Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British Empire
Left: Flag of Great Britain (before 1801) Right: Flag of the United Kingdom
Flags were used to represent a variety of territories colonies, and Dominions across the British Empire

List of British flags
English flags
Northern Irish flags
Scottish flags
Welsh flags
Royal Standards

The historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories are the many different flags used in the British Empire and its overseas territories. These areas included Dominions (countries with their own governments but still linked to Britain), Crown colonies (directly ruled by Britain), and protectorates (areas protected by Britain).

In the early days, flags across the Empire (like in the Thirteen Colonies which later became the United States of America) were often just different versions of the Red and Blue Ensigns of Great Britain. They usually didn't have special symbols or coats of arms for the colonies. In the early 1800s, some colonies started getting their own symbols. But it wasn't until 1865, when the UK Parliament passed the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865, that colonies were required to add their own unique emblems to their flags.

This article shows some of the flags that were used in the British Empire and its overseas territories.

Flags of the British Empire and Overseas Territories

Flags of Aden

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1937–1963	Aden	A Blue Ensign with an Arab ship inside a white circle.

Flags of Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1960–	Akrotiri and Dhekelia	These areas never had their own flag. They use the Union Jack for all official purposes.

Flags of Anguilla

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1967–1969	Anguilla	This was Anguilla's independence flag. It is still often seen on the island today.
	1990–	Anguilla	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Anguilla on the right side. This flag is still used today.

Flags of Antigua and Barbuda

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1956–1962	Antigua and Barbuda	A Blue Ensign with the colonial coat of arms of Antigua on a white circle.
	1967–1981	Antigua and Barbuda	This flag was adopted when Antigua and Barbuda became an Associated State with the UK. It was used even after they became fully independent in 1981.

Flags of Australia

• Note: Australia became independent from the United Kingdom in 1942, but the change was backdated to 1939.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1901–1903	Australia	The first winning design for Australia. It was a Blue Ensign with the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross stars.
	1908–	Australia	A Blue Ensign with the seven-point Commonwealth Star and the five stars of the Southern Cross. This is still Australia's national flag.

Flags of Australian States

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1901–	State of New South Wales	A Blue Ensign with a St George's Cross that has four gold stars and a lion.
	1901–1963	State of Queensland	A Blue Ensign with a light blue Maltese cross and a Tudor crown on a white background.
	1904–	State of South Australia	A Blue Ensign with a piping shrike bird on a gold background.
	1901–	State of Tasmania	A Blue Ensign with a red lion on a white background.
	1901–1953	State of Victoria	A Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross and a Tudor crown.
	1901–	State of Western Australia	A Blue Ensign with a black swan on a gold background.

Flags of the Bahama Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1869–1904	Bahama Islands	A Blue Ensign with the badge of the Bahama Islands in a white circle.
	1964–1973	Bahama Islands	A Blue Ensign with the badge of the Bahama Islands.

Flags of Bahrain

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1820–1932	Bahrain Protectorate	A plain red flag with a white bar on the left side.

Flags of Barbados

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1870–1966	Barbados	A Blue Ensign with the emblem of Barbados.

Flags of Basutoland

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1822–1966	Basutoland	The flag of the United Kingdom.

Flags of Bermuda

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1910–1999	Bermuda	A Red Ensign with the coat of arms of Bermuda.

Flags of British America

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Until 1801 (Canada) Until 1776 (US, unofficial)	British America, now Canada and the United States	A Red Ensign with the first version of the Union Jack in the top left corner.

Flags of British Antarctic Territory

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1963–	British Antarctic Territory	A White Ensign with the coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory.

Flags of British Cameroon

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1922–1961	British Cameroons	A Blue Ensign with the words 'British Cameroon' and bananas inside a white circle.

Flags of British Central Africa Protectorate

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1893–1907	British Central Africa Protectorate	A Blue Ensign with an emblem of the Protectorate.

Flags of British Ceylon

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1815–1948	Ceylon	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Ceylon.

Flags of British Columbia Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1866–1871	British Columbia Colony	A Blue Ensign with the seal of the Colony inside a white circle.

Flags of British East Africa

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1888–1895	British East Africa Company	A Union Jack with the company's logo in the middle.

Flags of British Guiana

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1955–1966	British Guiana	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of British Guiana inside a white circle.

