Flags of Elizabeth II facts for kids

Many of the flags Queen Elizabeth II used in countries where she was head of state show a special symbol from her personal flag. This symbol is a bit different from her royal cypher.

Queen Elizabeth II had many flags. These flags represented her as a person. They also showed her role as the head of several independent countries. You would usually see these flags on buildings, ships, cars, or planes when she was there.

These special flags often looked like a country's coat of arms. They were designed in a flag-like shape called a banner.

Princess Elizabeth's Flag

Before she became queen, Princess Elizabeth had her own flag. This flag was her coat of arms in banner form. It had four parts. One part showed a lion for England. Another showed a unicorn for Scotland. A third part had a harp for Northern Ireland.

To make her flag different from the king's flag, it had a white label. This label had three points. The middle point showed a Tudor rose. The first and third points had a cross of St George.

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  This was Princess Elizabeth's flag from 1944 to 1952.

The United Kingdom's Royal Standard

When her father passed away, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. She then started using the Royal Standard. This flag represented the Queen in the United Kingdom. It was also used when she visited other countries.

This flag is the royal coat of arms. It is shown in a banner form. There are no special marks to make it different.

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  The Royal Standard used outside Scotland.

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  The Royal Standard used in Scotland.

The Queen's Personal Flag

Queen Elizabeth II's personal flag.

Queen Elizabeth II had a special personal flag. She used it on any building, ship, car, or plane. This flag was flown when she was staying or traveling there. It often showed her role as Head of the Commonwealth. It was also used when she was monarch of a Commonwealth realm that did not have its own unique flag for her.

This flag was created in 1960. It was first used in 1961. This was during the Queen's visit to India.

The flag is blue. It has a gold letter 'E' with a crown above it. A circle of gold roses surrounds the 'E'. The flag also has a golden fringe. The crown shows the Queen's high rank. The roses stand for the countries of the Commonwealth. This symbol appears on her personal flags for Australia, Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, and New Zealand.

The Queen asked for this flag in December 1960. She wanted a flag that showed her as an individual. It was not linked to her role as queen of any specific country.

Over time, this flag began to be used more often. It was used instead of the British Royal Standard. This happened when the Queen visited Commonwealth countries where she was not head of state. It also became common for Commonwealth events in the United Kingdom. It came to represent the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth. Eventually, this flag was raised at Marlborough House in London. This is the main office of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was flown there when the Queen visited, instead of the Royal Standard.

Flags for Commonwealth Realms

Since the 1960s, special flags were made for the Queen. These flags were for different Commonwealth realms. These flags all followed a similar design. They showed the nation's coat of arms in a banner form. They also included the special symbol from her personal flag.

These flags were only used by the Queen. They were flown when she was in those specific countries. The Queen's representatives in these nations had their own flags.

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  Canada (1962-present)

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  Australia (1962-present)

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  New Zealand (1962-present)

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  Jamaica (1962-present)

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  Barbados (1966-present)

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  Sierra Leone (1961-1971)

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  Trinidad and Tobago (1966-1976)

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  Malta (1967-1974)

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  Mauritius (1968-1992)

Images for kids

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  Princess Elizabeth's flag flying in the background, during her 1951 royal tour of Canada.

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  The Royal Yacht Britannia flying the Royal Standard and the Flag of the Lord High Admiral, 1977.

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  The Queen's Canadian Standard flying on her car, at the opening of the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta.

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  The Queen's Australian Standard being used by her at Brisbane, 1982.

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  The Royal Standard flying above the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, 2006.

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  The Scottish Royal Standard flying over Holyrood Palace, 2007.

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  The Queen's Canadian standard flying from the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, 1 July 2010.

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  The British Royal Standard flying on top of the Queen's car during the 2011 Royal Wedding.

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  The Royal Standard flying on top of the Queen's car, during her state visit to Germany, 2015.

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  The Queen's personal flag flying at the Commonwealth Day parade in Belize City, 2019.