The coat of arms of Heiloo

The Heiloo coat of arms was granted to the North Holland municipality of Heiloo by the High Council of Nobility on 26 June 1816. The coat of arms was used in reverse in the 18th century; why the colours were reversed is not known. The origin of the coat of arms is also not known.

Blazon
The blazon of the Heiloo coat of arms reads as follows (in old Dutch):

“Van keel met een kruis paté alaizé van zilver; gedekt met eene kroon van goud en gehouden ter regterzijde door eenen vogelgrijp ter linker door eenen leeuw, beide van hetzelfde en staande op een grond van natuurlijke kleur.”

The shield is entirely red in colour topped by a white or silver, shortened, broad-armed cross. The shield is held by two shield holders: in front of the viewer on the left a griffin and in front of the viewer on the right a lion. Both the griffin and the lion are gold in colour. The blazon does not mention that the crown has three leaves with two pearls between them.

The Town and Village Descriptor of 1793 mentions two coats of arms; the one with the cross, but ‘on the spot another coat of arms was found’, namely a black shield, with a two silver cross bars and three gold diamonds. This is the coat of arms of the Kats family. The Kats family became ambassador of Heiloo at the end of the 17th century and remained so until 1788.