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The word stems from the Old French coronete, a diminutive of co(u)ronne 'crown', itself from the Latin corona (also wreath). Traditionally such headgear is – as indicated by the German equivalent Adelskrone (literally: crown of nobility) – worn by nobles, and by princes and princess, rather than by monarchs, for whom the word crown is customarily reserved in formal English, while many languages have no such terminological distinction. Other than a crown a coronet shows the rank of the respective noble. Hence, in German language there is also the term Rangkrone. For equivalents, both physical and emblematic, in other languages and cultures, see under crown (headgear). Commonwealth usageThe main use is now actually not on the head (indeed, many people entitled to a coronet never have one made; the same even applies to some Monarchs' crowns, as in Belgium) but as a rank symbol in heraldry, adorning a coat of arms. In the United Kingdom, a peer wears his or her coronet on one occasion only: for a royal coronation, when it is worn along with coronation robes, equally standardized as a luxurious uniform. In the peerage of the United Kingdom, the design of a coronet shows the rank of its owner, as in German, French and various other heraldic traditions. The coronet of a duke (a silver-gilt circlet, chased as jewelled but not actually gemmed) has eight strawberry leaves of which five are seen as representations,; that of a marquess has four strawberry leaves and four silver balls (known as "pearls", but not actually pearls), slightly raised on points above the rim, - of which three leaves and two balls are seen,; that of an earl has eight strawberry leaves (four visible) and eight "pearls" raised on stalks, of which five are visible,; that of a viscount has sixteen "pearls" touching one another, nine being seen in representation, and; that of a baron (a plain silver-gilt circlet) has six "pearls" of which four are visible.; Since a person entitled to wear a coronet customarily displays it in their coat of arms above the shield and below the helm and crest, this can provide a useful clue as to the owner of a given coat of arms. In Canadian heraldry, descendants of the United Empire Loyalists are entitled to use a Loyalist military coronet (for descendants of members of Loyalist regiments) or Loyalist civil coronet (for others) in their arms. Members of the British Royal Family have coronets on their coats of arms, and may wear them at coronations. They are according to regulations made by King Charles II in 1661 shortly after his return from exile in France (getting a taste for its lavish court style; Louis XIV started monumental work at Versailles that year) and Restoration, and vary depending upon the prince's relationship to the Monarch. Occasionally additional royal warrants vary the designs for individuals.
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