- The Governor General of Canada
The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander
Ottawa, Ontario
Registration of Arms and Supporters
November 15, 2024
Vol. VIII, p. 322
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Per pale Argent and Sable a chevron and in base a crescent counterchanged, on a canton Azure a harp Or;
The Arms are shown ensigned by the coronet of a viscount;
Crest
A dexter arm in armour embowed the hand holding a sword proper bendwise hilt and pommel Or;
Supporters
Dexter a piper of the Irish Guards holding under his sinister arm a bagpipe, sinister a sepoy of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment holding in his sinister hand a rifle proper, each charged on the shoulder with an escutcheon barry nebuly of six Argent and Azure;
* The supporters are shown standing on a grassy compartment proper;
Motto
PER MARE PER TERRAS PER ASTRA;
Symbolism
Arms
These are the arms of the Irish earls of Caledon, from whom Lord Alexander is descended.
Crest
This crest is that of the Irish earls of Caledon.
Supporters
The piper of the Irish Guards alludes to Lord Alexander’s long association with this regiment. The sepoy represents his military service in India, and the fact that he was made Honorary Colonel of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Punjab Regiment in 1937. The shields on their shoulders bearing the white and blue patterns are taken from the formation patch of the 15th Army Group, an Allied military formation responsible for the Italian Campaign, and which Lord Alexander commanded from 1942 to 1944.
Motto
This Latin phrase, meaning “By sea, by land, by the stars,” is an adaptation of the traditional motto of the Irish earls of Caledon, Per mare per terras.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on January 1, 1900, in Volume 0, page 0 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of the College of Arms, London.
Painter
Artist of the College of Arms, London / Artiste du Collège d’armes, Londres
Calligrapher
* Not applicable / Sans objet
Recipient Information
Individual
The recipient’s emblems were originally recorded at the College of Arms, London, England, 26 July 1946.