PAVILION, in Heraldry, denotes a covering in the form of a tent, which invests or wraps up the armories of different kings and sovereigns, depending only upon God and their sword. The pavilion consists of two parts; the top, which is the chapeau or coronet, and the curtain, which forms the mantle. According to the French heralds, none but sovereign princes may bear the pavilion entire and in all its parts. Those who are elective, or have any dependence, say the heralds, must take off the head, and retain nothing but the curtains.