those who are descended from the citizens loyal to the british crown who fled the united states during and shortly after the revolution are known in canada as united empire loyalists, and are entitled to the use of special coronets within their arms, if arms are granted to them. there are two versions of the loyalist coronet: the civil, which is made up of alternating oak and maple leaves, and the military, made up of maple leaves alternating with crossed swords; the latter is reserved for use by the families of those who served in the british military during the revolution. proof of loyalist heritage must be provided to the canadian heraldic authority before permission is granted to use the coronet in arms. unlike the common use of coronets in heraldry, the loyalist coronet denotes no rank of nobility or royalty, but instead alludes to ancestral allegiance.