What Happened to Henry's Heraldry
Résumé
Heraldry is considered an ubiquitous symbol. From personal identification on the battlefield, it spread to personal identification anywhere. Yet the search for such evidence in the case of Henry V proves elusive. Images do not necessarily include heraldic devices. The closest contemporary use in France is the copy of a poster for the coronation of Henry VI. Even Henry's chapel at Westminster is relatively devoid of heraldic imagery. Monuments and décor are fragile, so much has been lost. Any real "ubiquity" of heraldry is memorial: picture books and modern commemoration. We have little direct evidence of how Henry himself used heraldry.