Prince George’s County, Md.

Prince George’s County was created from Calvert County and Charles County in 1695. The county was named for Prince George of Denmark, husband of the heir to the throne of England, Princess Anne. Charles Beckwith of Patuxent designed the Prince George’s County seal in 1696.

• The crest on the seal is England’s Imperial Crown, better known as St. Edward’s Crown. The crown’s design includes a base with four crosses pattee   (cross having arms with curving edges, narrow at the inner center, and very broad at the outer end), alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are two arches surmounted by a cross. In the center is a velvet cap with an ermine border.
• In the seal’s first and fourth grand quarters, the 16th century Tudor royal banner quarters the coat of arms of France (three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue field), and England (three gold heraldic stylized lions facing left and out to the observer).
• In the second grand quarter, Scotland is represented (a beast standing on one foot facing left, with three limbs clawing the air, within a double border of fleurs-de-lis alternately pointing in and out).
• In the third grand quarter, Ireland is represented (a harp on a blue field).
• The banner below the grand quarters depicts the county motto, "Semper Eadem," meaning "Ever the Same."

Originally, the seal depicted Prince George’s without the apostrophe and using the old English style "u", in "county," represented as "v." The seal was officially altered in 1971 to read "Prince George’s County, Maryland."