Flags of British Hong Kong

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1870–1876	British Hong Kong	A Blue Ensign with the letters HK and a royal crown in a white circle.
	1959–1997	British Hong Kong	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Hong Kong in a white circle.

Flags of British Honduras

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1919–1981	British Honduras	A Blue Ensign with the badge of British Honduras.

Flags of British India

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1801–1858	East India Company	A flag with red and white stripes and the Flag of the United Kingdom in the top left corner.
	1858–1947	British India	The flag of the United Kingdom.

Flags of British Indian Ocean Territory

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1990–	British Indian Ocean Territory	A Union Jack with blue wavy stripes and a palm tree with a gold and red crown.

Flags of British Leeward Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1871–1956	British Leeward Islands	A Blue Ensign with the emblem of the British Leeward Islands on the right side.

Flags of British New Hebrides

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1952–1980	British New Hebrides	A Blue Ensign with the badge of British New Hebrides.

Flags of British Malaya

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1895–1946	Federated Malay States	A flag with horizontal stripes (white, red, yellow, black) and a leaping Malayan tiger in the center.

Flags of British Straits Settlements

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1925–1946	British Straits Settlements	A Blue Ensign with three gold crowns separated by a red inverted 'Y' shape.

Flags of British Mauritius

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1923–1968	British Mauritius	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Mauritius.

Flags of British Nigeria

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1914–1952	British Nigeria	A Blue Ensign with a green Star of David around a crown, and the word "Nigeria" below, all on a red circle.

Flags of British Solomon Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1966–1977	British Solomon Islands	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of the Solomon Islands.

Flags of British Somaliland

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1952–1960	British Somaliland	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of British Somaliland.

Flags of British Virgin Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1960–	British Virgin Islands	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of the British Virgin Islands.

Flags of British West Africa

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1866–1888	British West Africa	A Blue Ensign with the badge of British West Africa Settlements.

Flags of British Windward Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1953–1960	British Windward Islands	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of the British Windward Islands inside a circle.

Flags of Burma

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1939–1941; 1945–1948	Colony of Burma	A Blue Ensign with the badge of the Colony of Burma.

Flags of Brunei

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1906–1959	Brunei	A yellow flag with black and white diagonal stripes.

Flags of Canada

• Note: Canada became an independent country from the United Kingdom in 1931.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1867–1931	Canada (national flag)	The Union Jack was Canada's official flag until 1965.
	1921–1931	Canada (unofficial national flag)	A Red Ensign with the coat of arms of Canada.

Flags of Cayman Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1958–1999	Cayman Islands	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of the Cayman Islands inside a white circle.

Flags of Cape Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1876–1910	Cape Colony	A Blue Ensign with the shield-of-arms of Cape Colony.

Flags of Cook Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1893–1901	Cook Islands Federation	Three horizontal stripes (red, white, red) with a Union Jack (with a palm tree) in the top left corner.

Flags of Cyprus

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1922–1960	Cyprus	A Blue Ensign with two red lions.

Flags of Dominica

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1965–1978	Dominica	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Dominica.

Flags of Falkland Islands & Dependencies

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1948–1999	Falkland Islands	A Blue Ensign with the Coat of arms of the Falkland Islands on a white circle.

Flags of Fiji

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1924–1970	Fiji	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Fiji on the right side.

Flags of Gambia Colony and Protectorate

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1889–1965	Gambia Colony and Protectorate	A Blue Ensign with an elephant and the letters G. under its feet, all inside a circle.

Flags of Gibraltar

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1982–	Gibraltar	A white and red flag with the banner of the coat of arms of Gibraltar. This flag is still used today.

Flags of Grenada

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1967–1974	Grenada	Three horizontal stripes (blue, yellow, green) with a pomegranate branch in a white oval in the middle.

Flags of Gilbert and Ellice Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1932–1976	Gilbert and Ellice Islands	A Blue Ensign with the Coat of Arms of Gilbert and Ellice Islands.

Flags of Gold Coast

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1821–1957	Gold Coast	A Blue Ensign with an elephant and the letters GC under its feet, all inside a circle.

Flags of Heligoland

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1807–1890	Heligoland	The flag of Heligoland with the Union Jack in the top left corner.

Flags of Ionian Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1815–1864	Ionian Islands	A Blue Ensign with a shield symbol and a red border.

Flags of Iraq

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1924–1932	Mesopotamia	The flag of Mandatory Iraq.

