Ancient Uses

• Graphic flower symbols similar to the fleur-de-lis have been found in the remains of several ancient civilizations, including Babylon, Persia, Scythia and Egypt. An ancestor to the modern fleur-de-lis was used by the Gauls, the ancient Celtic inhabitants of western Europe and what is now France.
  
  

Adoption in France

• The early Capetian kings of France adopted the fleur-de-lis as a part of their royal emblem. As a representation of the Virgin Mary or the holy trinity, it may have symbolized the conversion of the Franks to Christianity, which occurred in the fifth century. Under King Charles V, who reigned during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century, a group of three fleur-de-lis was commonly arranged on shields and coats-of-arms to represent the monarchy, as well as the favor of God and the trinity for the kingdom of France. The English kings adopted the fleur-de-lis in their own heraldic symbols to represent their claim on the French throne.
  
  

Monarchy and Revolution

• The fleur-de-lis remained a prominent royal symbol through the late 18th century, when it represented the Bourbon monarchy during the French Revolution. The symbol was used on flags, banners, shields, pottery, plates and in books and graphic prints. This national emblem fell from favor, along with the king of France, in 1793 and was replaced by the "tri-couleur" of blue, white and red, which remains the national flag of France. .
  
  

North America

• French settlement of North America brought the fleur-de-lis across the Atlantic to lands that would become Canada and the United States. The fleur-de-lis is displayed on the flag of Quebec, a province of Canada that remains French-speaking, as well as on the flag of New Orleans and Detroit, important points of French settlement before the founding of the United States. In 2008, the fleur-de-lis became an official symbol of the state of Louisiana.
  
  

Modern Uses

• The U.S. military has also employed the fleur-de-lis on insignia to symbolize bravery and integrity. Sports fans are familiar with the fleur-de-lis as the symbol of the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. International scouting organizations have adopted the fleur-de-lis as a central symbol on their logos and flags, as have several college fraternities and St. Louis University. The fleur-de-lis regularly appears on playing cards, as a finial on window frames and fence posts, and in designs for company logos and book covers. It is one of the world's most recognized graphic symbols.