Royal Cypher of Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

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.

As Princess Elizabeth

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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, a lion rampant for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and a Gaelic harp for

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. To differentiate the arms of Princess Elizabeth from that of the King it was differenced with a white

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...

of three points, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose and the first and third a cross of St George. The flag was adopted in 1944, and was used for the first time on 30 November 1944, at the launch of by the Princess. File:Royal Standard of Princess Elizabeth (1944–1952).svg, 1944–1952 File:Royal Standard of Princess Elizabeth in Scotland (1944–1952).svg, Scottish version

As sovereign

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 A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonweal ...

, which followed the same basic pattern: the nation's coat of arms in banner form with the device found on her personal flag. The Queen's representatives in these nations had their own flags to represent them.

United Kingdom

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. File:Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.svg, Outside Scotland File:Royal Standard of the United Kingdom (in Scotland).svg, Scotland

Sierra Leone

The Queen's Sierra Leonean standard was created time when she visited Sierra Leone in 1961, in her capacity as Queen of Sierra Leone. The flag featured the

coat of arms of Sierra Leone The coat of arms of Sierra Leone (along with the flag), were developed by the College of Arms and granted in 1960. Design The shield on the arms depicts a lion beneath a zigzag border, representing the Lion Mountains, after which the country ...

in banner form, which depicts a lion beneath a zigzag border, representing the

Lion Mountains The Lion Mountains (also called Lioness Mountains or Peninsula Mountains, originally from pt, Serra Leoa) are a mountain range in Sierra Leone. The range stretches on the Freetown Peninsula by the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the capital, Fre ...

, 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. The Sierra Leonean standard also served as the inspiration for the design and layout of her personal standard for Canada. This flag ceased to be used when Sierra Leone became a republic in 1971.

Canada

The Queen had a personal Canadian Flag in her role as

Queen of Canada The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...

. The flag was adopted and proclaimed by her on 15 August 1962. 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: a blue

roundel A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of dif ...

with the initial E surmounted by

St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th cen ...

and within a wreath of

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

s, all gold-coloured. 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". The Queen's Canadian Standard was also flown sometimes in her absence. 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 Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...

, as well as at provincial

royal residences Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

and legislatures across the country.

Australia

The Queen had a personal Australian Flag in her role as

Queen of Australia Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. The flag was approved for use in by the Queen on 20 September 1962, and first used during the 1963 royal visit. The flag consists of a banner of the coat of arms of Australia, defaced with a gold seven-pointed federation

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

with a blue disc containing the letter E below a crown, surrounded by a garland of golden roses. Each of the six sections of the flag represents the

heraldic badge A heraldic badge, emblem, impresa, device, or personal device worn as a badge indicates allegiance to, or the property of, an individual, family or corporate body. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance. They are ...

of the

Australian states The states and territories are federated administrative divisions in Australia, ruled by regional governments that constitute the second level of governance between the federal government and local governments. States are self-governing p ...

, and the whole is surrounded by an ermine border representing the federation of the states. The flag is flown on

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister o ...

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.

New Zealand

The Queen had a personal flag in her role as

Queen of New Zealand The monarchy of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of New Zealand. The current monarch, King Charles III, ascended the throne following the death of his mot ...

. 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. 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. 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 A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours a ...

. The second quadrant consists of a golden fleece on a red field. The third quadrant contains a golden

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

sheaf on a red field. The final quadrant includes two crossed gold hammers on a blue field. The central stripe consists of three

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s. Superimposed in the centre is a dark blue roundel bearing a Roman E surmounted by a Royal Crown within a chaplet of

s, all gold-coloured, obscuring the centre ship. The flag takes precedence over the New Zealand flag, 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". 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 The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

, and the flag of New Zealand on three separate freestanding flagpoles at the ceremony.

Trinidad and Tobago

The Queen's personal flag for

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

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 The coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The committee included artist Carlisle Chang (1921–2001) and carnival d ...

in banner form, which depicts the colours of the national flag. The gold ships represent the three ships

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

used on his voyage. The two birds above are

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are ...

s. 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. This flag ceased to be used when Trinidad and Tobago became a republic in 1976.

Jamaica

The Queen had a personal flag in her role as

Queen of Jamaica The monarchy of Jamaica is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Jamaica. The terms '' Crown in Right of Jamaica'', ''His Majesty in Right of Jamaica'', or ''The King in Rig ...

. It was first used when she visited Jamaica in 1966, as part of her Caribbean tour. 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 In heraldry, Saint George's Cross, the Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader. Associated with the cru ...

. A gold

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

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.Symbols and ceremonies

Malta

The Queen had a personal flag for use in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, in her role as

Queen of Malta Elizabeth II was Queen of Malta ( mt, Reġina ta' Malta) as head of state of Malta from 1964 to 1974. Malta was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy, sharing a monarch with other Commonwealth realms, including the Un ...

