New Zealand Royal and Vice Regal Flags

Last modified: 2002-10-26 by sam lockton
Keywords: new zealand | governor | governor-general | lieutenant-governor | garland | fern | stars: 4 | star: 5 points (red) |
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• Governor (1908-1936)

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Personal Flag of HM The Queen of New Zealand

by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 9 May 2001

The Queen's Personal Flag for New Zealand symbolises the fact that Queen Elizabeth II is The Queen of New Zealand. Adopted in 1962, it is flown only by Her Majesty when in this country. The Flag is the shield design of the New Zealand Coat of Arms in the form of an oblong or square. Superimposed in the centre is a dark blue roundel bearing a Roman "E" surmounted by a Royal Crown within a garland of roses all in gold. The central device is from The Queen's Personal Flag which is frequently used by Her Majesty in relation to Her position as head of the Commonwealth.
Rob Raeside, 7 March 2002, quoting from New Zealand’s Government flag page

Governor-General

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by Zeljko Heimer, crest image by Graham Bartram, 17 March 2001

Circa 1937, the New Zealand Governor's flag was the "standard blue" type governors flag with lion standing on crown above scroll.
David Prothero, 3 July 1997

Dominion of New Zealand

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by Zeljko Heimer, 20 March 2001

Many years ago I read (sorry, but I don`t remember where I read this) that inscription on the ribbon was: "DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND"
Victor Lomantsov, 18 March 2001

During this time, New Zeland was a dependency of New South Wales.
James Dignan, 7 July 1997

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by Antonio Martins and Jaume Olle, 25 March 2000

Between 1867 and 1874, the governor flag bear the badge of 1867.
Jaume Olle, 27 June 1997

Circa 1869-1870, the New Zealand Governor's flag was the Union Flag defaced with: on a white disc, 4 red stars (at north, east, south and west) with "NZ" in the centre, surrounded by a "standard" laurel leaf garland.
David Prothero, 3 July 1997

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by Antonio Martins, fern garland provided by Phil Nelson, 16 March 2000

I recently read an interesting article on New Zealand flags (which seemed to come from a post-1962 encyclopedia - perhaps the "New Zealand Encyclopedia"), which included a small bit on vice-regal flags. This source seems to imply that in 1874, as a result of the actions of (Governor?) Sir James Fergusson, (and in accordance with the directions emanating from the Admiralty in 1869), it was decided [my comments in square brackets]:

the badge to be worn in the Union Jack used by the Governor of New Zealand when embarked in any vessel {shall be the Southern Cross as represented by four five-pointed red stars emblasoned on a white shield, with the monogram "NZ" in red letters in the centre of the Southern Cross}. Succeeding Governors found it convenient to use this flag on shore [as in the rest of the Empire] and it became accepted as the official vice-regal flag. In 1907, following New Zealand's promotion from "colony" to "dominion", New Zealand ministers asked that the garland of laurels should be replaced by one of fern leaves, [which, of course, is one of NZ's national symbols]. With this alteration, the flag continued to be used by successive Governors until about 1935. In January 1931, a new vice-regal flag was designed... [the Royal Crest in Gold, with the name of the Dominion in gold beneath, all on a blue field]. As neither Lord Bledisloe, [whom I assume was Governor in the early 1930s], nor his minsters were sympathetic to the change, the flag was not favoured until after Lord Galway's arrival [whom I assume became Governor General of NZ c.1935].

The first official flag with fern leaves appeared in about 1908. In a letter dated 5th January 1908 the Governor-General of NZ requested that the garland around the badge on his flag be changed from the usual green laurel leaves, which had been used until then, to a garland of fern leaves, and referred to the garland of maple leaves surrounding the badge on the flag of the Gov.-Gen. of Canada as a precedent. This was no problem since the original regulations only stipulated that the device on the flags of Governors should be surrounded by a green garland without specifying the type of leaves. (Source: PRO file, ADM 116/1072)
David Prothero, 9 September 1998