Discover Montenegro"Hidden Gem of the Mediterranean"Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms Pictures of Montenegro

The history of the state coat of arms begins with the Crnojevics dynasty in 15th century. Their family arms - golden crowned two-headed eagle on the red background - laid the foundation of the Montenegrin state heraldry: the two-headed eagle became the standard symbol of the state. After gaining the power, the Petrovic-Njegos dynasty took the golden two-headed eagle as the state symbol. Vladika Danilo charged on its breast the Great Arms of the Petrovic-Njegos family (shield, crown, mantling), while his successor vladika Sava made major changes to the coat of arms: removed the family Great Arms from the eagle's breast, and added the scepter and saru ("the imperial egg") in its claws. He also added another symbol retained until present day - the golden lion passant - below the golden eagle With Petar I, further rearrangement of the coat of arms took place: from the eagle he removed the royal insignia and charged on the eagle's breast the Middle Arms of the Petrovic-Njegoss (the shield with the crown) while leaving the lion passant.

Prince Danilo also reorganized the Coat of Arms: he charged on the golden eagle's breast the shield where on the blue background the golden lion passant was on green ground. In one claw the eagle held the saru, and in the other a sword and the scepter. In the time of prince then king Nikola, the sword was removed and later, in conformity with the Constitution of 1905, the color of the eagle was changed from golden to silver as well as the of the background of the shield with the lion - to red instead of blue.The Constitution of 1993 maintained "the tradition" of king Nikola: the adopt ed Coat of Arms was a crowned silver eagle with the sara in one and the scepter in the other claw, and charged on its breast was a red shield with the lion passant.

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