Meghan Markle, the actress of Hollywood, is now the Duchess of Sussex after her marriage to Prince Harry. In keeping with the Royal tradition of the British, she has now been bestowed with a coat of arms. Kensington Palace has announced this.

It has been designed by Meghan herself and is proof that she has a mind of her own and an individuality that has helped her to win over people around her.

CNN reports that she was involved in the design and worked closely with the College of Arms to ensure that it represents her vision and also has a personal touch.

The design integrates two worlds – that of her home place California and that of Britain, her new home.

The design is unique

The Duchess of Sussex wanted to blend two cultures. She is an American and, by virtue of her marriage to Prince Harry, is now a member of the British Royal Family. She has therefore chosen two flowers that relate to the two worlds – these are golden poppies that grow in California and wintersweet that grows in Kensington Palace which is her new address.

The shield has a blue background which is symbolic of the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. There are also two golden rays across the shield which represents the Golden State. Two figures on either side of the shield complete the design – these figures are supporters.

One of these is a songbird and the other a golden lion wearing a crown. The first will remind one of America; the second one is typically British.

Incidentally, the songbird is shown to be in a flying position with an open beak. This along with the quill represents the power of communication

The College of Arms has designed this coat of arms for the Duchess of Sussex and approved by Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

The Royal culture

Coats of arms is an identity. It dates back to 12th Century and used to be an integral part of the armor to identify the rivals in tournaments.

BBC adds that the Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, got hers in 2011. It featured white chevronels that symbolized the love of the Middleton family for the Lake District and skiing.

Since the grant was made to the Middleton family, her siblings can also use the coat of arms. It was a combination of the shields of Prince William and the Middleton family.

Samantha Grant, a half-sister of the Duchess of Sussex, has created a controversy. In her opinion, their father Thomas Markle should have got a coat of arms. He is an American and to be eligible for honorary arms he will have to meet certain standards of eligibility. He will also have to provide evidence that he is a descendant of a subject of the British Crown. The ancestors could date back to before 1783 when Britain granted recognition to American independence.