The College of Arms is the authority on the flying of flags in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and maintains the only official register of flags for these countries.[1] It was established in 1484 and as part of the Royal Household operates under the authority of the Crown.[1] The Lord Lyon King of Arms, established prior to 1399, holds a similar role within Scotland.[2] A separate private body called the Flag Institute, an educational charity financed by its own membership, also maintains a registry of United Kingdom flags that it styles 'the UK Flag Registry', though this has no official status under UK law.[3]
The flags of England and of Scotland are ancient war flags which became by usage the national flags of the Kingdom of England (which included Wales) and of the Kingdom of Scotland respectively and continued in use until the Act of Union 1707. Thereafter, they were as de facto flags of those parts of the United Kingdom. The flag of Wales was formalised in 1959, but has ancient origins; the dragon was used as a battle-flag by countless Welsh rulers, the current flag being a redesign of the flag carried by Henry Tudor.[11] The Flag of Northern Ireland is controversial.[12] The coat of arms of the Government of Northern Ireland, a red cross on a white field, defaced with a Red Hand of Ulster within a six pointed star topped with a crown, became used as a local flag, though the end of the province's Government in 1973 ended its official status. This flag has continued to be the internationally recognisable de facto flag of Northern Ireland through its use by international sporting organisations (for example FIFA,[13] UEFA,[14] and the Commonwealth Games)[15] to represent Northern Ireland, though locally it has the allegiance mainly of the Unionist community. The St Patrick's Saltire is also sometimes used by the UK government in London to represent Northern Ireland when a discrete Northern Ireland flag is required.[16][17]
Crown Dependencies
Parishes of Guernsey
Parishes of Jersey
British Overseas Territories
In 1999, the maritime flags of the British Overseas Territories were updated at the request of the Ministry of Defence.[citation needed] The white discs were removed from the field of the flags and each respective coat of arms was increased in size for ease of identification. As the MoD only had authority over sea flags, the governments of the Overseas Territories were free to continue using the flags with white discs on land. The Overseas Territories' governments did switch to the updated flags over a staggered period of time, however some old-style flags with white discs may still be seen. Such flags have generally been adopted by Order in Council. Civil (Red Ensign) flags are under the control of the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Transport and are split into two categories: Category 1 is to register ships of unlimited tonnage and type. Category 2 is to register commercial ships and yachts of up to 150 gross registered tons.[18]
Governors' flags
Prior to 1999, all governors' flags had smaller discs and the outer green garland without the gold ring. Therefore, the dates given do not reflect this minor, consistent change.
Banner of arms (flag form of a coat of arms) have long been used to represent local authority councils and the areas they cover.[31] Some of these include the banners used by Northumberland and Hertfordshire County Councils which before 2012 had already "released" their banners of arms for use as historic county flags, in most cases a historic county flag is derived or (for the two counties) directly adopted.[32]
Community (or civic) flags have also been adopted to cover small areas or places.
^Historic: gold and purple Alternative: gold and red Registered: gold and burgundy
References
^ a b"About Us". College of Arms. Retrieved 22 December 2012. The College is also the authority for matters relating to the flying of flags, and holds the only official registers of flags for the UK and much of the Commonwealth.
^"Scottish Heraldic Flags". The Court of the Lord Lyon. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
^"UK Flag Registry". Flag Institute. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
^"Plain English guide to flying flags" (PDF). Department for Communities and Local Government. November 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2013.
^"The Union Flags and flags of the United Kingdom" (PDF). Parliament.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^'For the avoidance of doubt and the sake of convenience, Garter King of Arms, under the authority of the Earl Marshal, has approved two versions of the Union flag as being accurate representations suitable for use. These are of the proportions 5:3, commonly flown on land; and 2:1, commonly flown at sea.': College of Arms: Union Flag approved designs
^Flag Institute – England
^Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Lords, Westminster. "Lords Hansard text for 18 Jan 200718 Jan 2007 (pt 0002)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Flag Institute – Scotland
^BBC Wales History: 'The dragon and war'
^Dempsey, James (31 March 2017). "Why is there no Northern Irish flag in the new Emoji update?". News Talk. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
^"Northern Ireland on". FIFA.com. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Member associations –". Uefa.com. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Commonwealth Games Federation – Commonwealth Countries – Introduction". Thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^Hansard, House of Commons, Westminster (22 July 1986). "HC Deb vol 102 c111W: Northern Ireland Flag". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Hansard, House of Commons, Westminster (25 July 1986). "HC Deb vol 102 c571W: Flag of St. Patrick". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Red Ensign Group
^Red Ensign Group
^Red Ensign Group – Gibraltar
^Flags of the World Archived 17 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^"Royal banners, Order of the Thistle | Flickr – Photo Sharing!". Flickr. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"The Court of the Lord Lyon – The Lion Rampant Flag". Lyon-court.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Church of Ireland – A province of the Anglican Communion". Ireland.anglican.org. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"The Saint James Flag". St James' Church, Quedgeley & Kingsway. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
^ a b"The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012". UK legislation. The National Archives. 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
^ a b"Cumbria flag flying outside Eland House". Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
^ a b c d e f g h i j kBartram, Graham (2004). British Flags and Emblems. Tuckwell Press. pp. 64–65. ISBN 186232297X.
^"CABINET 19 NOVEMBER 2008 MINUTES". Hertfordshire County Council. 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
^"Council flag plan causes flutter". BBC News. 26 September 2007.
