This is a list of English flags, including symbolic national and sub-national flags, standards and banners used exclusively in England.
The College of Arms is the authority on the flying of flags in England and maintains the only official register of flags. It was established in 1484 and as part of the Royal Household operates under the authority of The Crown.[1] A separate private body called the Flag Institute, financed by its own membership, also maintains a registry of United Kingdom flags that it styles 'the UK Flag Registry', though this has no official status under English law.[2]
A centred red cross on a white background, 3:5.[5]
A vertical centred red cross on a white background.
Royal banner
Flag
Date
Use
Description
1042–1066
Former Royal Banner of England
(Attributed)
A golden cross with fleur-de-lis ends over a blue field, surrounded by five golden martlets. This former Royal Banner was used by St Edward the Confessor, one of the last Anglo-SaxonEnglish kings.
Three gold lions (or leopards) passant on a red field. The Royal Banner of England is based on the Royal arms of England. The banner is neither a national flag or a royal standard, and only represents the ruling monarch exclusively in England. The Banner of England is included within the current Royal Standard, along with heraldic devices from the other constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
Royal standards
Flag
Date
Use
Description
1837
Royal Standard of the United Kingdom. It is the banner of the king of the United Kingdom (King Charles III) in his capacity as king of the United Kingdom.
Split into quarters, the first and fourth quarters contain three gold lions passant on a red field (representing England and Wales); the second quarter contains a red lion rampant on a gold field (representing Scotland); the third quarter contains a gold harp on a blue field (representing Ireland).
A centred red cross on a white background, 3:5.[5] Churches belonging to the Church of England which have a pole may fly St George's Cross. A desirable variant is for the church to fly the flag with the arms of the diocese in the canton (left-hand upper corner).
Two crossed gold keys beneath a gold ring on a field of red. The symbols represent the two Patron Saints of the Abbey: the ring of Saint Edward the Confessor (founder of the Abbey), and the keys of Saint Peter.
A gold wyvern on a red field. Registered 20 May 2011. Designed in 1974 by William Crampton.[13]
Historic counties
All 39 of the historic counties have flags registered with the Flag Institute, with Leicestershire being the last county to declare its flag, as of 16 July 2021. Some flags are traditional, meaning their designs have long been associated with the county (or in some cases, such as Kent and Sussex, an ancient kingdom), while other flags are based on the County Council arms or are winners of recent design competitions. The dates indicate the flag's date of first appearance, description, or in more recent examples, its registration with the Flag Institute.
Traditional county flag. The red and yellow colours come from the Beauchamps family coat of arms. The vertical black stripe with three shells, or escallops, comes from the arms of the Dukes of Bedford. The wavy lines represent the River Great Ouse. A slightly updated version was registered with the Flag Institute on 14 September 2014 after Bedfordshire County Council was disbanded and replaced by two unitary authorities.
The three gold crowns represent East Anglia, with wavy light blue lines representing the river Cam in the colours of Cambridge University on a dark blue background.
Three golden sheaves of wheat and a golden blade on a blue background. The design has been associated with the Earldom of Chester since the 12th century, and has been used in the coat of arms of Chester since at least 1560.
A mid-blue cross, outlined in cream, against an apple green background – the winning entry in a competition to commemorate the county's millennium.[19]
Historical flag readopted in 1951 and used officially by the county council, and later released by the council and registered as the flag of the historic county. Eight yellow rectangles on a red field; note that the canton (top corner nearest the flagpole) should be gold.[29]
The arms of the pre-1974 County Council: blue with a red ox head on a double bend wavy, between a wheatsheaf and an oak. (Registered by the Flag Institute)[30]
The leopards' faces, fondly referred to as "loggerheads" locally, are a traditional emblem for Shropshire and have historically evolved from the loggerheads on the Shrewsbury town arms. The erminois aspect differentiates the county flag from that of its county town.
A red chevron on a gold field, with a gold Stafford knot, the county's longstanding symbol. All elements are taken from the de Stafford coat of arms. Designed by the Staffordshire Heritage Group and chosen by the Flag Institute over the county council's own flag after a public vote.[31]
Six gold martlets on blue are the traditional emblem of Sussex.[34] This flag is for public use by the entire shire county of Sussex and its people.[35]
Alternating stripes of green and white represent the grassy downs of the county and their chalk underlay. The colours can represent hope, joy and safety (green) and peace (white). In the centre, the male great bustard is depicted in gold on a solid green circle to represent the open grassland. The circle is bordered in six sections alternating green and white, representing the stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury in the county. The six portions also represent the six surrounding counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Somerset.
