Quis separabit?

The Royal Ulster Rifles and Ulster Defence Regiment badges side-by-side, showing how the UDR badge was created by removing the "Quis Separabit" motto on the Royal Ulster Rifles badge

Quis separabit? (Latin: Who will separate [us]?) is a motto associated with Ireland. For example, it is used in the British Army by the Royal Dragoon Guards,^[1] the Royal Ulster Rifles, the London Irish Rifles, the Irish Guards,^[2] and the North Irish Horse, and it is also the motto of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick. The phrase also appears on the Seal of South Carolina.

It was the motto of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards,^[3] a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1992. It was also the motto of the Connaught Rangers, an Irish regiment of the British Army, from its amalgamation in 1881 until it was disbanded in 1922. Prior to this, it was the motto of the precursor regiment of the Rangers, the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) which was founded in 1793. It was also the motto of the Ulster Defence Regiment. It was also the motto of the 5th Royal Irish Lancers.

It was the motto of the former Government of Northern Ireland and appeared on the province's defunct coat of arms. It is also the motto of the Ulster Defence Association, a proscribed loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.^[4] The source is the Vulgate translation of Romans, 8:35: "Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi...", translated as "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?", the motto of Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

References

1. "The Royal Dragoon Guards - British Army Website". Army.mod.uk. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
2. "Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society - Orders of Chivalry". Cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
3. "4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards - Main Page". Creullyclub.freeuk.com. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
4. Rosie Cowan, Ireland correspondent (2002-09-28). "The rise and fall of Johnny Adair | UK news". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-10-25.