Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen's Personal Flag

The Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II is a standard that is used on any building, ship, car, or aircraft in which Queen Elizabeth II is staying or travelling.[1] It is often used to represent Elizabeth in her role as Head of the Commonwealth or as monarch of a Commonwealth realm in which she does not possess a royal standard.[1] The flag was created in 1960 and first used in 1961 for the Queen's visit to India.[2]

Description

The flag bears the crowned letter E in gold, surrounded by a garland of gold roses on a blue background, with a golden fringe. The crown is a symbol of the Queen's rank and dignity, whilst the roses symbolise the countries of the Commonwealth. The emblem appears in the royal standards of Australia, Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, and New Zealand.

History

The flag was created upon 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.

Over time, the flag started to be used in place of the British royal standard when the Queen visits Commonwealth countries where she is not head of state and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom; it came to symbolise the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth. Eventually, the practice evolved wherein the flag is raised at Marlborough House (the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat) in London when the Queen visits, rather than the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Personal flags". Royal household. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "British Royal Flags, Reign of Elizabeth II: Personal Flags of Queen Elizabeth II". Flags Of The World.
  3. ↑ "Mailbox". Royal Insight. September 2006. p. 3. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008.
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