. 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 The coat of arms of Malta is the national coat of arms of the country of Malta. The present coat of arms is described by the Emblem and Public Seal of Malta Act of 1988 as a shield showing an heraldic representation of the national flag of Malta ...

in banner form, which depicts the colours white and red, and a representation of the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

, awarded to Malta by

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

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. This flag ceased to be used when Malta became a republic in 1974.

Mauritius

The Queen's personal flag for

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

was first used when she visited Mauritius in March 1972. The flag consisted of the

coat of arms of Mauritius The coat of arms of Mauritius are stipulated in the "''Mauritius Laws 1990 Vol.2 SCHEDULE (Section 2)''". In the lower left quarter is a key and on the right-hand side is a white star, which are referred to in the Latin motto "Stella Clavisque Ma ...

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. 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. This flag ceased to be used when Mauritius became a republic in 1992.

Barbados

The Queen had a personal flag for use in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

, in her role as Queen of Barbados. It was first used when the Queen visited Barbados in 1975. 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. This flag ceased to be used when Barbados became a republic in 2021.

Personal flag

The Queen's personal flag was displayed on any building, ship, car, or aircraft in which she would have stayed or travelled. It often represented the Queen in her role as

Head of the Commonwealth The head of the Commonwealth is the ceremonial leader who symbolises "the free association of independent member nations" of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation that currently comprises 56 sovereign states. There is ...

or as monarch of a

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

in which she did not possess a unique flag. This flag, designed by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...

in 1960, 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 chaplet roses symbolise all the countries of the Commonwealth. 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

. It was designed as an alternative to the Royal Standard, for use chiefly in Commonwealth republics where the British heraldic devices have no historic significance, and to Commonwealth meetings where the Royal Standard would be considered inappropriate. It was first used in 1961 for the Queen's visit to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It was flown for the first time in the BOAC Britannia in which the Queen landed at

Delhi Airport Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New D ...

. 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 and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom; it came to symbolise the Queen as

. Eventually, the practice evolved wherein the flag was raised at Marlborough House (the headquarters of the

Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating co-operation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads o ...

) in London when the Queen visited, rather than the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.

Others

As Lord High Admiral

Flag of the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom

In 1964, the Queen assumed the office of the

Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom The Lord High Admiral (of England beginning in the 14th century, later of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom) is the ceremonial head of the Royal Navy. Most have been courtiers or members of British royal family, and not professional na ...

. 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.

As Duke of Lancaster

The Queen also held the title of

Duke of Lancaster The Dukedom of Lancaster is an English peerage merged into the crown. It was created three times in the Middle Ages, but finally merged in the Crown when Henry V succeeded to the throne in 1413. Despite the extinction of the dukedom the title ...

. The Duke of Lancaster's flag is the old royal arms of England with a label 'of France' first granted in the fourteenth century.

Gallery

File:Princess Elizabeth holding flowers on stage with Prince Philip and several people. Royal Visit 1951, Ontario (2).jpg, Princess Elizabeth's standard flying in the background, during her 1951 royal tour of Canada File:The Royal Yacht Britannia in King George Dock, Hull 13th July 1977 (archive ref CCHU-4-1-9-2) (25952853264).jpg, The Royal Yacht Britannia flying the Royal Standard and the Flag of the Lord High Admiral, 1977 File:Royal motorcade (8075978363).jpg, The Queen's Canadian Standard flying on her car, at the opening of the

1978 Commonwealth Games The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with a ...

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

File:Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Closing Ceremony of the XII Commonwealth Games, Brisbane.jpg, The Queen's Australian Standard being used by her at Brisbane, 1982 File:Round Tower, Windsor Castle, England - Nov 2006.jpg, The Royal Standard flying above the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, 2006 File:Royal Standard Holyrood.PNG, The Scottish Royal Standard flying over Holyrood Palace, 2007 File:Queen Elizabeth's Personal Canadian Flag at Parliament Hill.jpg, The Queen's Canadian standard flying from the

Peace Tower The Peace Tower (french: link=no, Tour de la Paix) is a focal bell and clock tower sitting on the central axis of the Centre Block of the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. The present incarnation replaced the Victoria Tower af ...

, 1 July 2010 File:Royal wave Queen's Car.jpg, The British Royal Standard flying on top of the Queen's car during the

2011 Royal Wedding The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship s ...

File:20150624 Die Queen am Grossen Stern IMG 5672 by sebaso.jpg, The Royal Standard flying on top of the Queen's car, during her state visit to Germany, 2015 File:Commonwealth Day parade 2019.jpg, The Queen's personal flag flying at the

Commonwealth Day Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, since 1977 often held on the second Monday in March. It is marked by an Anglican service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by the monarch a ...

parade in Belize City, 2019

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flags of Elizabeth II Historical flags