Badge of The Empress
Badge of The Empress
Blazon
Out of a coronet erablé Gules the rim charged with dogwood flowers Argent seeded Or in the centre of the rim a finial terminating in a maple leaf Gules charged with three dogwood flowers Argent seeded Or a demi cougar wearing a like coronet also Or with maple leaves upon the rim Gules and that upon the finial Or;
Symbolism
The cougar is an animal indigenous to Vancouver Island. The use of the crown pays tribute to Queen Victoria, Empress of India, in whose honour The Empress Hotel and the City of Victoria were named. The maple leaves and dogwood flowers are symbols of Canada and of British Columbia. The central finial of the crown alludes to the arches found on imperial or royal crowns.
The colours and depiction of the badge also utilize ideas from Chinese symbolism. The gold and red colours represent metal (signifying justice, courtesy and honesty) and fire (signifying warmth, fame and fortune) respectively. The three fingers of the paws of the cougar represent heaven, human beings and earth, and the raised position of the arms indicates that it holds on to its good fortune.
