Last modified: 2003-07-05 by rob raeside
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![[British royal standard]](../images/g/gb-royal.gif)
by Vincent Morley
The version of the British Royal Arms in which the Lion Rampant banner of Scotland is in the first and fourth quarters of the shield (with the English banner in the second, and the Irish harp, as is normal, in the third) is widely seen in Scotland and it is in fact the Royal Standard within Scotland (as opposed to the Royal Standard of Scotland,). The United Kingdom actually has two different achievements of Royal Arms:
Northern Ireland uses the English Royal Arms, but with the Irish Royal Crest, which is a hart exiting a tower.
Of course these flags should only be used by the Queen. Incidentally, the other members of the Royal Family, whose arms and banners are the Royal Arms with labels of cadency, use the English version in Scotland - only the Queen uses the Scots version. There is one exception: the Prince of Wales has a distinctive personal flag for use in Scotland, being a banner of the arms for his Dukedom of Rothesay and Lordship of the Isles.
Why do we have two versions of the Royal Arms? Simply that when England and Scotland united in 1707, the Scots retained their distinctive legal system, complete with their own heraldic authority, the Lord Lyon King of Arms, quite separate from the College of Arms in London, whose writ does not run north of the border. Consequently each jurisdiction has its own version of the Arms, with its particular local heraldic flavour.
Roy Stilling, 6 May 1996
Variations of the Royal Standard as personal banners of members of the royal family
(see below) are a relatively recent phenomena. Until Edward VII changed the way in which the Royal Standard
was used, most other members of the royal family used the Royal Standard
undifferenced.
David Prothero, 7 May 2002
![[Queen's personal flag]](../images/g/gb_qpers.gif)
![[Queen's personal flag]](../images/g/gb_qper2.gif)
by Marcus Schmöger, based on an image by Graham Bartram
Queen Elizabeth II has a personal flag: blue with a golden fringe, displaying in gold the letter 'E', ensigned with the royal crown - having the crown above it - and encircled by a chaplet of roses. It was first used when the Queen visited India in 1961. The same device on a field of the appropriate national arms forms her personal flag on visits to certain Commonwealth countries." [Evans (1970)]
Peter Hans van den Muijzenburg, 23 April 2002
Books usually show a square standard; however, a flag with dimensions approximately 1:2 was on display at the ICV in York, July 2001. It is not used in Britain.
In 1961 the Queen adopted a personal flag which
is quite separate from the Royal Standard and is a square royal
blue flag bearing a crowned initial E within a ring of stemmed
roses, all in gold. I think it's supposed to symbolise her role
as head of the Commonwealth rather than as Queen of the United
Kingdom or of any particular realm. Anyway, I *think* the rules
are thus:
* In the UK and non-Commonwealth countries the Royal Standard is
used
* In Commonwealth countries which she is Queen of, a personal
flag for that "realm" is used which consists of a
banner of the arms of that country with a blue disk bearing the
gold crowned E and which is bordered by the gold ring of roses. See a list
of links to these flags.
* In Commonwealth countries which she is not Queen (not all
are republics: this would include Tonga and Malaysia for
instance), the plain personal flag as described above is used.
I'm pretty sure Barraclough's Flags of the World gives chapter
and verse on this, but it's a long time since I last saw a copy
of that book.
Roy Stilling, 1 April 1997
As I understand it, the point of the Queens big 'E' flag is that it is personal
to her, as Elizabeth Windsor, not as Queen of Great Britain etc. Although Edward
VII tried to make the British Royal Standard more personal by restricting its
use, it is a British Royal Flag, and the same flag will become the Standard of
her successor. The Head of the Commonwealth does not necessarily have to be the
British monarch, and if the Queen, as Head of the Commonwealth, visits a
Commonwealth republic, she goes as Elizabeth Windsor, not as Queen Elizabeth II.
David Prothero, 28 March 2003
In countries where the Queen is the head of state, she commonly has (or had) her own flag. These are shown at:
When the present Queen was Princess Elizabeth her standard was the Royal
Standard with one labels with three points, St George's cross twice, and a Tudor rose
in the central one. At that
time the Duke of Edinburgh's standard was his own arms (at the hoist) impaled
with those of Princess Elizabeth.
