Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Greece
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The Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Greece was the official symbol of the Greek state during the period of the monarchy (1832-1924 and 1935-1973).
[edit] Description of the Arms of the Wittelsbach dynasty
The coat of arms was based on that of the Kingdom of Bavaria, and consisted of a shield bearing the Greek national emblem of a white cross on a blue background, topped by a royal crown and supported by two crowned lions rampant. At the centre of the cross lay an escutcheon bearing the characteristic lozenge pattern of Bavaria, as a symbol of the House of Wittelsbach.
This emblem was used during the reign of King Otto, from 1832 to his exile in 1862.
[edit] Description of the Arms of the Glücksburg dynasty
After Otto's fall, the young Prince William of Denmark was chosen as King, and the new coat of arms bears a strong resemblance to that of the Danish Royal Family. The central feature of the coat of arms remained a shield bearing the Greek national emblem of a white cross on a blue background. At the centre of the cross lies a shield with the dynastic arms of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg family. The shield is topped a crown and supported by two male figures, depicting the legendary Hercules. The ribbon and medal of the Order of the Redeemer are suspended from the shield. The banner at the bottom bears the dynasty's motto "Ισχύς μου η Αγάπη του Λαού" ("My Power is the Love of the People").
This emblem appeared on coins of the Kingdom, and official documents from at least 1880 until 1973, except for the period of the Second Hellenic Republic (1924-1935), and continues to be used by the former Greek Royal Family.
