The royal standard of the United Kingdom is the banner of arms of the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Charles III. It consists of the monarch's coat of arms in flag form, and is made up of four quarters containing the arms of the former kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Scotland. There are two versions of the banner, one used in Scotland in which the Scottish quarters take precedence, and one used elsewhere in which the English quarters take precedence.
The banner is flown to signify the presence of the monarch. It may be flown when they are present at one of their residences, from the car, ship, or aeroplane they are traveling in, and from any building they are visiting. The banner is never flown at half-mast, as there is always a sovereign on the throne.[1]
Although almost universally called a standard, in heraldic terminology the flag is a banner of arms, as it is a coat of arms in flag form; standard
In England, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories, the flag is divided into four quadrants. The first and fourth quadrants represent the ancient Kingdom of England and contain three gold lions (or "leopards"), passant guardant on a red field; the second quadrant represents the ancient Kingdom of Scotland and contains a red lion rampant on a gold field; the third quadrant represents the ancient Kingdom of Ireland and contains a version of the gold harp from the coat of arms of Ireland on a blue field. The inclusion of the harp remains an issue for some in Ireland. In 1937 Éamon de Valera, then Taoiseach, asked Dominions Secretary Malcolm MacDonald if the harp quarter could be removed from the Royal Standard on the grounds that the Irish people had not given their consent to the Irish emblem being included. The request was denied, and the harp remains.[2]
The modern Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, apart from minor changes (notably to the form of harp used to represent Ireland), dates to the reign of Queen Victoria. Earlier Royal Standards of the United Kingdom incorporated the Arms of Hanover and of the Kingdom of France, representing the title of Elector (later King) of Hanover and the theoretical claim to the throne of France, a claim dropped in 1800). The Hanoverian association terminated in 1837 with the accession of Queen Victoria who, being a female, could not accede to Hanover.
Famous Royal Standards of former British Monarchs include the Scotland Impaled Royal Standard of Queen Anne, the Hanover Quartered Royal Standards of King George I to George III, and the Hanover crowned Royal Standards of George III to William IV. The latter contained the Royal coat of arms of Hanover superimposed over what became the modern Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, although this particular standard's artistic representations of the banners of England, Ireland and Scotland in their respective quadrants was marginally different from the versions used today.
In Scotland a separate version of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is used, whereby the red Lion Rampant of the Kingdom of Scotland appears in the first and fourth quadrants, displacing the three gold lions passant guardant of England, which occur only in the second quadrant. The third quadrant, displaying the gold harp of Ireland, remains unaltered from that version used throughout the remainder of the United Kingdom and overseas.
The Scottish version of the Royal Standard was used to cover the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during the procession on the Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral on 12 September 2022.[3]
Other members of the royal family also use this Scottish version when in Scotland, with the only exceptions to this protocol being the consort of a queen regnant and the heir apparent, the Duke of Rothesay, each of whom has his own individual standard.
The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom used in Scotland differs from the current, traditional Royal Standard of Scotland in that the latter portrays the Lion Rampant in its entirety. As the banner of the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland, the Royal Standard of Scotland remains a personal banner of the monarch [4] and, despite being commonly used as an unofficial second flag of Scotland, its use is restricted under an act passed in 1672 by the Parliament of Scotland.[5]
The historic Royal Standard of Scotland is used officially at Scottish royal residences, when the monarch is not in residence, and by representatives of the Crown, including the First Minister, Lord Lieutenants in their lieutenancies, the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Lord Lyon King of Arms. A variation of the Royal Standard of Scotland is used by the heir apparent to the King of Scots, the Duke of Rothesay, whose personal Royal Standard is the Royal Standard of Scotland defaced with an azure-coloured label of three points. (The banner of the Duke of Rothesay also features the same, displayed upon an inner shield).
The direct heir to the Throne has several distinct standards and banners for use throughout the United Kingdom in representation of this position. William, Prince of Wales has five standards at use for his various roles and titles.
| Standard | Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, defaced with a three-point label. Superimposed is the arms of Llywelyn the Great four quadrants, the first and fourth with a red lion on a gold field, and the second and third with a gold lion on a red field crowned with the prince's coronet. Used in England and Northern Ireland, this standard was created in 1917. | |||
| Prince of Wales | The arms of Llywelyn the Great. Superimposed is a green shield bearing the Prince's coronet. Used in Wales, this standard was created in 1962 at the suggestion of Prince Philip. | ||
| Quartered, the first and fourth a gold field defaced by a white and blue checkerboard band, the second and third a ship on a white background. Superimposed is the coat of arms of the heir apparent to the King of Scots. Used in Scotland, this standard was created in 1974 at the suggestion of Prince Charles. | |||
| The Royal Standard of Scotland, defaced with a three-point label in blue. Used in Scotland, this is the ancient banner of the heir apparent to the King of Scots.[6] | |||
| The flag is "sable fifteen bezants Or", that is, a black field bearing fifteen gold coins. Used in Cornwall, this is the ancient banner of the Duke of Cornwall. |
Historic
Other members of the royal family have personal standards of their own. These are variants of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom (including that which is used in Scotland), defaced with a white label and either three points or pendants (for children of a sovereign), or five points (grandchildren of a sovereign). Traditionally all princes and princesses of royal blood (i.e., descendants of the sovereign) are granted arms on their 18th birthday, thus giving them a banner to fly from their residences.
