Queen Elizabeth II had a variety of flags to represent her personally and as head of state of several independent nations around the world. They were usually used on any building, ship, car, or aircraft where she was present.
These heraldic flags were usually a nation's coat of arms in banner form.
Princess Elizabeth's personal standard prior to her accession as Queen was her coat of arms in banner form. This consisted of four quarters consisting of three lions passant for England, a lion rampant for Scotland, and a Gaelic harp for Ireland. To differentiate the arms of Princess Elizabeth from that of the King it was differenced with a white label of three points, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose and the first and third a cross of St George. [1] [2] The flag was adopted in 1944 and was used for the first time on 30 November 1944, at the launch of HMS Vanguard (23) by the Princess. [3]
Immediately upon becoming Queen, Elizabeth inherited the two versions of the royal standard of the United Kingdom. Since the 1960s, flags were introduced to represent the Queen in various other Commonwealth realms, which followed the same basic pattern: the nation's coat of arms in banner form with the device found on her personal flag. [4] The Queen's representatives in these nations had their own flags to represent them. [5]
Upon the death of her father, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II and therefore adopted the Royal Standard. This flag was used to represent the Queen not only in the United Kingdom but also overseas when she made state visits. It is the royal arms in banner form undifferentiated.
The Queen's Sierra Leonean standard was created when she visited Sierra Leone in 1961, in her capacity as Queen of Sierra Leone. [6] [7] [8] The flag featured the coat of arms of Sierra Leone in banner form, which depicts a lion beneath a zigzag border, representing the Lion Mountains, after which the country was named. It also had three torches which symbolized peace and dignity. At the base were wavy bars depicting the sea. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag. [9] [10] The Sierra Leonean standard also served as the inspiration for the design and layout of her personal standard for Canada. [11]
This flag ceased to be used when Sierra Leone became a republic in 1971.
The Queen had a personal Canadian Flag in her role as Queen of Canada. The flag was adopted and proclaimed by her on 15 August 1962. [12] [13] The flag, in a 1:2 proportion, consists of the escutcheon of the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada in banner form defaced with the distinct device of Queen Elizabeth II: [14] a blue roundel with the initial E surmounted by St Edward's Crown and within a wreath of roses, all gold-coloured. [13]
The standard is protected under the Trade-marks Act; section 9(a) states: "No person shall adopt in connection with a business, as a trade-mark or otherwise, any mark consisting of, or so nearly resembling as to be likely to be mistaken for... the Royal Arms, Crest or Standard". [15]
The Queen's Canadian Standard was also flown sometimes in her absence. [16] To mark the Queen's sixty years on the Canadian throne on 6 February 2012, her personal Canadian standard was unfurled at Rideau Hall and on Parliament Hill, as well as at provincial royal residences and legislatures across the country. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]
The Queen had a personal Australian Flag in her role as Queen of Australia. The flag was approved for use in by the Queen on 20 September 1962, and first used during the 1963 royal visit. [22] The flag consists of a banner of the coat of arms of Australia, defaced with a gold seven-pointed federation star with a blue disc containing the letter E below a crown, surrounded by a garland of golden roses. [23] Each of the six sections of the flag represents the heraldic badge of the Australian states, and the whole is surrounded by an ermine border representing the federation of the states. [24]
The flag is flown on Royal Australian Navy ships, or on Australian official buildings or in enclosures only on occasions when the monarch is present. The exception to this rule is parades in honour of their birthday, when the flag is flown even if the monarch is not present. When it is flown on or outside a building, no other flag is flown with it. [22]
On 7 July 2000, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 by the British Parliament, the Queen attended a church service at Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen's personal flag for Australia flew at the Abbey, the first time it had flown in the United Kingdom. [25]
