King's Flag for Australia

King's Flag for Australia
UseOther Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Adopted30 August 2024; 59 days ago (2024-08-30)[1]
DesignThe six quarters of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, surrounded by an ermine border.

The King's Flag for Australia is the flag of Charles III in his role as King of Australia. It is used in a similar way as the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, by signalling the monarch's presence within a building or vehicle in Australia.

History

Queen's Personal Australian Flag
UseOther Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagSmall vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Adopted20 September 1962; 62 years ago (1962-09-20)[2]
Relinquished8 September 2022 (laid up and is no longer flown) [3]
DesignThe six quarters of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, surrounded by an ermine border defaced with a gold federation star containing a blue disc
Flag with proportions 22:31[citation needed]

Queen Elizabeth II was the first Australian monarch to adopt a personal flag for Australia. Her flag was approved for use on 20 September 1962, and used for the first time during the 1963 royal tour.[2] The personal flag of Queen Elizabeth differed from that of Charles III as it was defaced with a gold seven-pointed federation star with a blue disc containing the letter E below a crown, surrounded by a garland of golden roses. The star represented the states and territories. The blue disc was taken from the Queen's Personal Flag, used by her for duties as Head of the Commonwealth of Nations.

King Charles III similarly adopted an Australian flag to acknowledge his role as King of Australia. It was approved on 30 August 2024 and used for the first time on his inaugural royal tour to the country as monarch in October 2024.[1]

Description

The King's Flag is the escutcheon of the coat of arms of Australia in banner form.

The King's Flag consists of a banner of the coat of arms of Australia.

Each of the six sections of the flag represents the heraldic badge of the Australian states, and the whole is surrounded by an ermine border representing the federation of the states:[1][4]

Use

The King's Flag for Australia is used when he is visiting Australia, on Royal Australian Navy vessels, on official buildings, cars and aircraft that the King occupies.[6] When it is flown on or outside a building, it should be the only flag present.[2][1]

Coronation standards

During the coronation ceremony of the monarch at Westminster Abbey, the standards of various countries are carried by various officials in the procession inside the abbey. These flags are the country's coat of arms as a banner of arms. For Australia, similar standards based on the current and previous coat of arms were used thrice: at the coronations of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II in 1911, 1937, and 1953, respectively.[citation needed] The banner of the 1908–1912 coat of arms was used in 1911,[7][8][9] with the banner of the current arms used in 1937 and 1953.[10] The banner was in a 3:4 ratio and without defacement. At the 2023 coronation of King Charles III, the Australian national flag was used to represent Australia.[11]

  • Australian coronation standards
  • 1911 Coronation Standard
    1911 Coronation Standard
  • 1937 and 1953 Coronation Standard
    1937 and 1953 Coronation Standard
  • 2023 Coronation Standard[12]
    2023 Coronation Standard[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Royal and Vice-Regal flags". Australian Government: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Her Majesty the Queen's Personal Flag for Australia". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  3. ^ https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/customs-and-traditions/queen-elizabeth-ii-personal-flag-australia
  4. ^ Government of Australia: Department of the Environment and Water Resources
  5. ^ "Royal and Vice-Regal flags | Australian Flags booklet | PM&C". 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023.
  6. ^ Queen Elizabeth's Personal Flag was also used once in the UK during a church service to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900.[5]
  7. ^ "CORONATION STANDARDS". Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 – 1954). 15 May 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Alfred Pearse (c.1854–1933) – Coronation of George V: Standard bearers". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Coronation of George V: Standard bearers 1911". www.watercolourworld.org. The Watercolour World. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Australian Standard For Coronation". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 – 1954). 23 May 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Sam Kerr carries flag for Australia as sport marks King Charles III coronation". The Observer. 6 May 2023.
  12. ^ Coronation Roll
  • Barraclough, E. M. C. and Crampton, W. G. (1978). Flags of the World. London: Frederick Warne. ISBN 0-7232-2015-8. P. 207