In about 1790, King George III gifted a large Coat of Arms to St Mary's Church in Kidderminster which hangs above the main entrance. The need to bring it down to repair the roof has provided the opportunity for a closer look!
Measuring approximately eight feet square, the Coat of Arms has hung high above the main entrance of St Mary’s Church for many years. However, a recent roof fall damaged the ceiling above the painting and to complete the repair, it needed to come down.
Earlier this week, scaffolding was erected and a team of experts slowly lowered the painting to the ground. The painting will now be on display in the church whilst the repair is completed and renovations to the canvas can be considered, and it is a great opportunity to see the Coat of Arms up close.
The royal arms in churches show that the Church of England is governed, in theory at least, by the monarch. It features a lion representing England and a unicorn representing Scotland. The royal coat of arms is encircled by the motto (in Norman French) ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ (“Shame on him who thinks evil of it”), and at the base is another royal motto ‘Dieu et Mon Droit’ (“God and my Right”). Also featured are the three lions of England, the lion of Scotland, the harp of Ireland and the fleur-de-lys of France (because previous Monarchs also claimed the throne of France).
The Kidderminster Coat of Arms includes GR for ‘Georgius Rex’; a III on the other side to show he was the third King George, and the date 1787, which was at the end of a major re-ordering (1785-87) in St. Mary’s Church. At this time the church also had a new Vicar, Dr. George Butt, who was Chaplain to King George III.