Black pears appear in the arms of the City of Worcester, and as such have long been considered a county badge, reportedly dating back to the Battle of Agincourt. The county flag was established by a competition in 2013.[36]
The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England[38] and informally known as ceremonial counties,[39] are 48 areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas in England, as well as in Wales and Scotland, are defined by the Lieutenancies Act 1997 as "counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies in Great Britain", in contrast to the areas used for local government. They are also informally known as "geographic counties",[40] to distinguish them from other types of counties of England.
The red and yellow colours come from the Beauchamps family coat of arms. The vertical black stripe with three shells, or escallops, comes from the arms of the Dukes of Bedford. The wavy lines represent the River Great Ouse. A slightly updated version was registered with the Flag Institute on 14 September 2014 after Bedfordshire County Council was disbanded and replaced by two unitary authorities.
Banner of the arms of Cambridgeshire County Council is used: wavy and straight blue lines representing the rivers and drains, and a tressure from the arms of the former Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely County Council.
Three golden sheaves of wheat and a golden blade on a blue background. The design has been associated with the Earldom of Chester since the 12th century, and has been used in the coat of arms of Chester since at least 1560.
A red cross on a white field, with a red sword in the canton. The City of London (excluding Greater London) is England's smallest ceremonial county and measures approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km2). The City of London is officially not part of Greater London or its 32 borough's.
A Yorkshire white rose, displayed in the East Riding style with one sepal at the top, set against a bi-colour of blue at the hoist, representing the sea and the historic maritime activities of the East Riding and green in the fly symbolising the locality's rich agricultural land. Additionally, the blue hoist colour signifies the East Riding's connection to the whole of Yorkshire whilst the green is placed towards the fly to represent its position in the east of the county.
A mid-blue cross, outlined in cream, against an apple green background – the winning entry in a competition to commemorate the county's millennium.[19]
A white lozenge with an upper indent or "pile" on a light blue background, over six wavy stripes of blue and white. The Isle of Wight became administered by its own county council in 1890, but was formally part of Hampshire up until the local government reforms of 1974 when it became a full ceremonial county with its own Lord Lieutenant.[41]
Historical flag readopted in 1951 and used officially by the county council, and later released by the council and registered as the flag of the historic county. Eight yellow rectangles on a red field; note that the canton (top corner nearest the flagpole) should be gold.[29]
The arms of the pre-1974 County Council: blue with a red ox head on a double bend wavy, between a wheatsheaf and an oak. (Registered by the Flag Institute)[42]
The leopards' faces, fondly referred to as "loggerheads" locally, are a traditional emblem for Shropshire and have historically evolved from the loggerheads on the Shrewsbury town arms. The erminois aspect differentiates the county flag from that of its county town.
A red chevron on a gold field, with a gold Stafford knot, the county's longstanding symbol. All elements are taken from the de Stafford coat of arms. Designed by the Staffordshire Heritage Group and chosen by the Flag Institute over the county council's own flag after a public vote.[31]
Alternating stripes of green and white represent the grassy downs of the county and their chalk underlay. The colours can represent hope, joy and safety (green) and peace (white). In the centre, the male great bustard is depicted in gold on a solid green circle to represent the open grassland. The circle is bordered in six sections alternating green and white, representing the stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury in the county. The six portions also represent the six surrounding counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Somerset.
Black pears appear in the arms of the City of Worcester, and as such have long been considered a county badge, reportedly dating back to the Battle of Agincourt. The county flag was established by a competition in 2013.[36]
The colours represent the landscape of the area: Portland stone, grass and the sea. The white tower represents the castles and the naval coronet shows the long connection with the Royal Navy.[43]
2019
Flag of the Isle of Purbeckreg An island in name only; not geographically an island.
