Mingarelli Unveils Family Coat of Arms in Ottawa
The Ontario Liberal MP presented a heraldic design blending her Italian heritage with her husband's Korean-Canadian background.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Historical
Ontario Liberal MP Giovanna Mingarelli publicly unveiled her family's coat of arms at the Royal Heraldry Symposium in Ottawa. The design was also submitted to the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.
Why it matters
The coat of arms merges the Italian background of Mingarelli with the Korean-Canadian heritage of her husband, Brandon Lee. It reflects a personal family history built over 16 years and presented at the symposium's 60th anniversary.
The coat of arms features a Joseon dragon, a peony and a lotus, combining symbols from Korea with Mingarelli's Italian family heritage. The design took 16 years to develop and was presented at the Chateau Laurier during the symposium's 60th anniversary.
The players
Giovanna Mingarelli
Mingarelli is a first-term Ontario Liberal MP for the Prescott-Russell-Cumberland riding and the first woman to represent it.
Brandon Lee
Lee is a director general at Global Affairs and previously served as a consul general for Canada in the United States.
Royal Heraldry Symposium
The symposium is a heraldry gathering that marked its 60th anniversary at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.
The details
The coat of arms was unveiled at the Royal Heraldry Symposium, held at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. Mingarelli's husband, Brandon Lee, is a director general at Global Affairs and previously served as a consul general for Canada in the United States.
Timeline
Over the last 16 years: the couple developed the coat of arms design.
October 31, 2026: the coat of arms was publicly unveiled at the Royal Heraldry Symposium.
Historical Context
The design was submitted to the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, the body that oversees heraldic matters in Canada. Its formal submission places a personal family crest within the country's established armorial tradition.
Canadians interested in family heraldry can see how a formal coat of arms is developed and submitted for review. The process shows how personal heritage can be recorded within national honours structures.
The takeaway
A family crest can carry several cultures at once, and formal heraldic systems offer a way to record that blend. The 16-year development of this design shows how deliberate and personal such a symbol can be.
Further reading
Explore more stories in the Historical section for context on heritage and tradition.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IPolitics.
