Harlequins

Harlequins is a term with several distinct uses in culture, sport, and publishing. In the performing arts, Harlequin is a stock character from the Italian Commedia dell’arte. The character is typically a clever, agile servant known for wit and physical comedy. Harlequin’s costume, rich in bright diamond shapes, has given rise to the harlequin pattern, a multicolored diamond motif that appears in textiles and decorative arts.

In sport, Harlequins most often refers to Harlequin F.C., a professional rugby union club based in London. Commonly called Quins, the team competes in Premiership Rugby and plays its home matches at The Stoop. The club has a long history in English rugby and remains a recognizable presence in the sport.

In publishing, Harlequin Enterprises is a publisher of romance novels widely known for its Harlequin romance line. Founded in Canada, the imprint became a global brand offering serialized romance titles across multiple imprints and markets, shaping popular romance publishing for many decades.

Overall, the term Harlequins encompasses a traditional theatrical character, a decorative pattern, a contemporary rugby club, and a major romance publishing imprint, illustrating how a single name can span art, design, sport, and literature.