Symbols include a curving wave, an ammonite and fish. The island's flag day is 26 November.[44]
A white lozenge with an upper indent or "pile" on a light blue background, over six wavy stripes of blue and white. The Isle of Wight became administered by its own county council in 1890, but was formally part of Hampshire up until the local government reforms of 1974 when it became a full ceremonial county with its own Lord Lieutenant.[41]
A blue flag with a white letter "L" on the hoist side.[45][46]
Local government areas
Heraldic bearings are granted to individuals and corporations by the Lord Lyon in Scotland or by the College of Arms in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on behalf of the sovereign as the fount of all honours. Local authority flags come within this category when based on the arms granted to that authority, and such a flag is the authority's personal property, representing that authority rather than its area.
Red and gold quarters split horizontally by blue and white waves and vertically with a black band containing three white shells.
The red and gold quarters are from the arms of the Beauchamps, the leading family in the county after the Norman Conquest. The waves signify the River Great Ouse, and the shells are from the arms of the Russell Family, commemorating their services to the state and to the county.
Berkshire's banner of arms
Two lions passant (referencing Berkshire's Royal and Norman connections) and a Saxon Crown (referencing Berkshire's formative Saxon history) on a white background.
Local authority flag. Gold with a red bordure based on the Scottish tressure. The blue wavy pallets represent the many rivers of the county, while the straight pallets are for the drains and dykes that run through the Fenlands.
On the green border are Parnassus flowers (representing Cumberland) interspersed with white roses (Yorkshire) superimposed with red roses (Lancashire). The centre of the shield is made up of segments of blue, white, yellow and green divided by wavy vertical lines and zig-zag horizontal lines. This depicts the new County and from left to right the vertical lines of segments show: blue and white for the sea, blue and yellow (gold) for the lakes and agriculture, green and white for mountains and lakes and green and yellow (gold) for mountains and agriculture.
Three red lions passant (referencing Dorset's Royal and Norman connections) and a fleur-de-lys on a white background. Banner of the Dorset Council Arms.
Local authority flag. A yellow cross on a blue field with lions rampant in each quarter, the centre of the cross is broken with a white rose of York (to represent the area of Yorkshire in Teesdale administered by the council) and black diamonds on each arm. Flag modified from the arms of the Bishopric of Durham[47]
The former flag of the Greater London Council (1965-1986), a local government body which merged Middlesex with parts of Surrey, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire to form Greater London. The GLC replaced the earlier London County Council (1889-1965).
The corporate flag of the Greater London Authority. It is not the ceremonial county flag for Greater London, as no such current design exists. Other administrative flags were previously used officially between 1965 and 1984 by the Greater London Council and the County of London between 1889 and 1965. Both were based on the coats of arms of those councils.[49]
Local authority flag. The red field represents the county's red earth. Across this runs a white and blue wave for the River Wye. In chief is a gold lion from the arms of the City of Hereford, and in base is a Herefordshire Bull's head.
Against eight blue and white wavy lines, representing the county's rivers, a gold shield bearing a resting deer or hart. (Also used as a county flag.)[21]
County council flag. Features a representation of Carisbrooke Castle against a surrounding blue field and three gold anchors represent the island's status and maritime history.
The flag is divided into four quarters. The first quarter is a cinquefol, or five within a red circle, the second quarter is charged a white lion with two tails on a red ground, the third quarter shows an ermine plume on a red ground and the fourth shows a black maunch.[50]
The top part of the flag shows a lion from the Royal arms of England together with ostrich plumes and coronet referring to the Prince of Wales. This is a very special honour for the County Council, the King, in the Royal Licence, specifically instructs on the design of the arms to be granted "in commemoration of our long residence in Norfolk". This of course refers to Sandringham. The lower part of the flag comprises the arms attributed to Ralph de Gael or Guader, first Earl of Norfolk circa 1069. The ermine may well refer to Brittany as Ralph was Lord of Gael in that Duchy.
Historical flag readopted in 1951 and used officially by the county council, and later released by the council and registered as the flag of the historic county. Eight yellow rectangles on a red field, note that the canton (top corner nearest the flagpole) should be gold.[29]
Local authority flag. All the devices on the flag come from arms of various Earls of Stafford. The red chevron on gold was the arms of the de Staffords. It is charged with the family's famous Stafford knot badge. The lion represents the authority of the council.
Local authority flag. Coat of arms of Suffolk on a gold background. The main charge in the arms is the sun rising over the sea. Suffolk is the most easterly county in England and thus the first to see the sun rise. The open crowns and crossed arrows refer to Bury St Edmunds and have been widely used in the arms of Suffolk towns and districts.
