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Flags of the Royal Family, United Kingdom

Last modified: 2006-01-21 by rob raeside
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[Other members of Royal Family]

base image Vincent Morley, bordure ermine added by Marcus Schmöger

Members of the royal family without their own specific standards use the royal standard with a bordure of ermine. This was for instance used by the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Marcus Schmöger, 12 November 2001

Below is a list of standards of members of the royal family, as described in Neubecker (1939, reprinted 1992), provided by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002.

See also:

A list of standards of members of the British Royal Family that are a version of, or include, the Royal Standard compiled by David Prothero, 23 September 2002, unless otherwise indicated.

Granted in the Reign of Queen Victoria. 1837 - 1901

Albert, Duke of Saxony, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1857(?) - 1861

[Prince Albert] from Le Gras (1858)

Quartered : Royal Standard 1st, with Standard of Saxony.
[Royal Standard in upper hoist and lower fly] On the quarters with the Royal Standard, white label with three points, two blank, one with cross of St George.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Edward, Prince of Wales; [later King Edward VII], 1857(?) - 1901

[Prince of Wales] from Le Gras (1858)

Shield of Arms of Saxony in centre of Royal Standard, White label with three points, all blank.

Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, 18?? - 1893(?)

Shield of Arms of Saxony in centre of Royal Standard, white label with three points, two with blue Anchor, one with cross of St George.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Granted in the Reign of King Edward VII. 1901 - 1910

George, Prince of Wales, [later King George V].

by 1907 - 1910. Shield of Arms of Saxony in centre of Royal Standard, White label with three points, all blank.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; 1906 - 1917 [Son of Queen Victoria.]

[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn] from The Mystic Seaport Foundation

Shield of Arms of Saxony in centre of Royal Standard, white label with three points; two with blue fleur-de-lis, one with cross of St George.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

1917 - 1942

Same, without shield of Saxony. During WWI, the Saxon shield was removed.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

The inescutcheon of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is on the standard of the Prince of Wales in the 1905 Flaggenbuch. According to my notes the same inescutcheon is on the standard shown in the 1907 Admiralty Flag Book. There was no edition in 1910, but in the 1915 edition the inescutcheon of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha had been replaced by the shield from the Welsh arms. It seems that this happened when George V granted arms to Edward (VIII) Prince of Wales in about 1910, but the inescutcheon of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha continued on the standards of the Duke of Connaught and 'Other Members of the Royal Family' until 1917 when the family name was changed to Windsor.
David Prothero, 12 February 2005

Arthur, Prince of Connaught; 1906 - 1917

[Son of Arthur Duke of Connaught]
Shield of Arms of Saxony in centre of Royal Standard, white label with five points; three with cross of St George, two with blue Fleur-de-lis.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

1917 - 1938

without shield of Saxony.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Queen Alexandra, Princess of Denmark; 1907 - 1925

Royal Standard and Personal Standard Impaled. [Royal Standard in hoist]
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

[Queen Alexandra, 1907-1925]

Source: A photograph of Queen Alexandra's standard, that had been carried to the Antarctic by Shackleton, was posted by the BBC in September 2002, when it was being auctioned off.

The arms consist of three shields placed on top of each other:
Bottom shield: Quartered by the Cross of Dannebrog 1 Denmark, 2 Schleswig, 3 per fess, in chief Sweden, in base gules, a stock fish argent, crowned or (for Iceland), impaling azure, a buck passant argent (for Faroe Islands), and azure, a polar bear rampant argent (for Greenland), 4 per fess in chief Wends: Yellow wyvern on red, in base Goths: Blue lion over nine red hearts on yellow.
Middle shield: Quartered: 1 Holstein: White nettle leaf on red, 2 Stormarn: White swan on blue, 3 Dithmarschen: White mounted knight on red, 4 Lauenburg: Yellow horse head on red.
Top shield: Per pale, Dexter Oldenburg, Sinister: Delmenhorst: Yellow cross on blue.
David Prothero
, 27 April 2002

Other Members. 1907 - 1917

[Other Members. 1907 - 1917] from The Mystic Seaport Foundation

Shield of Arms of Saxony in centre of Royal Standard, Ermine Border.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Granted in the Reign of King George V. 1910 - 1936.

