The Governor General of Canada

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Flag for use by Matthew Alexander Cooke, son of Vernon Graham Cooke

Vernon Graham Cooke

Calgary, Alberta
Grant of Arms, Flags and Badge, with differences to Matthew Alexander Cooke
August 20, 2009
Vol. V, p. 467

Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.

Blazon

Arms

Quarterly Or and Argent, a tiger rampant barry Gules and Azure;

Crest

A winged demi-tiger guardant proper holding in the dexter paw a maple leaf proper and resting the sinister paw on a cross patté Vert fimbriated Or;

Motto

VERITAS ET DILIGENTIA;

Flag

A standard, the hoist quarterly Argent and Or, a cross Gules fimbriated Argent and Azure, the fly per fess Argent and Or charged with the Crest, the Badge, and a segment of sugar cane and a sprig of heather in saltire proper, all separated by two bends sinister Argent edged and inscribed with the Motto in letters Sable;

Flag

Quarterly Argent and Or, a cross Gules fimbriated Argent and Azure;

Flag

Azure a cross Gules fimbriated Argent cotised quarterly Argent and Or;

Badge

On a roundel quarterly Argent and Or, a cross Gules fimbriated Argent and Azure, all environed by a wreath of hazel, heather, segments of sugar cane and mayflowers proper;

Differenced Arms for Matthew Alexander Cooke, son of Vernon Graham Cooke

The Arms of Vernon Graham Cooke debruised by an orle Sable; this individual will inherit the Arms of the Recipient following his or her death;

Symbolism

Arms

The background refers to the four quadrants of Calgary, the home town of Mr. Cooke, his wife and their son. The yellow represents the dry prairie summers, and the white the snowy winters. The tiger alludes to Mr. Cooke’s father’s family home in India; the striped pattern to the lion in the arms of the German state of Hesse and thus to his mother’s family; and the blue refers to the St. Andrew’s flag and thus to Mrs. Cooke’s Scottish heritage.

Crest

The tiger repeats the symbolism of the Arms, with its wings as a reference to Mr. Cooke’s love of travel. The cross and maple leaf refer to Mr. Cooke’s career in the information technology industry in Canada, the cross being indicative of a plus sign, a notation in Boolean algebra.