Historical Flags (Wallis and Futuna)

Last modified: 2001-09-08 by santiago dotor
Keywords: wallis and futuna | uvéa | alo | sigave | france | maltese cross | tree | axe | spade | lance | canton |
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• Introduction
• Kingdom of Uvéa (or Wallis)
  • Kingdom of Uvéa 1842-1860
  • Kingdom of Uvéa 1860-1886
  • Kingdom of Uvéa 1886-1887
• French Territory of Wallis and Futuna 1887-1985

See also:

• Wallis and Futuna
• Constituent Kingdoms of Wallis and Futuna
• France
• French Colonial Flags

From a paper by Lucien Philippe published in the March 1999 (13/59) issue of Franciae Vexilla:

Status
The official protectorate on Uvea was ratified by France on 5 April 1887. The protectorate was attached to New Caledonia, as a dependence. The protectorate on Alo and Sigave dates from 16 February 1888, with the same status as Uvea. In 1917, soon after the abdication of the King of Uvea (12 June 1913), France finally annexed the kingdoms to create the colony of Wallis-et-Futuna, administrated by New Caledonia. On 29 July 1961, the archipelago was detached from New Caledonia to constitute a Territoire d'Outre-Mer [overseas territory], following the referendum of December 1959.

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

Royaume d'Ouvéa (ou Wallis)

by Ivan Sache

According to Lucien Philippe 1999 [text between brackets are my own comments]:

History of the flag
The first flag is a white field with the image of the Blessed Virgin. It was created in 1840 by the Marist Father Bataillon and given to a chief who had been converted to the Catholic religion. The second flag is a white field with a [Greek] cross in each corner (respectively blue, red, red and blue) and in the middle the monogram of the Blessed Virgin (red A superimposed on a blue M). It was adopted on 4 November 1842 during the ratification of a protectorate treaty between the King of Uvea and Captain Mallet, commander of the warship L'Embuscade ["Ambush"], in the presence of Father Bataillon. France did not recognize this treaty.

The Flags of Paradise 1996 chart represents a similar flag (the only difference is in cross size andcolours: blue, red, blue, red) attributed to Tongatapu c.1858-1862. Error, coincidence, filiation?

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

Standard of King I P Lavetura (1837-1858)

by Ivan Sache

Red field with a large white cross. Source: Flags of Paradise 1996 chart.

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

by Ivan Sache

According to Lucien Philippe 1999, "In 1860, a third flag was seen in Wallis. Father Poupinel wrote: "We have been spotted. The French ensign with a red cross in the middle of the white part had made us recognized"."

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

Standard of Queen Amelia (1858-c.1887)

by Ivan Sache

White field with a red border and a red saltire (in contradiction to what is said elsewhere in this page, compare with the 1886 flag of Uvea). Source: Flags of Paradise 1996 chart.

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

by Ivan Sache

According to Lucien Philippe 1999, "On 19 November 1886, the Queen of Uvea signed a new protectorate treaty. The Queen (Lavelua) Amelia added to her standard the French colours in canton."

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

French Territory of Wallis-and-Futuna 1887-1910

by Ivan Sache

According to Lucien Philippe 1999, "In November 1887, Father Bouzigue wrote: "The Queen and her Prime Minister have thanked France represented by Commandant Benier and the flag of Wallis quartered with the French flag was hoisted". This ensign appears in a document from 1895. La Bruyère wrote in 1928: "... on the right of the Royal Residence, a pole bears the red flag with the tricolour flag at hoist and the white cross at fly, as symbol of the all-powerful Christian mission."

According to the Flags of Paradise 1996 chart: standard of Queen Amelia with a larger red border and French tricolour in canton, but separated from flag edges by a red border - similar to present Royal standards (in contradiction to what is said elsewhere in this page, compare with the 1886 flag of Uvea).

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

French Territory of Wallis-and-Futuna 1910-1985

by Ivan Sache

French Territory of Wallis-and-Futuna (1910-1985): white cross on a red field with French tricolour in canton, fimbriated in white on lower and right sides. Looks like [wf-2.gif] with a larger cross shifted to flag basis. Source: Flags of Paradise 1996 chart.

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999

French Territory of Wallis-and-Futuna (from 1985)

French Territory of Wallis-and-Futuna (1985-present): same but "compacted" cross and enlarged French tricolour. Looks like [wf-3.gif] in FOTW, but with decentred cross, or [wf.gif], with larger cross. Source: Flags of Paradise 1996 chart.

Ivan Sache, 29 June 1999