A set of four George IV armorial mahogany hall chairs, second quarter 19th century

Alongside the standard coronet denoting the family of a Duke or Duchess, a plume of ostrich feathers is a common symbolic feature within the crest of a coat of arms. With their associations of faithful obedience and of generosity, they most famously appear in the coat of arms of the Prince of Wales, where they are pictured with the coronet of the heir apparent. A grouping of five feathers and the ducal coronet, as seen on the present, has been associated with many prominent noble families in Britain, including the Earls Fitzwilliam, who were one of the largest landowners in Britain during the late eighteenth century and were the residents of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire. Variations on this crest are also linked to the Tatham, Walgrave, Arden and Lewys families.