‘Feathers'

Press, 17 June 1988, Page 12

‘Feathers'

Sir, —In Margaret Bradshaw’s article "Feathers” (June 10) there appears this statement:. “The Black Prince’s bravery during this battle (Crecy) won him the right to wear the ostrich plumes, which he then adopted as his own emblem.” This is not correct. “The old legend that the Black Prince won this badge at the battle of Crecy by the capture of John, King of Bohemia, together with his motto, ‘lch Dien,’ has long since been exploded” (“Art of Heraldry,” by Fox-Davies, page 334). The ostrich feather badge was, quite likely, handed down from his mother, Philippa of Hainhault, wife to Edward 111, for she once owned a large dish of silver on which was enamelled a black escutcheon with ostrich feathers. It is assumed that this device was, originally, a badge of the Counts of Hainhault. Furthermore, it is incorrect to say that the prince won the right to wear this badge (emblem is the wrong word): for, under the rules of heraldry, no person becomes entitled to assume the arms of a .man he may have vanquished in battle or in the Lists.—Yours, etc., ’ GUY C. BLISS. June 11, 1988.