Last modified: 2016-11-30 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal borough of windsor and maidenhead | windsor | berkshire |
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The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, formed in 1974, has been since
1998 a unitary authority in the county of Berkshire. It includes towns such as
Windsor, Maidenhead and Eton and is the site of the royal residence Windsor
Castle. On 23 August, I observed a very dark blue flag with the coat of arms
flying from the Guildhall in Windsor.
The arms are depicted and described at the International Civic Heraldry site (
http://www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/w/windsorm.htm ). The circular shield contains the
arms of the former Royal Borough of New Windsor and Borough of Maidenhead
impaled and dovetailed together. The Windsor arms (dexter) are white over green
(the Tudor dynasty livery colours) charged with a stag's head (for the Windsor
Great Forest) and an inescutcheon with the 1405-1603 royal arms (quarterly
England and France) between the antlers. The Maidenhead arms (sinister) are blue
with white wavy pallets charged with a bridge (the town's bridge over the
Thames).
The crest features a castle (representing Windsor Castle) under the royal lion's
head, between oak branches (the Windsor parks and forests). The wreath and
mantling are red and gold. The supporters are a horse (dexter, suggesting the
Ascot horse races and the Berkshire arms) and a swan (sinister, representing the
river Thames and Buckinghamshire, parts of which were brought into the borough
at its formation). Both supporters are charged with an acorn and have an ancient
crown around their neck.
Jonathan Dixon, 31 August 2006