However, that does not give licence to anyone to use disparaging or snide remarks concerning a Corps or Regimental Badge of the Canadian Armed Forces.
I would be very surprised that my comment was the first such remark you've ever heard about a Corps or Regimental badge, or perhaps your outrage now manifests because someone noticed a deficiency in an artist's rendition of your corps badge. Such comments are nothing new and probably very common. There are probably many signalers who have tired (and resigned themselves) of hearing about their "little naked guy"; logisticians about the symbolism (and connection with another organization) of "the crossed paperclips"; regiments (whom will remain nameless) that incorporate "flat tailed rats" in either cap or collar badges and the "worm on a toothpick" of a couple of the badges that I wore during most of my military career. And at least one prominent Canadian regiment changed its cap badge, perhaps in part, to avoid disparaging remarks or painful memories about it symbolism.
But heraldic emblems changing shape as badges are updated is nothing new, as well as the interpretation that individual artists make when rendering the blazon of a device.
I, of course, was struck by the significant difference in the rendering of the lions in the crests of the two corps badges on the website. Not only was the physique of the lion changed but also the mane was considerably less pronounced. My curiosity was piqued and I wondered whether this was a deliberate reinterpretation of the emblem or simply a poor rendering by the artist who adopted an interpretation from another heraldic badge (such as the lion on the shield of the English coat of arms). But it was also possible that the artist may have been trying to make the cat appear to be a creature with a more North American ancestry (mountain lion or lynx) and less the symbol of the empire.
In trying to formulate an informed opinion about the difference I was aided by the several variations of CProC capbadges on http://mpmuseum.org/index3.html. I recommend it as a worthwhile browse for anyone interested in the history of Canadian military uniforms. In comparing the cap badges (as opposed to the
‘drawings’ that first sparked this discussion) there are also differences in physique between ‘Tudor crown' vice ‘St. Edward crown' badges. There is less difference in the prominence of the mane though a variant of the other ranks’ badge does appear to have a less developed mane than the officers’ badges.
Views of 'Tudor Crown' badges (both attributed to being made by Scully)
Officer cap badge Other ranks cap badge
St. Edwards Crown (manufacturer not specified)
Officer Other ranks
. . . it was the the only Badge that had two Crowns, the Centre one and the one on the Lion standing on the Centre one.
Though the CProC badge may have been the only "corps" badge with two crowns, it was not the only Canadian Army cap badge that incorporated the royal crest (a crowned lion statant gardant crested on a crown) in its emblem.
It was used by staff officers (colonels and brigadiers specifically in later years), general officers and even forebearers of the CIC.
While these have the "king's" crown, looking at some photos of "brass hats" wearing the "queen's" crown badges it appears that there was a general tendency to slim down the lion but the mane continued to be full and pronounced.
