Meghan Markle’s coat of arms officially revealed

In less than a week's time, Meghan Markle received a very special and royal gift after taking on the title of the Duchess of Sussex.

The official Twitter handle of the Kensington Palace revealed the image of the newly minted Coat of Arms created for the Duchess of Sussex on May 25, 2018.

The traditional design is usually given in honor of the bride's father before the royal wedding. However, considering the drama surrounding Markle's father, Thomas Markle, it was decided to give the Coat of Arms to Markle herself.

This was a complete break in the royal tradition. The custom-made Coat of Arms that includes a traditional style of symbolism and color theme, didn't even include the Markles' family name

When Kate Middleton's Coat of Arms was designed, it not only consisted of the Middletons' name but also reflected her mother Caroline's maiden name.

Markle worked closely with the creators of the Coat of Arms from the College of Arms for the design of the royal honor. The final output was symbolic as well as personal to the Duchess of Sussex.

“A Coat of Arms has been created for The Duchess of Sussex. The design of the Arms was agreed and approved by Her Majesty The Queen and Garter King of Arms and Senior Herald in England."

Kensington Palace, Twitter, May 25, 2018.

The Coat of Arms has a shield with a blue background representing the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. Two golden rays across the shield symbolize the sunshine of Markle's hometown, Los Angeles.

The three quills on the shield represent the power of words which is a reflection of Markle's strong activism via her old lifestyle blog, The Tig.

The Coat of Arms also features a collection of golden poppies which is the state flower of California. It is right beside the wintersweet that grows in Kensington Palace, exactly outside Markle and Prince Harry's Nottingham Cottage.

The amalgamation of these two plants was also seen in Markle's wedding veil. It was embroidered with flowers from each of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth.

Traditionally, the 'Supporters' of the shield are assigned to the members of royal family. The Supporter that represented Markle is a songbird with wings as it is seen flying with an open beak.

Markle has also been assigned with a Coronet. It is laid down by a Royal Warrant of 1917 for the children of the Heir Apparent. It consists of two crosses, four fleurs-de-lys and a couple of strawberry leaves.

In 2011, Kate Middleton's father, Michael Middleton received a Coat of Arms a week before the wedding. It featured three acorns that represented the three children of the Middletons, James, Pippa, and Kate.

It had a golden stripe across the middle in honor of Kate's mother, Carole, whose maiden name was Goldsmith.