04/15/2026
The Significance of Black Armbands
For over four centuries, in many cultures and religions, black armbands have been used to signify the wearer is mourning a recent death or commemorating the anniversary of a passing.
A portrait dating back to 1614 shows Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, wearing a black armband after the death of her brother Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales. The armbands were also common during the Victorian period, where it was a tradition for affluent British families to provide entire mourning wardrobes to their servants. At the request of Queen Victoria, royal servants wore black crêpe armbands for eight years following Prince Albert’s death in 1861.
The tradition spread to the Western world where mourning armbands gained popularity during the Great Depression, being cheaper to buy than a set of mourning clothes. Chinese culture also embraced a similar custom, using white armbands – the symbol of death – as demonstrated by the Chinese military following the passing of Empress Tzu-Hsi in 1908.
Today, athletes in the sports world wear armbands or a strip of black tape to mourn the loss of a teammate, owner or coach. The armbands can also be seen in the police and military communities. For over 400 years, the black armband has represented a symbol of mourning and grief, a way to inform the public of the honour being bestowed on someone special.
© St. George Funeral Home/CFHC Online
