Quebec Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of Québec in its current form has existed since December 9, 1939, when the government of the Canadian province of Québec issued a decree replacing the coat of arms that had existed since 1868 .
The escutcheon is based on the French model and tapers at the bottom and not, as is usual in British heraldry , half-round. It is divided into three horizontal fields. Above, three golden fleur-de-lys on a blue background symbolize Québec's past as a colony of the French kingdom. The golden leopard on a red background is taken from the coat of arms of England and represents a traditional symbol of the British monarchy. In the lower third, three sugar maple leaves on a golden background represent belonging to Canada.
The coat of arms is surmounted by the Edwardian crown , another symbol of the British monarchy. A banner contains the province's motto in French: Je me souviens (“I remember”).
The old coat of arms, issued by Queen Victoria in 1868 , differed only slightly from the current one: the upper third of the escutcheon contained two blue fleur-de-lys on a gold background.