Marriage and Coats of Arms
The depiction of marriage on Coats of Arms in the early Middle Ages tended to include both Coats of Arms for husband and wife contained upon a single shield. In the late 13th century, in order to fit both Arms on the one shield a process known as dimidiated, or chopped in half, occurred. This unusual practice of joining of two Coats of Arms did not persist for long and by the end of the 14th century showing full sets of Arms for both the husband and wife had become the norm. An early example of the practice of dimidiation can be seen in the Coat of Arms used by Margaret of France after her marriage to Edward I of...