Duchess of Sussex chooses songbird and sunshine to represent Californian roots in new coat of arms - but her family won't get one

The Duchess of Sussex has picked a songbird and rays of sunshine to portray her Californian roots in her new coat of arms as it was revealed her family will not get one of their own like the Middletons.

A design of the arms was agreed and approved by the Queen and the Duchess worked closely with the College of Arms throughout the process to create a finished product described as both personal and representative by Kensington Palace.

The blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine of The Duchess' home state.

The three quills represent communication and the power of words.

Beneath the shield on the grass sits a collection of golden poppies, California's state flower, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace.

In a statement, Kensington Palace said: "It is customary for supporters of the shield to be assigned to members of the Royal Family, and for wives of members of the Royal Family to have one of their husband’s supporters and one relating to themselves.

"The supporter relating to the Duchess of Sussex is a songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak, which with the quill represents the power of communication.

"A coronet has also been assigned to The Duchess of Sussex. It is the coronet laid down by a Royal Warrant of 1917 for the sons and daughters of the Heir Apparent. It is composed of two crosses patée, four fleurs-de-lys and two strawberry leaves.

"The arms of a married woman are shown with those of her husband and the technical term is that they are impaled, meaning placed side by side in the same shield."

The Duchess' arms bares a striking resemblance to her husband's.

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got married, a coat of arms was designed for Kate's family, but Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland have not been granted the same treatment. 

Mr. Thomas Woodcock, Garter King of Arms said: "The Duchess of Sussex took a great interest in the design. Good heraldic design is nearly always simple and the arms of the Duchess of Sussex stand well beside the historic beauty of the quartered British Royal Arms.

"Heraldry as a means of identification has flourished in Europe for almost nine hundred years and is associated with both individual people and great corporate bodies such as Cities, Universities and for instance the Livery Companies in the city of London. "