David Prothero, 27 April 2002
Labels as shown by the 1950 edition of Book of Flags by Campbell and Evans:
![[Distinguishing labels]](../images/g/gb-labls.gif)
David Prothero, 31 August 2002
Nathan Lamm asked, "These points are
trapezoidal, while the current ones seem to be rectangular. Did they change?"
In "Boutell's Heraldry", Brook-Little wrote
that the pendant pieces of labels may be straight or slightly splayed, and shows
four different styles. The type selected seems to be at the whim of the
illustrator. I don't know if there is an 'official' shape for use on royal
labels.
David Prothero, 1 September 2002
Prince Philip is consort to Queen Elizabeth. His standard is quartered Denmark, Greece, Mountbatten, and Edinburgh: the two royal families the prince descends from, his surname, and his title. Denmark: three blue lions passant on a yellow field strewn with nine sea-leaves, depicted as red hearts. Greece: a white centered cross on a blue field. Mountbatten: 5 vertical stripes of white and black. Edinburgh: on a white field, a black three-towered castle, with white details except for red roof, banners, and gate, on a rocky grey base with a stairway leading up to the gate (usually 1:2, rarely 2:3).
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002
The second daughter of King George VI, sister of the Queen, used the Royal Standard for England differenced with a white label with three pendants, with Tudor-roses and a thistle proper.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002
The standard of a child of the British Sovereign bears a white 'label' with three points; a grandchild's label has five points. Some labels are distinguished by special emblems. Other members fly the royal standard, ermine-bordered.
The charges currently in use are St. George cross, Tudor rose, red lion, red heart, blue anchor, blue fleur-de-lys, thistle proper, and since the 18th birthday of Prince William of Wales, on his arms a red scallop. A royal standard with the bordure ermine should be interpreted as the Royal standard with a bordure white, with 10 ermine spots and is used by other members of the royal family who don't have their own flag. Whether the ratio should be 1:2 before or after adding the border is unclear.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002
The standard of the Prince of Wales used in England is known from at least 1901. It is the Royal Standard with the white label with three pendants, with a heart-shield of Wales ensigned with a prince's coronet. Neubecker (1992) (originally published in 1939) leaves a blank spot where one would expect the flag, as the title was vacant in 1939. Evans (1970) shows 8 fleur-de-lys on the tressure flory-counter-flory; Politikens Flagbog (2000) and World Flag Database show 12 fleur-de-lys, for the most part obscured.
During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), the standard of the Prince of Wales was the current royal standard with the white label with three pendants, with a heart-shaped shield like that of Saxony bearing a green rue crown on 10 stripes yellow and black. Is this for Saxe-Coburg-Gotha? Why was this? [Siegel (1912)]
![[Prince of Wales Welsh standard]](../images/g/gb-w_pri.gif)
by Marcus Schmöger
As a personal standard for Wales, Prince Charles uses a square
banner-of-arms showing the traditional arms of Wales (quarterly of Or
and Gules, four lions passant counterchanged); on a green inescutcheon
there is a princely coronet. This standard was introduced in 1968.
Marcus Schmöger, 12 November 2001
This flag is normally ratio 1:1, except Politikens
Flagbog (2000) shows it as 2:3. The image in Evans (1970)
has the lions armed and langued crimson, or something like that. We have azure, like
World Flag Database, but I don't know whether it's actually specified.
Evans (1970) described green as "the Welsh colour". [I don't know what the Irish
would think of that.]
Peter Hans van den Muizenberg, 24 April 2002
The reference to green as a Welsh colour is probably in reference to the
livery colours of the Tudors which were green and white.
David Prothero, 27 April 2002
The Prince of Wales uses as a badge three feathers, with the motto "Ich
Dien" (I serve) below. There are several arguments about the origins of the three feathers and the
motto. Some claim that Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III, adopted them after defeating
John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia at Crecy. Other that the feathers come from his mother's
(Philippa of Hainault's) family. There is even a story
that the are a corruption of three lions with feathery tails!
