Creepy detail on Meghan Markle's coat of arms confuses internet

Meghan Markle's coat of arms. Photo / AP

Just as the excitement over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's special day begins to die down, people are noticing a subtle detail about the Duchess of Sussex's new coat of arms.

Meghan Markle's coat of arms. Photo / AP

When Kensington Palace released a statement and images of the design on Twitter, people were quick to identify the crowns on each of the "Supporters". That's the official term used to describe the two characters which hold up the shield. Prince Harry's supporter is a lion, the standard for royal blood, wearing the crown perched on top of his head.

Meghan's supporter is a songbird with a crown lower, around its neck, appearing to strangle it.

Why is the crown around the doves neck? Also, the poor bird doesn’t look too happy either no reflection on the happy couple, but the dove really can stand on its own! I get the whole peace thing, but it’s not appropriate

— dp🌊🌊🌊lovesThighland&Yo!Semites! (@DonnaPerrotta) May 27, 2018

Why is the crown around the dove's neck? Even for an American like me, the symbolism isn't a positive one.

— 🐝Laurie🐝 (@5_by_26) May 25, 2018

According to the official statement from Kensington Palace, the blue background of the shield represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the sunshine of The Duchess's home state. The three quills represent communication and the power of words.

Beneath the shield on the grass sits a collection of golden poppies, California's state flower, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace.

"It is customary for Supporters of the shield to be assigned to Members of the Royal Family, and for wives of Members of the Royal Family to have one of their husband's Supporters and one relating to themselves. The Supporter relating to The Duchess of Sussex is a songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak, which with the quill represents the power of communication," they said.

The statement didn't mention anything about the position of the songbird's crown though.

Markle, who is now officially a member of the royal family, with her own title, wed Harry in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle earlier this month.

Harry's office announced the design for her coat of arms had been approved by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth and Thomas Woodcock, the Senior Herald in England based at London's College of Arms.

The Duchess of Sussex "worked closely with the College of Arms throughout the design process to create a Coat of Arms that was both personal and representative," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

So why does the songbird wear the crown around the neck instead of on the head?

It's tradition. Markle is not the first duchess to be given a coat of arms with a supporter wearing a crown around its neck. In the joint coat of arms Kate Middleton and Prince William received two years after they were married, the Duchess of Cambridge is represented by a unicorn also wearing a crown around its neck. Even Princess Diana's supporter, the griffin, has a crown around its neck.

The songbird is “ducally gorged”. It is the placement of the coronet when a person holds the rank of duke or duchess. Hence why Diana and Catherine also have it. Harry doesn’t as he holds a higher rank by birth (Prince).

— BritiSwitz (@ComposMental) May 25, 2018

So don't freak out. It isn't a subtle warning from the Queen for Meghan to watch her back, it's just a little bit of royal tradition in a union that has typically been rather untraditional so far.