In English armory, supporters are external ornaments of the achievement, consisting of figures—beastly, human, or celestial—stationed on a compartment or motto scroll to sustain the shield. Unlike the crest or arms, the right to bear supporters is strictly regulated by the College of Arms and is generally restricted to the Sovereign, Peers of the Realm, Knights of the Garter, Thistle, and St Patrick, and certain senior Knights Grand Cross. Their use signifies a distinct level of nobility or corporate stability, acting as a visual shorthand for high social or institutional status.
Technically, supporters are usually granted in pairs; they may be identical (symmetrical) or distinct (asymmetrical). While they began as decorative flourishes in the margins of seals, they evolved into hereditary rights for the peerage by the 17th century. In the case of the English Royal Arms, the lion and unicorn represent the union of the crowns, demonstrating how supporters serve not merely as aesthetic additions but as profound symbols of political and feudal alliance.