The Arms of Lord Citrine
Noel Cox
originally published in (Autumn 2000) 74 New Zealand Armorist 10-11
The Right Honourable Ronald Eric Citrine, MRCS LRCP, is third Baron Citrine, of Wembley, in the county of Middlesex, in the peerage of the United Kingdom. His Lordship succeeded his brother in 1997, and lives at Paihia. He has no heir.
The first Baron Citrine was the Right Honourable Sir Walter Citrine, GBE PC, a prominent trade unionist. Citrine was General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress for twenty formative years, 1926-46. He was also President of the International Federation of Trade Unions, 1928-45. Sir Walter Citrine was created a baron upon his retirement in 1946.
His son, who moved to New Zealand late in life, was a solicitor in general practice, as well as an author, editor and lecturer. He also was involved with the union movement, being legal adviser to the Trades Union Congress 1946-51. The second Lord Citrine had a notable collection of antiquities, including several suits of armour.
The arms of Lord Citrine are Argent, on waves of the sea in base, an ancient three-masted ship in full sail Proper, on a chief Gules a Saxon crown between two seaxes points downwards or, the dexter in bend, the sinister in bend sinister.
The seaxes and Saxon crown in the chief are reminders of the county of Middlesex, the home county of the family. The former county arms were Gules three seaxes fess-wise Proper pomelled and hilted Or, points to the sinister and cutting edges upwards, in chief a Saxon crown of the last. Although only granted in 1910, they were, for centuries, in the reputed arms of Middlesex.
The supporters of Lord Citrine are, dexter an alsatian wolfhound Proper, on the shoulder a terrestrial globe or, charged with a human heart, and sinister, a lion Proper, on the shoulder a torteau charged with a spade and pickaxe in saltire and pen-nub in pale Or. These clearly refer to the world-wide union activities of Lord Citrine.
The terrestrial globe reminds us of his Presidency of the International Federation of Trade Unions. The torteau is simply a roundel Gules. The spade and pickaxe refer to the so-called working classes, with whom the first Lord Citrine was so closely involved. The pen-nub symbolises the clerical sector.
The crest is canting, a cubit arm habited Azure cuffed Argent, the hand grasping a citrine Proper. The citrine is a light-yellow, vitreous variety of quartz so fused as to resemble topaz. The citrine combines well with the mining implements on the torteau of the sinister supporter.
The motto, Pro recto labora. ("Strive for right") is another reminder of the life-long work of Lord Citrine.