Local authority flag. Divided into halves, blue and black, with two gold keys representing the Chertsey Abbey, a woolpack on blue and a sprig of oak on black. (a banner of the modern coat of arms of Surrey County Council).
This is a list of officially recognised flags for various cities in England. Where listed as 'official', they have been registered by the Flag Institute charity or another official source. This list may be incomplete, please add official flags with sources showing the official flag design.
Silhouette of Lady Godiva on a white field with two stripes in the traditional shade of Coventry Blue. Updated in 2018 from the 1345 arms flag depicting an Elephant.[54]
Flag of Preston (City and non-metropolitan district)
Lancashire
A Paschal Lamb couchant Argent supporting a Cross-Staff Or taken from the coat of arms of c.1613[58] on a white cross, enlaid with a blue cross, on a blue field.
A flag divided from top-left to bottom-right by a white line, with a white cuckoo on black in the hoist, and a white tower (defaced with a green key) on green in the fly.
Flag of Newton Abbot (Town and civil parish, Devon)
A stylised image of St Leonard's Tower in the centre of a modified flag of Devon. The green represents the moors, the black the granite and the white the clay of the surrounding area. The cross is also used to represent a major crossroads in the town which converged on the clock tower. The arms of the cross represent the routes to Exeter and London, Bovey Tracey and the moors, Totnes and Plymouth, and Torquay and Brixham.[61][62]
2012
Flag of Penrithreg (Town and civil parish, Cumbria)
A red saltire on white with blue knot/flowers in each quarter.
2008
Flag of Petersfieldreg (Town and civil parish, Hampshire)
An open book with the inscription Dominus Illuminatio Mea (Latin for "The Lord is my light"), surrounded by three golden crowns (two above and one below) on a blue field.
A golden cross with fleur-de-lis ends over a blue field, surrounded by five golden martlets. This former Royal Banner was used by St Edward the Confessor, one of the last Anglo-SaxonEnglish kings.
Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure,[65][66] meaning three gold lions with blue tongues and claws, walking and facing the observer, arranged in a column on a red background. It forms the first and fourth quarters of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.
A banner of the Royal Coat of Arms of James I, first and fourth quarters representing England and the English claim to the French throne, second quarter representing Scotland, third quarter representing Ireland. This was the last royal banner of the Kingdom of England.
A banner of the joint Royal Coat of Arms of William III and Mary II, consisting of the Coat of Arms of England defaced with an inescutcheon for the House of Nassau (representing William) and impaled with another undefaced version of the same Coat of Arms (representing Mary).
1694–1702
Royal Standard of King William III and II
A banner of the Royal Coat of Arms of William III, first and fourth quarters representing England and the English claim to the French throne, second quarter representing Scotland, third quarter representing Ireland, with an inescutcheon for the House of Nassau.
The Modern White Dragon Flag of England is based on a legend in Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Kings of Britain".[68] In modern times, it is often used by far-right English nationalist organisations.[69]
1620–1707
English Red Ensign
Ensign of the red squadron with the Flag of England in the canton
1620–1702
English White Ensign
Ensign of the white squadron with the Flag of England in the canton
1702–1707
English White Ensign
Ensign of the white squadron with the Flag of England in the canton with large cross of St George placed upon a white background
1620–1707
English Blue Ensign
Ensign of the blue squadron with the Flag of England in the canton
The Red Rose of Lancashire on a white field. It was denied registration by the Flag Institute, due to being almost identical to the already registered flag of the town of Montrose, Angus.
^ abcdefgRegistered by the Flag Institute, a UK vexillology organisation that documents, guides and promotes the design, research and use of flags, but does not hold official status or authority.
^Designed by the College of Arms, the only legal body to grant official arms.
^Historic: gold and purple; alternative: gold and red; registered: gold and burgundy
References
^"About Us". The College of Arms. Retrieved 22 December 2012. The College is also the authority for matters relating to the flying of flags, and holds the only official registers of flags for the UK and much of the Commonwealth.
^ abThe Flag of Lancashire with a white field has been commonplace for many years. The change from a white to a yellow field was made at the request of the Flag Institute before registration, as the white field version is a banner of the arms of Montrose.