The flag of the Commonwealth of Nations is the official flag used by and representing the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

. Its current design dates to 2013, a modification of a design adopted in 1976.

Description

The flag consists of the Commonwealth symbol in gold on a blue

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

. The symbol centres on a

globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

, representing the global nature of the Commonwealth and the breadth of its membership.

History

The flag developed from car pennants produced for the first time at the 1973

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM; or) is a wiktionary:biennial, biennial summit meeting of the List of current heads of state and government, governmental leaders from all Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth nations. ...

, held in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. The initiative for its design is credited to two Canadians: the first

Commonwealth Secretary-General The Commonwealth secretary-general, formally the secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965, and r ...

Arnold Smith Arnold Cantwell Smith (January 18, 1915 – February 7, 1994) was a Canadian diplomat. He was the first Commonwealth Secretary-General, serving from 1965–1975. A talented student, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford. From 1 ...

; and

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...

. It was officially adopted on 26 March 1976.

Original design

The original design featured a globe surrounded by 64 radiating, approximately quadrilateral, sunrays, which form a 'C' for 'Commonwealth'. The number of sunrays did not represent the number of member states (there have never been 64 members); instead, the large number represented the many ways in which the Commonwealth cooperates around the world. This flag used Pantone 286.

2013 redesign

In 2013, the globe was tilted, and the number of sunrays reduced to 34. The colourings used in the flag were also slightly modified. The standard proportions of the flag are 3:5; however, a 1:2 version appears in countries whose flags use a 1:2 ratio, such as Australia and the UK. This flag used Pantone 280.

Usage

The flag of the Commonwealth of Nations is flown at

Marlborough House Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion on The Mall in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is adjacent to St James's Palace. The ...

, London, the headquarters of the

Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating co-operation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of ...

, throughout the year, and for a limited period at other venues where Commonwealth meetings, events, or visits are taking place (for example, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings). Commonwealth flag Ottawa

On 28 September 2016, the Welsh Conservative AM in the

National Assembly for Wales The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

Mohammad Asghar Mohammad Asghar (30 September 1945 – 16 June 2020), known as Oscar, was a Welsh politician who was a Member of the Senedd for South Wales East. He was a member of the Welsh Conservatives, and previously of Welsh Labour, and Plaid Cymru. H ...

suggested that once the United Kingdom left the European Union, the Welsh Assembly should replace the EU Flag alongside the

Union Flag The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...

and the Welsh Flag. It has been suggested that the Flag of the Commonwealth be the replacement. On 31 January 2020, Brexit was marked at the Gibraltar border with the lowering of the EU flag and the raising of the Commonwealth flag in its place.

Commonwealth Day

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General

Don McKinnon Sir Donald Charles McKinnon (born 27 February 1939) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 12th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and the minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the fourth secretary-general of the Commonw ...

encourages the flying of the Commonwealth flag on Commonwealth Day, and the Office of the Secretary-General notes that "it is not the case that the Union Jack – or the flag of any other member country for that matter – is a substitute for the Commonwealth flag which represents the association of 53 members and their peoples." However, in Canada, the

federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

directs its installations with a second flagpole to fly the Royal Union Flag instead, as that flag was the designated symbol in that country to represent its Commonwealth membership and allegiance to

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

. In the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Flag is flown on Commonwealth Day at the

Scottish Parliament Building The Scottish Parliament Building (; ) is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood, within the World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction of the building commenced in June 1999 ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, alongside the

, the Scottish saltire, and the European Union flag, which latter three flying daily. Similar arrangements were made to fly the Commonwealth flag on Commonwealth Day, alongside the Union Flag, were made at the in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

in 2002. A similar arrangement was made at the Parliament Buildings in

in 2002, with the Commonwealth flag flown alongside the Union Flag on Commonwealth Day. In Gibraltar, the flag is also raised on Commonwealth Day from the third flagpole at No. 6 Convent Place, the office of the

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

, alongside the Union Flag and the

flag of Gibraltar The flag of Gibraltar is an elongated banner of arms based on the coat of arms of Gibraltar, coat of arms of Gibraltar, granted by Royal Warrant from Queen Isabella I of Castile on 10 July 1502. The flag of Gibraltar is unique as it is the only ...

Commonwealth Games

A ceremonial flag is used at the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

, the design of which has changed considerably over the years. File:Ceremonial flag of the British Empire Games (1930–1950).svg, British Empire Games flag (1930–1950) File:Ceremonial flag of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games (1954–1966).svg, British Empire and Commonwealth Games flag (1954–1966) File:Ceremonial flag of the British Commonwealth Games (1970–1974).svg, British Commonwealth Games flag (1970–1974) File:Ceremonial flag of the Commonwealth Games (1978–1998).svg, Commonwealth Games flag (1978–1998) File:Manmohan Singh receiving the Commonwealth Games Flag from the Chairman, Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games, Shri Suresh Kalmadi, in New Delhi. The Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Youth Affairs & Sports.jpg, Commonwealth Games flag (2002–2018) File:Commonwealth Games Federation symbol (2019- Till Date).svg, Commonwealth Games flag (2022–present)

Gallery

File:Commonwealth Day 2017 (32545205223).jpg, The Commonwealth Flag, as well as the flags of Commonwealth members, flying in

Parliament Square Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and ...

on Commonwealth Day 2017

References

External links

Commonwealth Secretariat webpage on the Commonwealth Symbol and Flag
{{Flags of International Organization

Flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

Commonwealth Of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...