Black armband

Richard Norris Wolfenden wearing a black armband, c. 1905.

A black armband is an armband that is coloured black to signify that the wearer is in mourning or wishes to identify with the commemoration of a family member or friend who has died.

In sport, especially association football, cricket, and Australian rules football, players will often wear black armbands following the death of a former player or manager.

Black armbands are also worn by uniformed organizations, such as the police, fire services or military, at the funeral or on the death of a sovereign.

Historical examples

• 
  Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia wearing a black armband in a 1614 portrait
• 
  William Tecumseh Sherman in May 1865, wearing a black ribbon after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
• 
  Leopold III of Belgium, wearing a black armband contemporary with his ascension to the throne following the death of his father, Albert I
• 
  Franklin D. Roosevelt wearing a black armband in mourning of his mother.

See also

• 21-gun salute
• Ten-bell salute
• Three-volley salute
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District