Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II
The Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II is a personal standard of Queen Elizabeth II that can be used on any building, ship, car or aircraft in which she is staying or travelling.[1] It is often used to represent her role as Head of the Commonwealth or as a royal standard in Commonwealth realms that do not have a royal standard of their own.[1] The flag was created in 1960 and first used in 1961 for the Queen's visit to India.[2]
Contents
Description
The flag is 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, the banners of arms, 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 and not associated with her role as sovereign of any particular Commonwealth realm.
Over time, the flag started to be used in place of the Royal Standard when the Queen visits Commonwealth countries where she is not head of state and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom, and symbolises the Queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth. When the Queen visits Marlborough House in London, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, her personal flag is raised and not the Royal Standard.[3]