Loudoun County, Virginia (U.S.)

Last modified: 2009-07-26 by rick wyatt
Keywords: loudoun | virginia |
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image by Joe McMillan, 29 October 1999

• Description of the flag

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• Leesburg
• Municipal and County Flags of Virginia
• Virginia
• United States of America

Description of the flag

Description: The Loudoun County, Virginia, flag is a banner of the county arms devised by the English College of Arms in 1968. These are based on the arms of the 4th Earl of Loudoun, who was a colonial governor of Virginia after whom the county was named. They are blazoned as gyronny of eight gules and ermine, a bordure embattled vert goutty argent. The green bordure is intended to represent the county's agricultural economy and the white drops are milk, denoting the dairy industry.
Joe McMillan, 29 October 1999

The web page at www.loudoun.gov describes the Loudoun County flag and shows a picture of it flying. Quoting that web page:

The Loudoun County flag is derived from the armorial bearings devised for the county by the College of Arms in London. Loudoun was the first county in the United States to enjoy this distinction.

The Arms are based on those of the 4th Earl of Loudoun, one-time Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces in North America and Governor of Virginia, after whom Loudoun County was named.

The Earl of Loudoun's Arms are described, in heraldic language, as "Gyronny Ermine and Gules." Translated, this means a shield divided into eight parts, with ermine and red alternating.

To this base, making the shield specific to Loudoun County, has been added a border, in heraldic language, "Bordure embattled Vert gutty Argent." Translated, this means a green indented border with white or silver drops, suggesting milk.

This represents, in the symbolism of heraldry, the agricultural background of the county (the green color); the Monroe Doctrine and President Monroe's association with the county (the indented or "embattled" edging); and the dairy industry (the white or silver drops).

Finally, this design has been made into a rectangle -- instead of the familiar shield shape of the Arms themselves -- to produce the usual flag shape.