Edward, Prince of Wales; [briefly King Edward VIII]. 1911 - 1936

Shield of Arms of Wales surmounted by Coronet in centre of Royal Standard, White label with three points, all blank.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Queen Mary, Princess of Teck. 1913 - 1953

[Queen Mary, Princess of Teck] from The Mystic Seaport Foundation

Royal Standard and Personal Standard Impaled.
[Royal Standard appears three times, as personal arms were those of Teck quartered with Arms of George III.]

Impaled the Royal standard with her family standard. As she is the daughter of Mary Adelaidee, who is the daughter of Adulpus of Cambridge Hanover, son of King George II, the Royal Arms appear as part of that family's half as well, be it with a heart-shield for Hanover, and with a label with three pendants, with two hearts, twice, and a St. George cross. They are quartered with the arms of her father Francis Duke of Teck, I assume, who is a son of Duke Alexander of Wurtemberg: Impaled yellow three antlers and yellow 3 black lions passant langued and armed red, with a heart shield of yellow and black lozenges. The shield itself is Wurtemberg, but what is the heart-shield? All I know is that it looks like the flag of Munich.

I guess this suggests that the Royal Standard for England for the house of Hanover, differenced with a white label with three pendants, with two hearts, twice, and a St. George cross, was the standard of Adulpus of Cambrige Hanover, if he had one. All tressures have 8 fleur-de-lys.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002 

The 1910-1953 standard of Queen Mary (Queen Mother 1936-1953) is shown in Flaggenbuch 1939 as the royal standard at the hoist with the arms of the Dukes of Teck on the fly.
David Prothero
, 27 April 2002

The black lions have the forepaws 'fleshed' or 'flayed', a Württemberg method of differencing applied to the supporters of the Duke of Teck's arms (Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, 1978 reprint of 1909 ed., Bonanza Books, New York, p. 187).

The shield with the black and yellow lozenges represents Teck.
Jan Mertens, 22 January 2005

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:QM_standard.gif for a more detailed image, incorrectly sourced to FOTW.  Note that this image shows the escutcheons in the Duke of Teck's standard as black and white (not yellow).
Santiago Dotor, 3 November 2005

Other Members. 1917 -

Royal Standard with Ermine Border.
[Arms of Saxony removed when family name changed from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor in 1917.]
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Albert, Duke of York; [later King George VI]. 1920 - 1936

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two blank, one with blue Anchor.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

George, Duke of Kent; [youngest son of King George V]. 1934? - 1942.

Royal Standard; white label with three points, all with blue anchor.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002


Granted in the Reign of King Edward VIII. 1936

I seem to recall a photo of the Duke of Windsor's flag (crown on white label for difference) laid on his coffin.
Jan Mertens, 3 November 2005


Granted in the Reign of King George VI. 1936 - 1952

Queen Elizabeth. 1937 - 1952, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, 1952 - 2002

Royal Standard and Personal Standard Impaled.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Princess Elizabeth, by 1948 - 1952 [later Queen Elizabeth II]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two with cross of St George, one with Tudor Rose.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh

The Royal Standard of HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh (i.e., the Queen after marrying Prince Philip and before she became Queen). This is shown in the records of the College of Arms, and was used I believe on a visit to Canada. It is unusual (in Royal Standard terms) in that the Duke of Edinburgh’s arms are at the hoist, and the Royal Arms, differenced with Princess Elizabeth’s label, are in the fly.
Graham Bartram, 24 September 2002

Princess Margaret, by 1948 - 2002 [Younger daughter King George VI.]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two with Tudor Rose, one with Thistle.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, by 1948 - 1974 [Third son of King George V.]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two with cross of St George, one with red Lion passant guardant.

