P and O Letters Patent

From SN Guides

Introduction

P&O were granted Letters Patent in the Company's 100th year 1937.

The coat of arms includes:

• The royal colours of Portugal and Spain
• The oriental rising sun
• Heraldic figures depicting the countries linked by the P&O mail services
  • Britain
  • India
  • China
  • Australia
• The Latin motto "Quis nos separatit"

Image 1 below shows the Letters Patent

Image 2 below shows the P&O arms in close up.

The motto originated in the Bible - Romans 8:35 - "Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi ..." translated as "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

It has been used with a greater or lesser degree of appropriateness by a number of organisations including:

• The Order of St Patrick
• The Royal Ulster Rifles
• The Irish Guards
• The Ulster Defence Association (a proscribed Northern Ireland paramilitary group)

It also appears on:

• The coat of arms of Northern Ireland
• The great seal of Maryland (USA)

The motto also appears on a plaque dedicated to the last voyage of the RMS Morea from Marseilles as in Image 3 below:

Images

1. Letters Patent: from Stephen Rabson and Kevin O'Donaghue: P&O - A Fleet History
2. Arms: from David Howarth and Stephen Howarth: The story of P&O
3. Plaque: from the private collection of SN member Benjidog