A diplomatic flag is a flag used by a

sovereign state A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined te ...

engaging in

diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

which is different from the nation's normal national flag. Some nations also have personal flags that are used by their diplomatic representatives, such as the U.S. Foreign Service flags.

National Diplomatic Flag

Currently, only two nations use diplomatic flags:

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

(formerly Siam) and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Different flags are used based upon the

diplomatic rank Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...

of the mission. British High Commissions do not use diplomatic flags but rather the normal flag of the United Kingdom, since members of the Commonwealth are not considered 'foreign' by the

government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

Thailand

United Kingdom

Historical National Diplomatic Flags

Siam

Sweden and Norway

The members of the

union between Sweden and Norway Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway ( sv, Svensk-norska unionen; no, Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Swede ...

each had their own separate national flags, however they also had a flag named the Union mark, which was used as the flag of the common diplomatic representations of both countries abroad.

Personal Diplomatic and Consular Flags

United Kingdom

United States

Historical Personal Diplomatic Flags

United Kingdom

Yugoslavia

The flag for the accredited representatives of the state (diplomats and heads of consular missions) of the

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

was similar to the civil ensign, that is the national flag in 2:3 ratio.Flags of the World: Socialist Yugoslavia: Naval rank flags (1956–1991) Part 3 – Non-naval dignitary ranks
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References

{{Lists of flags Diplomacy Types of flags