The Royal Standard for England differenced with a white label with three pendants, with St. George crosses and a red lion. I don't know whether Princes Alice Duchess of Gloucester, widow of Prince Henry has a standard, or whether their first son William did. (The pattern suggests this would have been: The Royal Standard for England differenced with a white label with five pendants, with red lions and St. George crosses.)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002

Prince George, Duke of Kent [Fourth son of King George V.]

The Royal Standard for England differenced with a white label with three pendants, with anchors, apparently black. However, since the blue in the image is quite dark, and since we know only blue anchors are used, I assume they must be blue. I expect his wife Marina had a standard, combining his standard with that of Greece, but I don't know the details.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 April 2002

Princess Mary, Princess Royal, by 1948 - 1965 [Eldest daughter King George V.]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, all with cross of St George.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Granted in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth II. 1952 -

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Consort

A drawing in "Simple Heraldry (subtitle Cheerfully Illustrated)" by Iain Moncreiffe and Don Pottinger (Thomas Nelson and Sons) shows the derivation of the Duke of Edinburgh's coat of arms, with it whimsically used as a longboat sail. The reference mentions instances where the arms of places derive from people, and this is an instance of where the arms of a place became part of a personal coat of arms - so you have Edinburgh's arms showing a castle, and that same castle as the fourth quarter in Philip's arms.
Mike Oettle, 25 September 2002

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. 19?? -

Shield of Arms of Wales surmounted by Coronet in centre of Royal Standard, White label with three points, all blank.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Andrew, Duke of York. 1960 - [Second son of Queen Elizabeth II.]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two blank, one with blue Anchor.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. 19?? - [Youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II.]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two blank, one with Tudor Rose
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Princess Anne, Princess Royal. 1950 - [Daughter Queen Elizabeth II]

Royal Standard; white label with three points, two with cross of St George, one with red Heart.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. 19?? - [Grandson of King George V.]

Royal Standard; white label with five points, three with cross of St George, two with red Lion passant guardant.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. 19?? - [Son of George, Duke of Kent, Grandson of King George V.]

Royal Standard; white label with five points, three with blue Anchor, two with cross of St George.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Prince Michael of Kent. 19?? - [Son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, Grandson of King George V.]

Royal Standard; white label with five points, three with cross of St George, two with blue Anchor.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg
, 24 April 2002

Princess Alexandra of Kent. 19?? - [Granddaughter of King George V.]

Royal Standard; white label with five points, two outer with red Heart, two inner with blue Anchor, one with cross of St George.  

Prince William and Prince Henry ("Harry"), sons of Prince Charles, grandson of Queen Elizabeth

Presumably, following the grant of arms to Prince William and Prince Henry ("Harry") of Wales, they also have royal standards differenced with their labels containing the red escallops from the Spencer arms.
Ralph Kelly, 24 September 2002

I'm inclined to think that the Princes have not yet been granted one. In the 1950 Book of Flags Campbell and Evans wrote, "On the centre point of the [Duke of Windsor's] label is now an Imperial Crown in token of his former rank as King Edward VIII; it appears on the Royal Arms, for he has not yet been granted a flag." This is repeated in the 1969 edition, only three years before he died. It suggests that standards are not granted automatically with arms, and I have seen no mention of a standard for either Prince.
David Prothero, 24 September 2002

I think William and Harry will officially get flags when they start undertaking Royal duties, although technically Harry already has. I believe you are right that the grant of a differenced Royal Arms does not automatically give the bearer the right to the same as a banner (as it would for non-Royal Arms), and that a separate warrant is required from the monarch. I remember discussing this Royal peculiarity with the heralds a couple of years ago. As far as I know, the design of the flag never varies from the arms, so we know what William and Harry’s flags will look like, even if they are not meant to use them yet.
Graham Bartram, 24 September 2002

See our pages on Prince William and Prince Henry