The following members of the royal family have personal standards, listed according to the line of succession:
| Standard | Member of the royal family | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex | A three-point label, with each point charged with a red escallop taken from the arms of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Prince Andrew, Duke of York | A three-point label, the second point charged with a blue anchor | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Princess Beatrice | A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with a bee | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Princess Eugenie | A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with a Scottish thistle | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh | A three-point label, the second point charged with a Tudor rose | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Princess Anne, Princess Royal | A three-point label, the first and third points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second point charged with red heart | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester | A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second and fourth points charged with a lion passant guardant | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Prince Edward, Duke of Kent | A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with a blue anchor, the second and fourth points charged with the Cross of St. George | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Prince Michael of Kent | A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second and fourth points charged with a blue anchor | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy | A five-point label, the first and fifth points charged with a red heart, the second and fourth points charged with a blue anchor, the third point charged with the Cross of St. George | |
| Scottish Variant |
Queens consort of the British monarch are granted arms based on the Royal Standard and their own personal arms from before their marriage, or the arms of their family. In Scotland, a queen consort will use the Scottish version of the Royal Standard. They do not have different standards for the Commonwealth realms that have their own Royal Standards.
Consorts of a queen regnant are not granted use of the British Royal Standard. They use standards based on their own family arms. However, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha used a standard of the royal arms (with a label for difference) quartered with his own family arms.
| Standard | Consort | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Camilla Consort of Charles III (2022–present) | The Royal Standard for members who do not have a personal standard. | ||
| Scottish variant | |||
| Prince Philip Consort of Elizabeth II (1952–2021) | The Standard is based on his Greek and Danish roots. The flag is divided into four quarters: The first quarter, representing Denmark, consists of three blue lions passant and nine red hearts on a yellow field. The second quarter, representing Greece, consists of a white cross on a blue field. The third quarter, representing the duke's surname, Mountbatten, contains five black and white vertical stripes. The fourth quarter, which alludes to his title as Duke of Edinburgh, includes a black and red castle, which is also part of the city of Edinburgh's arms. | ||
| Queen Elizabeth Consort of George VI (1936–2002) | The Royal Standard, impaled with the arms of her father, Claude Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. | ||
| Scottish variant | |||
| Queen Mary Consort of George V (1910–1953) | The Royal Standard, impaled with the arms of her father, Francis, Duke of Teck, quartered with the Hanoverian coat of arms as used by her grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. | ||
| Scottish variant | |||
| Queen Alexandra Consort of Edward VII (1901–1925) | The Royal Standard, impaled with the royal coat of arms of Denmark. | ||
| Scottish variant | |||
| Prince Albert Consort of Victoria (1840–1861) | The Royal Standard defaced with a three-point label (with the second point charged with the Cross of St. George), quartered with the arms of Saxony. | ||
| Queen Adelaide Consort of William IV (1830–1849) | The Royal Standard from 1816 to 1837, impaled with the arms of her father, Duke Georg I of Saxe-Meiningen. | ||
| Queen Caroline Consort of George IV (1820–1821) | The Royal Standard from 1816 to 1837, impaled with the arms of her father, Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick. | ||
| Queen Charlotte Consort of George III (1761–1818) | The Royal Standard from 1816 to 1837, impaled with the arms of her father, Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. | ||
| The Royal Standard from 1801 to 1816, impaled with the arms of her father, Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. | |||
| The Royal Standard from 1714 to 1801, impaled with the arms of her father, Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. | |||
| Queen Caroline Consort of George II (1727–1737) | The Royal Standard from 1714 to 1801, impaled with the arms of her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach. |
| Standard | Member of the royal family | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prince William, Duke of Cambridge | A three-point label, signifying a direct heir to the throne, the second point charged with a red escallop taken from the arms of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. | |
| Scottish Variant | ||
| Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh | A three-point label, the first and third points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second point charged with a Tudor rose. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon | A three-point label, the first and third points charged with a Tudor Rose, the second point charged with a Scottish thistle. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | The Royal Standard, impaled with the arms of his wife, Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh | |
| Prince Albert, Duke of York | A three-point label, the second point charged with a blue anchor | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood | A three-point label, the first, second and third points charged with the Cross of St. George. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester | A three-point label, the first and third points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second point charged with a lion passant guardant. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Prince George, Duke of Kent | A three-point label, the first, second and third points charged with a blue anchor. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone | A five-point label, the first, second, fourth and fifth points charged with a red heart, the third point charged with the Cross of St. George. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor | A three-point label, the second point charged with the Crown of Saint Edward. | |
| Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn | A three-point label, the first and third points charged with fleurs-de-lis, the second point charged with the Cross of St. George. Superimposed is the coat of arms of the Royal House of Saxony. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| A three-point label, the first and third points charged with fleurs-de-lis, the second point charged with the Cross of St. George. | ||
| Scottish variant | ||
| Prince Arthur of Connaught | A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second and fourth points charged with fleurs-de-lis. Superimposed is the coat of arms of the Royal House of Saxony. | |
| Scottish variant | ||
| A five-point label, the first, third and fifth points charged with the Cross of St. George, the second and fourth points charged with fleurs-de-lis. | ||
| Scottish variant |
| Flag | Date | Use | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1198 – 1340 | Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure,[7] [8] 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. | |||
| 1340 – 1395 1399 – 1406 | The Coat of Arms of England quartered with the Royal Standard of France, the fleurs-de-lis representing the English claim to the French throne. | |||
| 1395 – 1399 | The Coat of Arms of England impaled with attributed Arms of King Edward The Confessor (symbolising mystical union). | |||
| 1406 – 1422 1461 – 1470 1471 – 1554 1558 – 1603 | Royal Banner of King Henry IV, King Henry V, King Edward IV, King Richard III, King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I | The French quartering has been altered to three fleurs-de-lis. | ||
| 1422 – 1461 1470 – 1471 | The Coat of Arms of France impaled with the Coat of Arms of England. | |||
| 1554 – 1558 | The Coat of Arms of Habsburg Spain impaled with the Coat of Arms of England. | |||
| 1603 – 1689 1702 – 1707 | 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. | |||
| 1689–1694 | 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. | ||
| 1707–1714 | A banner of the Royal Coat of Arms of Queen Anne, first and fourth quarters representing (newly unified) England and Scotland, second quarter representing the British claim to the French throne, third quarter representing Ireland. | |||
| 1714–1801 | A banner of the Royal Coat of Arms of Great Britain, first quarter representing England and Scotland, second quarter representing the British claim to the French throne, third quarter representing Ireland, fourth quarter representing the Electorate of Hanover. | |||
| 1801–1816 | A banner of the Royal Arms from the creation of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801; first and fourth quarters for England and Wales, second Scotland, third Ireland, with an inescutcheon for the Electorate of Hanover. | |||
| 1816–1837 | Royal Standard of the House of Hanover, first used by King George III | The Royal Arms after Hanover had become a kingdom. |
Other members of the royal family may use the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, but within an ermine border (a white border with black "tails" representing the ermine fur). This standard is mainly used for the wives of British princes, or members of the royal family who have not yet been granted their own arms. Diana, Princess of Wales, and, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, had this standard draped over their coffins at their funerals.[9] [10]
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also enjoyed the right to use this version of the Royal Standard although she rarely exercised it on her own. She received a grant of arms on 17 July 2005, which, based on past practice, could form the basis for her own standard.[11] Since her husband ascended to the throne she has used a different version, pictured above.
The Royal Standard is reserved only for the monarch, and is the most used. Most famously it signals the presence of the monarch at a royal residence, and is also used on official vehicles, primarily the Bentley State Limousine, but also on other road vehicles at home or abroad, often a Range Rover. The Royal Standard is also flown from aircraft and water vessels, including HMY Britannia and MV Spirit of Chartwell[12] during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. When the monarch is aboard a British naval ship, the flag is flown from the main mast of the ship and is lowered upon his/her departure.[13] The flag is also draped over the coffin of the Monarch upon his/her death.
In some situations, personal standards are displayed within the UK, such as within St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh (site of the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle), and St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle home of Banners of Knights of the Order of the Garter,[14] [15] [16] at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant Prince Andrew's standard flew from MV Havengore.[17] However, the use of personal standards of other members of the royal family varies in frequency. Prior to his accession, the then-Prince of Wales flew his standard at Clarence House in the same way the Royal Standard is used over Buckingham Palace, but other members of the family tend not to fly theirs from their respective residences (though this may be due to the fact that many share official London Residences, as is the case at Kensington Palace).
Family members also do not use their standards on road vehicles, either privately or during official engagements (when more discreet cars are used, such as Jaguar) or state occasions (when the Liveried cars of the Royal Mews are used), this seems reserved for the Queen only, although when Prince Philip traveled alone at state occasions, his standard flew from the roof of his car, as seen with the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales (when the Queen Mother also flew her personal standard from her car) and that of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, also, when a visiting Head of State on a state visit uses a car from the Royal Mews, his/her own flag is displayed.[18] [19] That said, when abroad, the standards of members of the family may well be flown: examples include Prince Charles,[20] [21] the Duchess of Cornwall[22] and Prince William.[23] [24]
Personal Standards have been used to cover the coffins of the Queen Mother, the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret[25] [26] and the Duke of Windsor.
According to the Flag Institute, the order of precedence of flags in the United Kingdom is: the Royal Standard, Union Flag, the flag of the host country (England, Scotland and Wales etc.), the flags of other nations (in alphabetical order), the Commonwealth Flag, the Flag of Europe, the county flags, the flags of cities or towns, the banners of arms, and the house flags.[27]