The Queen had a personal flag in her role as Queen of New Zealand. It was approved for use in 1962. It was flown by the Queen when in New Zealand. The only time the flag was flown in New Zealand in the absence of the Queen, was at parades held on and in honour of her official birthday. [26] The flag is the escutcheon of the arms of New Zealand in banner form, defaced with a blue roundel surrounded by a garland of roses encircling a crowned letter 'E', all in gold. [27]
The flag is divided into four quadrants: The first quadrant includes depicts four stars as representative of the Southern Cross constellation, as depicted on the national flag. The second quadrant consists of a golden fleece on a red field. The third quadrant contains a golden wheat sheaf on a red field. The final quadrant includes two crossed gold hammers on a blue field. The central stripe consists of three ships. Superimposed in the centre is a dark blue roundel bearing a Roman E surmounted by a Royal Crown within a chaplet of roses, all gold-coloured, obscuring the centre ship. [27] [28]
The flag takes precedence over the New Zealand flag, [29] and is protected under the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981; Section 12(1) states: "Every person commits an offence against this Act who, without the authority of Her Majesty or (as the case may require) the Governor-General, displays or exhibits or otherwise uses any representation to which this subsection applies in such a manner as to be likely to cause any person to believe that he does so under the authority, sanction, approval, appointment, or patronage of Her Majesty or the Governor-General". [30]
An example of the Queen's New Zealand Standard being used outside New Zealand, is at the unveiling of the New Zealand War Memorial in London, UK, by the Queen at Hyde Park in 2006. The Queen's Personal New Zealand Standard was flown, along with the Union Flag, and the flag of New Zealand on three separate freestanding flagpoles at the ceremony. [31]
The Queen's personal flag for Trinidad and Tobago was used for the first time when she visited Trinidad and Tobago in 1966. The flag featured the coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago in banner form, which depicts the colours of the national flag. The gold ships represent the three ships Christopher Columbus used on his voyage. The two birds above are hummingbirds. [32] A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag (obscuring the centre ship), which is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag. [7] [33] [34] [35]
This flag ceased to be used when Trinidad and Tobago became a republic in 1976.
The Queen had a personal flag in her role as Queen of Jamaica. It was first used when she visited Jamaica in 1966, as part of her Caribbean tour. [35] The flag consists of a banner of the coat of arms of Jamaica defaced with the Queen's Royal Cypher. The flag is white and bears a red St George's Cross. A gold pineapple is superimposed on each arm of the Cross. A blue disc with the Queen's initial is placed in the centre of the Cross (obscuring the central pineapple). The disc is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag. [36] [33] [37]
The Queen had a personal flag for use in Malta, in her role as Queen of Malta. [38] The flag was adopted on 31 October 1967, and first used when the Queen visited Malta in 1967. The flag consisted of the Coat of arms of Malta in banner form, which depicts the colours white and red, and a representation of the George Cross, awarded to Malta by George VI in 1942. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag. [7] [34] [39]
This flag ceased to be used when Malta became a republic in 1974. [39]
The Queen's personal flag for Mauritius was first used when she visited Mauritius in March 1972. The flag consisted of the coat of arms of Mauritius in banner form: quarterly azure and or, in the first quarter a lymphad of the last in the second, 3 palm trees eradicated vert, in the third, a key in pale the wards downwards gules, and in the issuant, from the base a pile, and in chief a mullet argent. [40] A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag. [34]
This flag ceased to be used when Mauritius became a republic in 1992.
The Queen had a personal flag for use in Barbados, in her role as Queen of Barbados. It was first used when the Queen visited Barbados in 1975. [41] [42] The standard consisted of a yellow field with a bearded fig tree, a long-established symbol of the island of Barbados, and the national flower the Pride of Barbados flowers in each of the upper corners. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses, was displayed prominently on the flag within the centre of the tree. [34] [43]
This flag ceased to be used when Barbados became a republic in 2021.