Flags of Ireland

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1922–1949	Irish Free State	A vertical flag with green, white, and orange stripes. Still used as the national flag for the Republic of Ireland.

Flags of Jamaica

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1957–1962	Jamaica	A British Blue Ensign with the Coat of arms of Colonial Jamaica inside a white circle.

Flags of Kenya

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1920–1963	Kenya	A Blue Ensign with a red lion.

Flags of Kuwait

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1940–1961	Kuwait Protectorate	A red flag with a special wasm sign on the right side.

Flags of Labuan

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1912–1946	Labuan	A Blue Ensign with the badge of Labuan.

Flags of Lagos Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1888–1906	Lagos Colony	A Blue Ensign with an elephant and the letter L. under its feet, all inside a circle.

Flags of Malacca

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1946–1957	Malacca	A Blue Ensign with an image of A Famosa (a historic fort).

Flags of Malta

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1943–1964	Malta	A Blue Ensign with the badge of Malta in a white circle.

Flags of Montserrat

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1960–1999	Montserrat	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Montserrat on the right side.

Flags of Kingdom of Mosquitia

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1824–1844	Kingdom of Mosquitia	Six horizontal stripes (blue and white) with a Union Jack in the top left corner.

Flags of Muscat and Oman

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1820–1970	Muscat and Oman Protectorate	A red flag.

Flags of Natal Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1843–1910	Natal	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Natal.

Flags of New Guinea

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1919–1949	Territory of New Guinea	A Blue Ensign with a crown and the letters T.N.G. inside a white circle.

Flags of New South Wales Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1876–1901	New South Wales Colony	A Blue Ensign with a badge showing a cross of St George, a golden lion, and gold stars. This flag is still used as the state flag.

Flags of Newfoundland

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1904–1931	Newfoundland	A Red Ensign with the Great Seal of Newfoundland. This was Newfoundland's unofficial national flag.
	1931–1949	Newfoundland	The Union Jack was used as the national flag until Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.

Flags of New Zealand

• Note: New Zealand became an independent country from the United Kingdom in 1947.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1840–1902	New Zealand	Adopted after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840.
	1902	New Zealand (national flag)	A Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross (four red stars with white edges). This is still New Zealand's national flag.

Flags of Niger Coast Protectorate

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1893–1899	Niger Coast Protectorate	A Blue Ensign with the badge of the Niger Coast Protectorate in a white circle.

Flags of North Borneo

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1948–1963	North Borneo	A Blue Ensign with the new badge of Crown Colony of North Borneo.

Flags of Nova Scotia

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1858–	Nova Scotia	A blue 'X' shape on a white background with the Royal Arms of Scotland in the center. This flag is still used today.

Flags of Nyasaland

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1925–1964	Nyasaland	A Blue Ensign with the coat-of-arms of Nyasaland.

Flags of Orange River Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1900–1910	Orange River Colony	A Blue Ensign with a springbok antelope in a circle.

Flags of Palestine

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1927–1948	British Mandate of Palestine	A Red Ensign with the word Palestine inside a white circle. Used by ships. The Union Jack was the main land flag.

Flags of Territory of Papua

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1906–1949	Territory of Papua	A Blue Ensign with a crown and the word Papua underneath inside a white circle.

Flags of Penang

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1946–1949	Penang	A Blue Ensign with the old coat of arms of Penang.

Flags of Pitcairn Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1984–	Pitcairn Islands	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands.

Flags of Province of Canada

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1841–1867	Province of Canada	The flag of the United Kingdom.

Flags of Qatar

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1949–1971	Qatar Protectorate	A white band on the left, separated from a maroon area by nine white triangles.

Flags of Queensland Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1876–1901	Queensland Colony	A British Blue Ensign with a light blue Maltese Cross and a crown in the center. This flag is still used as the state flag.

Flags of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1967–1983	Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla	A vertical flag with green, yellow, and blue stripes, and a black palm tree in the middle.

Flags of Saint Helena and Dependencies

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1874–1984	Saint Helena and Dependencies	A Blue Ensign with the triangular coat of arms of Saint Helena.

Flags of Saint Lucia

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1967–1979	Saint Lucia	A blue flag with a gold triangle in front of a black triangle outlined in white.

Flags of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1907–1979	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Flags of Seychelles

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1961–1976	Seychelles	A Blue Ensign with the word "Seychelles" above a palm tree and a tortoise, all in a circle.

