy]] in his hometown of [[Noyon]] in 1527, and he only at the last minute escaped the standard punishment of [[death by burning]], instead being branded with a ''fleur-de-lis'' on his shoulder.<ref name=Backus>Backus, Irena. "Roman Catholic Lives of Calvin from Bolsec to Richelieu: Why the Interest?". Section&nbsp;[https://books.google.com/books?id=wSza_fU2yI4C&pg=PA31 "Jerome Bolsec"], pp. 26–32 (see 27 last paragraph, 29–32). In Randall C. Zachman, ed. (2008).&nbsp;''John Calvin and Roman Catholicism: Critique and Engagement, Then and Now''. Baker Academic, {{ISBN|978-0-8010-3597-5}} Accessed 25 Nov 2023.</ref> Bolsec's claims are today viewed as libellous slander,<ref name=Backus/> but they offer a window into what seemed a plausible punishment in his time. [[Alexandre Dumas]] used the motive of branding thieves with the ''fleur-de-lis'' when he created the character of [[Milady de Winter]] in his 1844 novel ''[[The Three Musketeers]]''. He set the branding episode in 1619 France.

==See also==
* [[Cross fleury]]
* [[Floral emblem]]
* [[Armorial of France]]
* [[The Golden Lily (disambiguation)]]
* [[Iris florentina]]
* [[Iris pseudacorus]]
* [[Jessant-de-lys]]
* [[Lilium]]
* [[Palmette]]
* [[Prince of Wales's feathers]]
* [[Shamrock]]
* [[Thistle#Scottish thistle|Scottish thistle]]
* [[Tree of Life]]

; Use of the lily in coinage and coat-of-arms in the land of Israel
* [[Acre, Israel]], where the Hospitaller refectory contains two early depictions of the French ''fleur-de-lis''
* [[Hasmonean dynasty#Numismatics|Hasmonean coinage]], coins minted during Hasmonean rule, sometimes depicting a lily
* [[Yehud coinage]], Achaemenid period coinage often depicting a lily

==Explanatory notes==
{{reflist|group=pron}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Fleur-de-lis}}
 	
* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/fdl.htm The Fleur-de-Lys] at Heraldica.org
* [http://www.baronage.co.uk/bphtm-02/moa-15.html The Origin of the Fleur-de-Lis]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010127095200/http://www.baronage.co.uk/bphtm-02/moa-15.html |date=27 January 2001}}.

{{Heraldry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleur-De-Lis}}
[[Category:Architectural elements]]
[[Category:Christian symbols]]
[[Category:French monarchy]]
[[Category:Garden features]]
[[Category:Heraldic charges]]
<!---lily--->
[[Category:Ornaments]]
[[Category:Provincial symbols of Quebec]]
[[Category:Scouting uniform]]
[[Category:Visual motifs]]