Coat of arms The family motto of the Prussian branch is
"In Virtute Pertinax".
Coat of arms: An
escutcheon with the
field divided into four parts. Left half:
argent tincture, a
gules lion holding a
sinople eradicated oak tree between its paws;
azure tincture charged with three
or mullets; Right half: a
gules castle with three
towers on an
argent tincture;
sinople tincture charged with three
argent roses below it. A
Grafenkrone (
Count's
coronet) as
helmut on top of the
escutcheon,
crested with a
or fleur-de-lis. Two
or lions supporting the
escutcheon.
Motto:
"In Virtute Pertinax".
Heraldic symbolism: The
lion symbolizes courage; the eradicated oak tree symbolizes strength and endurance; the towers are symbols of defense and of individual fortitude; the
mullets (5-star) symbolizes divine quality bestowed by god; the
rose is a symbol of hope and joy; the
fleur-de-lis is the floral emblem of France; the
coronet is a symbol of victory, sovereignty and empire. A Count's
coronet to demonstrate
rank and because the family originally served the counts of
Foix and
Béarn during the English Wars in the
Middle Ages.
Parents His father was
Friedrich Wilhelm Quirin von Forcade de Biaix (1698–1729), one of King
Frederick the Great's most active and most treasured officers. Twice wounded and left for dead on the battlefield, he was
Regimentschef of the
23rd Prussian Infantry Regiment, recipient of the
Kingdom of Prussia's highest military
order of merit for heroism, Knight of the Order of
Pour le Mérite, Knight of the
Order of the Black Eagle,
Canon of Havelberg, aka
Maria von Montaulieu, Freiin von St.-Hippolyte (1709–1767), daughter of
Sardinian and Prussian
Major General (der alte Balley Brandenburg des Ritterlichen Ordens Sankt Johannis vom Spital zu Jerusalem),
Knight of the
Iron Cross 2nd Class, Commandant of the 10th
Prussian Division's Garrison Company,
Knight of the
Iron Cross 2nd Class ==Notes==