Flags of Sierra Leone

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1916–1961	Sierra Leone	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Sierra Leone inside a white circle.

Flags of South Australia Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1876–1901	South Australia Colony	A Blue Ensign with a badge showing a woman (Britannia) meeting an Aboriginal person on a beach.

Flags of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1992–1999	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	A Blue Ensign with the Coat of arms of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands inside a white circle.

Flags of South Africa

• Note: South Africa became independent from the United Kingdom in 1931.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1928–1961	Union of South Africa	A flag with orange, white, and blue stripes. It had three smaller flags in the white stripe: the Union Jack, the flag of Orange Free State, and the Transvaal flag.

Flags of Rhodesia (Northern & Southern)

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1924–1964	Northern Rhodesia	A Blue Ensign with the shield-of-arms of Northern Rhodesia.
	1923–1953 1968–1980	Southern Rhodesia	A Blue Ensign with the shield-of-arms of Southern Rhodesia.

Flags of Sarawak

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1946–1963	Sarawak	A Blue Ensign with the shield-of-arms of Sarawak.

Flags of Singapore

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1952–1959	Singapore	A Blue Ensign with a white circle containing a crown and a red inverted 'Y' shape.
	1959–1963	Singapore	A horizontal flag of red and white, with a white crescent moon and five white stars. This is still Singapore's national flag.

Flags of Egypt

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1922–1956	Anglo-Egyptian Sudan	The flag of the Kingdom of Egypt and the Union Jack were used together.

Flags of Tanganyika

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1919–1961	Tanganyika	A Red Ensign with a giraffe's head in a white circle.

Flags of Tasmania Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1876–1901	Tasmania Colony	A Blue Ensign with a white circle containing a red lion. Still used as the state flag.

Flags of Jordan

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1921–1946	Transjordan (British Mandate of Jordan)	The flag of the Emirate of Transjordan.

Flags of Transvaal Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1900–1910	Transvaal	A Blue Ensign with a lion on an African plain with palm trees, inside a circle.

Flags of Trinidad and Tobago

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1958–1962	Trinidad & Tobago	A Blue Ensign with a shield showing a ship arriving in front of a mountain.

Flags of Tuvalu

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1976–1978	Tuvalu	A Blue Ensign with a circular badge showing a hut and the motto of Tuvalu.

Flags of Turks and Caicos Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1968–1999	Turks and Caicos Islands	A Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Flags of Trucial States

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1964–1971	Trucial States	An unofficial flag of the Trucial States Council.

Flags of Uganda

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1914–1962	Uganda	A Blue Ensign with a grey crowned crane inside a circle.

Flags of Upper Canada

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1801–1841	Upper Canada	The Red Ensign of the United Kingdom.

Flags of Victoria Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1877–1901	Victoria Colony	A Blue Ensign with the stars of the Southern Cross.

Flags of Weihaiwei

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1903–1930	Weihaiwei	A Blue Ensign with two Mandarin ducks by a pond inside a circle.

Flags of Western Australia Colony

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1870–1901	Western Australia Colony	A Blue Ensign with a swan in a yellow circle. This flag was used as the state flag until 1953.

Flags of Western Samoa

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1922–1962	Western Samoa	A Blue Ensign with three palm trees in a circle.

Flags of West Indies Federation

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1958–1962	West Indies Federation	A blue flag with four narrow white stripes and a large orange-gold circle in the middle.

Flags of Zanzibar

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1896–1963	Zanzibar	A red flag used during the British protectorate.

