High Sheriffs hold the rare privilege to use the Royal Crown to symbolise their ancient office. This permission has been in place since 1991 when the Queen issued her Royal Licence and Authority for the Shrievalty Association of England and Wales to incorporate the Royal Crown in its arms and badge. There are only a few institutions which have been licensed to use the Royal Crown in this way.
The Crown has an ermine border around its base to symbolise the judiciary. The swords are in saltire (crossed in an x-shape), with the blunt sword representing Mercy and the sharp sword Justice. The Tudor roses symbolise England and the crossed leeks Wales. The wreath of gold oak leaves is representative of the national tree of England.
The official blazon of the badge is: “Two swords in saltire Argent hilts pommels and quillons Or that in bend couped at the point charged upon an Oval Azure environed by a Wreath composed of Oak Leaves Gold with in chief and in base a Tudor Rose Gules upon Argent barbed and seeded proper and in the flanks two Leeks in saltire also proper the whole ensigned by the Royal Crown proper.”