Supporter
In
heraldry,
supporters are figures placed on either side of the
shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or fantastic animals, human figures, or (more rarely) plants or inanimate objects.
This example, the Coat of Arms of Prince Edward Island, uses two foxes as supporters.
Supporters are typically an example of special royal favour, granted at the behest of the sovereign. In England, peers, knights of certain orders, knights banneret (knights knighted on the field of battle by the soverign or the soverign's proxy) and proxies of members of the Royal Family are routinely entitled to supporters, while others are not, except by special royal favour.
