Traditionally, it has been used to represent French royalty, and in that sense it is said to signify perfection, light, and life. Legend has it that an angel presented Clovis, the Merovingian king of the Franks, with a golden lily (or iris) as a symbol of his purification upon his conversion to Christianity.

What is the spiritual meaning of the fleur-de-lis?

The fleur-de-lis' symbolic origins with French monarchs may stem from the baptismal lily used in the crowning of King Clovis I. ... So, the fleur-de-lis stood as a symbol of the king's divinely approved right to rule. The thus "anointed" kings of France later maintained that their authority was directly from God.

Why is the fleur-de-lis offensive?

Tulane history professor Terence Fitzmorris said the fleur-de-lis has roots in the French the revolution and, similar to other symbols, was used as a mark of supremacy. "It was a brutal way of scarring someone and also identifying someone as a particular troublemaker," Fitzmorris said.