Historical Governors' Flags

These flags were used by governors or other high-ranking British officials in different territories. They usually featured the Union Jack with a special symbol for their area.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
Flag of the governor-general of Canada (1921–1931)	1921–1931	Flag of the governor-general of Canada	A Union Jack with the crowned arms of Canada in a white circle, surrounded by green maple leaves.
Flag of the governor of New Zealand (1908–1936)	1908–1936	Flag of the governor of New Zealand	A Union Jack with four red stars and "NZ" in the center, surrounded by a wreath of fern.
	1875–1948	Flag of the governor of Ceylon	A Union Jack with the badge of Ceylon.
	1943–1964	Flag of the governor of Malta	A Union Jack with the Badge of Malta.
	1962	Flag of the governor of Jamaica	A Union Jack with the Badge of Colonial Jamaica.
	1908–1970	Flag of the governor of Fiji	A Union Jack with the full coat of arms of Fiji in a white circle, surrounded by a laurel wreath.
	1905–1960	Flag of the governor of Cyprus	A Union Jack with two red lions.
	1948–1963	Flag of the governor of North Borneo	A Union Jack with the Badge of North Borneo Crown Colony.
	1994–1981	Flag of the governor of British Honduras	A Union Jack with the Badge of British Honduras.
	1885–1947	Flag used by British officials in India	A Union Jack with the Order of the Star of India and a crown.
	1903–1930	Flag of the commissioner of Weihaiwei	A Union Jack with a pair of Mandarin ducks.
Flag of the governor-general of Australia (1909-1936)	1909–1936	Flag of the governor-general of Australia	A Union Jack with a seven-pointed star and a crown, surrounded by ears of corn.
	1961–1976	Flag of the governor of Seychelles	A Union Jack with the Badge of Colonial Seychelles.
	1904–1946	Flag of the governor of the Straits Settlements	A Union Jack with the badge of Straits Settlements.
	1906–1968	Flag of the governor of Mauritius	A Union Jack with the Badge of Colonial Mauritius.
	1952–1980	Flag of the resident commissioner of the British New Hebrides	A Union Jack with the badge of British New Hebrides.
	1959–1997	Flag flown on Government House, Hong Kong and the governor's official car during British rule	A Union Jack with the Coat of arms of Hong Kong.
	1910–1931	Flag of the governor-general of the Union of South Africa	A Union Jack with the Coat of Arms of South Africa.
	1952–1960	Flag of the governor(-general) of Nigeria	A Union Jack with the Badge of Nigeria.
	1914–1964	Flag of the governor of Nyasaland	A Union Jack with the badge of Nyasaland.
	1921–1922	Flag of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	A Union Flag with an Irish Harp.
	Until 1973	Personal flag of the governor of Northern Ireland	A Union Jack with the Coat of arms of Northern Ireland.
	1922–1956	Flag of the governor-general of the Sudan	A Union Flag with a white circle that said "Governor General of the SUDAN".
	1924–1951	Flag of the governor of Southern Rhodesia	A Union Jack with the shield from the Coat of Arms of Southern Rhodesia.
Flag of the governor of Southern Rhodesia (1952–1970)	1952–1965	Flag of the governor of Southern Rhodesia	A blue flag with a St. Edward's Crown in the center.
	1929–	Personal flag of the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia	A Union Jack with the shield of the Arms of Nova Scotia surrounded by green maple leaves.
	1939–1964	Flag of the governor of Northern Rhodesia	A Union Jack with the shield from the Coat of Arms of Northern Rhodesia.
	1946–1963	Flag of the governor of Sarawak	A Union Jack with the Badge of Sarawak Crown Colony.
	1946–1952	Flag of the governor of Singapore	A Union Jack with the Badge of Singapore Crown Colony.
	1951–1966	Flag of the resident commissioner of Basutoland	A Union Jack with the badge of Basutoland.
	1953–1963	Flag of the governor-general of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland	A dark blue flag with the crest from the UK royal coat of arms and the words "Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland".
	1955–1963	Flag of the British resident of Zanzibar	A Union Jack with a badge of a sailboat and a crown.
	1967–1981	Flag used by the British governor of Antigua and Barbuda	A Union Jack with the Coat of arms of Antigua and Barbuda.

Other Historical Flags

These flags were used by important companies or had special meanings within the British Empire.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1600–1858	Flag of the English/British East India Company	Many white and red stripes with the St George's Cross in the top left corner.
	1801–1858	Flag of the British East India Company	Many white and red stripes with the Union Jack of the United Kingdom in the top left corner.
	c. 1801–1965	Flag of the Hudson's Bay Company	A Red Ensign with the company's initials.
	1889–1961	Flag of the British South Africa Company	A Union Jack with the logo of the British South Africa Company in the middle.
	1801–1922	Flag of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	The Union Jack with the Coat of Arms of Ireland.
	Post 1910–c. 1945	Flag of the British Empire	An unofficial flag of the British Empire showing its main parts and India. It was flown by people across the empire during the years between the World Wars for events like the British Empire Exhibition.

See also

• British ensign
• British Empire
• British Blue Ensign
• British Red Ensign
• Flag of the United Kingdom
• Flag of Australia
• Flag of Canada
• Flag of New Zealand