^"Cambridgeshire County Flag". Flags, Flagpoles And Banners. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o pRegistered in the UK Flags Registry
^"County Durham, England". Flags of the World. 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
^"East Sussex County Flag". Flags, Flagpoles And Banners. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
^"Greater London (England)".
^"Greater Manchester". County Flags. Flying Colours Flagmakers. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
^"Herefordshire flag". Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
^"Leicestershire Flag | Free official image and info | UK Flag Registry". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
^"Merseyside County Flag". Flags, Flagpoles And Banners. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
^"Norfolk flag flying outside Eland House". Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
^"UK Flag Registry". Flaginstitute.org. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Staffordshire flag flying outside Eland House". Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
^"Tyne & Wear". County Flags. Flying Colours Flagmakers. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
^"Warwickshire flag flying outside Eland House". Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
^"The Bear and Ragged Staff". Warwickshire County Record Office. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
^"County Record Office – Bear and Ragged Staff – Warwickshire Web". Warwickshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"West Sussex County Flag". Flags, Flagpoles And Banners. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
^"Worcestershire flag flying outside Eland House". Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
^"Belfast". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Cardiff". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"UK Flag Registry". Flaginstitute.org. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Edinburgh". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Community Flag". www.southampton.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
^"Appleby". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Bexhill (Sussex)". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Birmingham". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Calne". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Heraldry of the World (HOTW) - Coventry". Heraldry of the World. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
^"Coventry". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Craig-y-Dorth". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Digbeth". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Evenley". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Finchfield". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Flore". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Hampton Poyle". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Horningsea". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Kingswinford". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"London". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Nenthead". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Newbury". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Penrith". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Petersfield". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Pewsey". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Poole". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Preston". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"St Anne's". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Staining". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Tywyn". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Willenhall". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Wing". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Wreay". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Wroxton". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Barra flag wins official recognition after long campaign". 23 November 2017.
^André Coutanche. "Lundy Field Society". Retrieved 21 March 2024.
^"A Flag for Lundy". British County Flags. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
^"East Anglia". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Has been used since at least the 1200s, but wasn't officially adopted until 2014.
^Welcome to Tamworth
^"Wessex". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Aberdeenshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Anglesey". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Banffshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Bedfordshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Berkshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Buckinghamshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a BBC competition
^"Caernarfonshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Caithness". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Enrolled by the Lord Lyon on the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
^"Cambridgeshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Cheshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Cornwall". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Cumberland". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Derbyshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a BBC competition
^"Devon". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^Dorset flag flying outside Eland House
^"Dorset". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"County Durham flag with St Cuthbert's cross wins vote". BBC News. 21 November 2013.
^"County Durham". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"East Lothian". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Essex". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Flintshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Glamorgan". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Gloucestershire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Hampshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Herefordshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Derbyshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^A banner of the Council's arms
^"Huntingdonshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Kent Invicta Flag". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Kent". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Kirkcudbrightshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Enrolled by the Lord Lyon on the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
^"Lancashire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Leicestershire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Lincolnshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a BBC competition
^"Merioneth". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Middlesex". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Monmouthshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Moray". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Norfolk". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Northamptonshire – designed by Brady Ells.
^"Northamptonshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Northumberland". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Nottinghamshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a BBC competition
^"Orkney". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Enrolled by the Lord Lyon on the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
^"Oxfordshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Pembrokeshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Rutland". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Shetland". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Enrolled by the Lord Lyon on the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
^"Shropshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^A banner of the Council's arms
^"Somerset". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Staffordshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^"Suffolk". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Surrey". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Sussex". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^'Controversay over initial choice for the Sutherland flag': Michelle Henderson in The Press and Journal, Saturday, 15 December 2018
^"Sutherland". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Warwickshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Westmorland". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Wiltshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Flying the flag for Wiltshire". Wiltshire Flag. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Latest News | Wiltshire Council". Wiltshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^"Worcestershire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a BBC competition
^"Yorkshire". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^New white rose East Riding flag unveiled at Beverley Minster Archived 1 December 2013 at archive.today – Hull Daily Mail
^"East Riding". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^Flying the flag for the North Riding of Yorkshire – The Northern Echo
^"North Riding". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^West Riding Flag – Winning Design – Yorkshire Boundary Society
^"West Riding". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^Chosen in a local competition
^"Black Country". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Cinque Ports". UK Flag Registry. The Flag Institute.
^"Exmoor Flag | Free official image and info | UK Flag Registry". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
^"Exmoor Flag Story". Exmoor Flag. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
^Flag was chosen in a public competition
^Portrayed flying over Edinburgh Castle c. 1693 in a print by John Slezer in Theatrum Scotiae
^Described in 1707 by Henry St George as the Scotts union flagg as said to be used by the Scotts: de Burton, Simon (9 November 1999). "How Scots lost battle of the standard". The Scotsman. Johnston Press plc. Retrieved 30 June 2009.Partial view at Encyclopedia.com
^William McMillan & John Alexander Stewart (1925). The story of the Scottish flag. H. Hopkins. p. 112. Google books: "This flag had official recognition"
^Bartram, Graham (2005). British Flags & Emblems. Flag Institute/Tuckwell. p. 122. Google books: "Unofficial 1606 Scottish Union Flag"
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of the United Kingdom.