The Queen's personal flag was displayed on any building, ship, car, or aircraft in which she would have stayed or travelled. [44] [45] It often represented the Queen in her role as Head of the Commonwealth or as monarch of a Commonwealth realm in which she did not possess a unique flag. [44]
This flag, designed by the College of Arms in 1960, bears the crowned letter E in gold, surrounded by a garland of gold roses on a blue background, with a golden fringe. [46] [47] The crown is a symbol of the Queen's rank and dignity, whilst the chaplet roses symbolise all the countries of the Commonwealth. [48] [49] [4]
The flag was created at the Queen's request in December 1960 to symbolise her as an individual, not associated with her role as sovereign of any particular Commonwealth realm. [49] [45] It was designed as an alternative to the Royal Standard, [50] for use chiefly in Commonwealth republics where the British heraldic devices have no historic significance, [51] and to Commonwealth meetings where the Royal Standard would be considered inappropriate. [52] [53]
It was first used in 1961 for the Queen's visit to India. [47] It was flown for the first time in the BOAC Britannia in which the Queen landed at Delhi Airport. [45]
Over time, the flag started to be used in place of the British royal standard when the Queen visited Commonwealth countries where she was not head of state, Commonwealth realms where she had no specific standard, and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom; it came to symbolise the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth. [53] Eventually, the practice evolved wherein the flag was raised at Marlborough House (the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat) in London when the Queen visited, rather than the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom. [49]
In 1964, the Queen assumed the office of the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom. In this capacity, the Queen flew a special Lord High Admiral's flag. It was flown when the Queen was at sea, and at naval establishments ashore on official occasions, when it flew alongside the Royal Standard. [54] [55]
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Flag was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. The flag continues to have official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag.
The flag of Guernsey was adopted in 1985 and consists of the red Saint George's Cross with an additional gold Norman cross within it. The creation was prompted by confusion at international sporting events over competitors from Guernsey and England using the same flag. It was designed by the Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee led by Deputy Bailiff Sir Graham Dorey. The flag was first unveiled on the island on 15 February 1985. The gold cross represents William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy. William purportedly was given such a cross by Pope Alexander II and flew it on his standard in the Battle of Hastings. Since 2000, a red ensign with the cross in the fly has been used as the government's civil ensign and as a blue ensign.
The coat of arms of Canada, also known as the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada or, formally, as the Arms of His Majesty The King in Right of Canada, is the arms of dominion of the Canadian monarch and, thus, also the official coat of arms of Canada. In use since 1921, it is closely modelled after the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, with French and distinctive Canadian elements replacing or added to those derived from the British version.
The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defaced with either a badge or a charge, mostly in the right half.
The coat of arms of the United Kingdom, also referred to as the royal arms, are the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently Charles III. They are used by the Government of the United Kingdom and by other Crown institutions, including courts in the United Kingdom and in some parts of the Commonwealth. Differenced versions of the arms are used by members of the British royal family. The monarch's official flag, the Royal Standard, is the coat of arms in flag form.
The royal standard of the United Kingdom is the banner of arms of the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Charles III. It consists of the monarch's coat of arms in flag form, and is made up of four quarters containing the arms of the former kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Scotland. There are two versions of the banner, one used in Scotland in which the Scottish quarters take precedence, and one used elsewhere in which the English quarters take precedence.
The flag of Barbados was designed by Grantley W. Prescod and was officially adopted to represent the nation of Barbados at midnight on 30 November 1966, the day the country gained independence. The flag was chosen as part of a nationwide open contest held by the government, with Prescod's design being selected as the winner of a field of over one thousand entries. The flag is a triband design, with the outermost stripes coloured ultramarine, to represent the sea and the sky, and the middle stripe coloured gold, to represent the sand. Within the middle band is displayed the head of a trident. This trident is meant to represent the trident of Poseidon, visible in Barbados's colonial coat of arms, and the fact that it is broken is meant to represent the breaking of colonial rule in Barbados and independence from the British Empire.
The royal standards of Canada are a set of personal flags used by members of the Canadian royal family to denote the presence of the bearer within any vehicle, building, or area within Canada or when representing Canada abroad. All are based on a banner of the coat of arms of Canada, which are the arms of the Canadian monarch.
Elizabeth II was the only queen of the State of Malta, which existed from 1964 to 1974. The State of Malta was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy, which shared a monarch with other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Elizabeth's constitutional roles in Malta were mostly delegated to a governor-general.
The Queen's Personal Australian Flag was the flag of Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of Australia. It was used in a similar way as the Royal Standard in the UK, by signalling the monarch's presence within a building or vehicle in Australia.
The island nation of Malta has a variety of national flags and symbols, some current and some no longer in use.
Canadian royal symbols are the visual and auditory identifiers of the Canadian monarchy, including the viceroys, in the country's federal and provincial jurisdictions. These may specifically distinguish organizations that derive their authority from the Crown, establishments with royal associations, or merely be ways of expressing loyal or patriotic sentiment.
The Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag was the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of New Zealand. It was approved for use in 1962, and was used by the Queen when she was in New Zealand. The Queen's Representative, the Governor-General of New Zealand, used a separate flag.
The flag of the governor-general of New Zealand is an official flag of New Zealand and is flown continuously on buildings and other locations when a governor-general is present. The flag in its present form was adopted in 2008 and is a blue field with the shield of the New Zealand coat of arms royally crowned. The official heraldic description is "A flag of a blue field thereon the Arms of New Zealand ensigned by the Royal Crown all proper".
The Queen's Personal Barbadian Flag was the personal standard of Queen Elizabeth II, in her role as Queen of Barbados for use while in Barbados. It was first used when the Queen visited Barbados in 1975. The Queen's representative, the Governor-General of Barbados, had their own standard.
The Flags of the British Raj were a group of flags used during the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent. India had a range of flags for different purposes during its existence. The Princely states had their own flags which were to be flown alongside the British flag as a symbol of suzerainty. The official state flag for use on land was the Union Flag of the United Kingdom and it was this flag that was lowered on Independence Day in 1947. The flag of the governor-general of India was defaced with the Star of India. The civil ensign and naval ensign were the Red Ensign or Blue Ensign, respectively, defaced with the Star of India emblem.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Mauritius as well as its head of state from 1968 to 1992 when Mauritius was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations. She was also the monarch of other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Her constitutional roles in Mauritius were delegated to a governor-general. Mauritius became a republic in 1992.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Trinidad and Tobago from the independence of Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August 1962 until the country became a republic on 1 August 1976. Her constitutional role as head of state was delegated to a governor-general, who acted on the advice of government ministers.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Sierra Leone from 1961 to 1971, when Sierra Leone was an independent constitutional monarchy. She was also the monarch of other Commonwealth realms, including the United Kingdom. Her constitutional roles in Sierra Leone were mostly delegated to the governor-general of Sierra Leone.
The standard of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the personal flag used by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It displays his coat of arms and can thus be considered a banner of arms.
The Royal Standard had accordingly been designed for Sierra Leone, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Malta.
When she adopted a new personal flag specifically for use in Sierra Leone "to fly on all occasions when Her Majesty is present in person", the monarch endowed special ceremonial status upon one of her smaller independent states.
The new personal flag which the Queen has adopted for use in Sierra Leone during her visit in November. It consists of a flag of THE ARMS OF SIERRA LEONE charged in the centre with Her Majesty's own device, namely on a blue field the initial letter 'E' ... Royal Crown both in gold (or yellow) all within a ... of roses also in gold (or yellow).
The inspiration for the flag came from the personal one that had been adopted at the Queen's own instigation for Sierra Leone the previous year. The Queen's flag was to be used in whatever place in the country the Sovereign personally present.
PERSONAL FLAGS The Royal Standard is the flag used to represent Queen Elizabeth II throughout the United Kingdom and dependencies , in all non-Commonwealth countries, and sometimes in the dominions. .. Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Mauritius ... Sierra Leone, Malta, and Trinidad and Tobago also had such flags.
On her Caribbean tour in the royal yacht Britannia in 1966, as Queen of the newly self-governing territories of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, she had adopted a personal flag "to fly on all occasions when Her Majesty is present in person.
Queen Elizabeth, who had a special standard for use in her role as Queen of Malta, was replaced by a president as head of state.
The Queen's Personal Standard for use in Malta was established on 31 October 1967, with the royal cypher on blue in the centre of a banner of the Arms, but this became obsolete when Malta became a republic on 12 December 1974.
The flag of the Queen of Barbados was displayed when Sir Garfield Sobers was knighted by her in February 1975, being a banner of the Arms, with the royal badge in the centre, as in other Commonwealth countries.
Queen Elizabeth II has adopted a personal flag in addition to the Royal Standard. ... The flag was designed in the College of Arms under the personal direction of the Garter King of Arms, Sir George Bellow. It consists of the letter 'E' ensigned with the royal crown, the whole within a chaplet of roses, all in gold on a blue field.
The Queen alone could now fly the flag of the Lord High Admiral when at sea, a change dating from the unification of the MoD in 1964.
She has a special Lord High Admiral's flag that is flown when Her Majesty is at sea, and at naval establishments ashore on official occasions, when it flies alongside the Royal Standard.