The Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II is used in Commonwealth of Nations countries which are not Commonwealth Realms. The flag was created in 1960 and first used in 1961 for the Queen's visit to India..

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 design is used as disc and appears in the Royal Standards of Australia, Barbados, 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.

See also

• Royal Cypher

References

1. Flags of the World- Flags of the Royal Family, United Kingdom
2. Royal Insight Mailbox, September 2006.