Graham Bartram, 25 March 2002
The standard of the first Prince of Wales, later Edward II, was apparently
the "The flag of Llewelyn": On a quartered field yellow and red four
lions passant guardant countercharged; the arms of the Royal house of Gwynedd.
Peter Hans van den Muizenberg, 24 April 2002
Quartered yellow a fess checkered of blue and white (3x10) (Stuart?) and white a black
dismantled galley with rowing oars (3) and flying red pennants (3) (Rothesay?), with a heart-shield of the Royal Standard of
Scotland differenced with a blue label. (1:1) [World Flag
Database - 6 fleur-de-lys]
Peter Hans van den Muizenberg, 24 April 2002
Crampton 1978 wrote that the check is for
the Great Steward of Scotland, the galleys for the Lord of the Isles and the
inescutcheon for the Duke of Rothesay. The cadency label is white.
David Prothero, 27 April 2002
The full list of Prince Charles' Scottish titles is H.R.H. The Prince
Charles, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles
and Great Steward of Scotland.
Andrew Yong, 18 July 2002
Black fifteen bezants, placed 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. (Ratio 3:5) - World Flag Database
![[Princess Royal standard]](../images/g/gb_royan.gif)
base image Vincent Morley, label added by Marcus Schmöger
Princess Anne, uses a standard with a label of three points. On the outer two appears the cross of
St. George; on the center one a red heart. The arms were approved in 1950.
Marcus Schmöger, 12 November 2001
According to Boutell's Heraldry, the labels
for both Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were assigned by Royal Warrant 7 July
1962.
David Prothero, 10 September 2002
![[Duke of York standard]](../images/g/gb_royyo.gif)
base image Vincent Morley, label added by Marcus Schmöger
Prince Andrew, Duke of
York, second son of the Queen, has a blue anchor on the centre point of
the label, denoting his service as an officer in the Royal Navy. Arms approved
in 1960.
Marcus Schmöger, 12 November 2001
According to Boutell's Heraldry, the labels
for both Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were assigned by Royal Warrant 7 July
1962.
David Prothero, 10 September 2002
Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex, third son of the Queen, has a white label with three
pendants, the central pendant with a Tudor rose.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002
Members of the royal family without their own specific standards use the royal
standard with a bordure of ermine. This was for instance used by the late
Diana, Princess of Wales, as she was known after the break-up of her marriage.
Marcus Schmöger, 12 November 2001
However, the Baronage website describes a possible flag of Diana during the time she was married to Prince Charles:
"During the time of her marriage, Diana had the right to fly "a
royal standard" ~ if we use that term loosely. Actually, it is a banner,
illustrated here, featuring the arms of her husband impaling the arms of her
father ("impaling" meaning that the husband's arms are in the hoist,
i.e. next to the staff, and the wife's arms are in the fly). Her husband's arms
are those of The Prince of Wales and feature what is essentially the Royal
Standard differenced (or debruised) by a label of three points (whether that
label is of white or silver is still a matter of argument) and in the centre by
an escutcheon of the arms of the Principality of Wales ensigned by the coronet
of the Sovereign's eldest son."
Mark Sensen, 27 April 2002
I believe the Baronage website is (at least on this occasion) wrong - that would
be a banner of Diana's (real) arms.
Santiago Dotor, 29 April 2002, quoting an earlier discussion, viz:
She would have used the Other Member's standard, the one with an ermine
border. If she had become Queen she would have had a flag with the Royal Arms at
the hoist and her father's arms at the fly (the Arms of the Earl Spencer), in
the same way as HM The Queen Mother does (in her case the arms in the fly are
those of her father, the Earl of Strathmore, head of the Bowes-Lyon family).
Before Princess Elizabeth became Queen she used a flag which impaled her Arms
(Royal Arms with a white label with red crosses on the outer points and a red
rose on the centre point) with her husband's (the Duke of Edinburgh).
