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Ich Dien)
The Prince of Wales's feathers is the badge of the Prince of Wales. It consists of three white feathers behind a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the motto Ich Dien (German for "I serve"). As well as being used in royal heraldry, the badge is sometimes used to symbolise Wales, particularly Welsh rugby.
The badge is thought to have originated with Edward, the Black Prince. According to legend, the Black Prince obtained the arms from King John of Bohemia, against whom he fought in the Battle of Crécy. After the battle, the prince went to the body of the dead king (whom he admired for his bravery) and took his helmet, lined with ostrich feathers. The feathers and the dead king's motto made up the prince's new badge and came to be used by subsequent Princes of Wales.
The origin of both the feathers and the motto may however have a less romantic history, with indications that the arms were inherited by the Prince from his mother.
The badge has been traditionally been worn on the jerseys of players in the Welsh rugby team and as the logo of the Welsh Rugby Union. In the 1990s, the WRU modified the form of the badge they used in order to copyright the design. The new logo is more stylistic, with "WRU" in place of "Ich Dien".
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