Graham Bartram, 14 April 1999
In a copy of the New England Journal of
Vexillology some time ago, it was reported that when she was Princess of
Wales she did indeed have her own flag! I don't remember too many details of it
but it included her arms on the right (which I remember was black and had some
shells on it among other things) and her then-husband's on the left.
David Kendall, 14 April 1999
That would be a banner of her arms, but Royal Protocol differs from normal protocol in the matter of Banners of Arms. If a banner of arms includes the Royal Arms then special permission is needed for it to be used from Her Majesty. This is normally neither asked for nor granted. So the Duchesses of Kent and Gloucester both have arms similar to the ones you describe (apart from having their father's arms on the left) but both use the "Other Members" standard. The situation would probably be different if any of them where Princesses in their own right (rather than taking their husband's rank). As I said this was the case with Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (now the Queen).
I have never seen a Royal Standard impaled with the Spencer arms, and if such
a flag had existed I would expect it to have been used at Diana's funeral.
Instead the "Other Members" Standard was used. This was later
described in the Flag Bulletin as "Princess Diana's Flag" (IIRC). If
someone has a photo of such a standard I would love to see it because it would
set a precedence for a whole load of others. An article in the latest edition of
Flagmaster (093) shows the current set of Royal
Standards, including those of the "minor" Royals...and it's in colour!
It also includes the Queen's personal flags for Barbados, Canada, Jamaica and
New Zealand. It doesn't include those for Malta, Sierre Leone or Trinidad &
Tobago which are now no longer used. I hope to include these in a later edition.
Graham Bartram, 14 April 1999
![[Other members of Royal Family]](../images/g/gb-qeqm.gif)
by Graham Bartram
From: World Flag Database
The personal flag of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was made up of the
flag of her late husband, King George VI to the hoist, and the banner of arms of
her family, Bowes-Lyon to the fly.
Graham Bartram
Since Edward I it has been the custom for Queens to impale their paternal
arms with the British royal arms, but I think that they were not normally made
up into a banner until the right to fly the Royal Standard was withdrawn from
consorts in about 1907.
David Prothero, 27 April 2002
Her family name is Bowes-Lyon, and the lions in the 1st & 4th quarters
are for the Lyon family, obviously based on the Scottish arms, and the 2nd and
3rd quarters are ermine, with 3 bows (palewise?) for Bowes. I believe the
heraldic tradition is that the father's arms are placed in the first quarter,
but Scottish / British tradition for hyphenated names puts the mother's name
first. Of course this was not the Queen Mum's father and mother, but some
ancestors along the line.
Dean McGee, 6 April 2002
The Bowes and Lyons family joined in 1767 when Mary Eleanor Bowes, the
daughter of George Bowes MP and heiress to the Bowes family fortune, married
John Lyon, 9th Earl of Strathmore. A condition of the marriage (and therefore
access to the Bowes fortune) was that the family name be changed to Bowes-Lyon.
Of course there are still some Bowes around mainly in North Yorkshire and County
Durham, and Lyons in the Strathmore and Mearns area. The Lyons have been at
Glamis since 1372, so most of the County of Angus is now related to them! The
Lyons are descended from Robert II (hence the Royal double-tressure on their
arms) as Sir John Lyon, "The White Lyon" and Lord Kinghorne, married
Robert's daughter Joanna. The arms of Lyon are argent a lion rampant azure
within a double tressure, flory-counter-flory of the second. The arms of Bowes
are ermine three bows proper palewise.
Graham Bartram, 6 April 2002
After her death, the Queen Mother's flag was flown at half staff over her
residence, Clarence House, until her body was moved from the chapel Royal to the
great hall at Westminster. Then her standard was lowered for the last time as
the cortege passed by her residence.
Manuel L. Quezon III, 15 April 2002
![[Other members of Royal Family]](../images/g/gb_royot.gif)
base image Vincent Morley, bordure ermine added by Marcus Schmöger
Members of the royal family without their own specific standards use the
royal standard with a bordure of ermine. This was for instance used by
the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Marcus Schmöger, 12 November 2001
Sources for Royal Flags