The flag of Guernsey was adopted in 1985 and consists of the red

Saint George's Cross In heraldry, Saint George's Cross, the Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader. Associated with the cru ...

with an additional gold

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

cross within it. The creation was prompted by confusion at international sporting events over competitors from

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

using the same flag. It was designed by the Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee led by Deputy Bailiff Sir Graham Dorey. The flag was first unveiled on the island on 15 February 1985. The gold cross represents

William the Bastard William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 108 ...

, Duke of Normandy (who became, after the

conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...

, William I of England). William purportedly was given such a cross by Pope Alexander II and flew it on his

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

in the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror, William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godw ...

.Nicolls, Bruce, ''A New Flag for Guernsey'', Review of the

Guernsey Society The Guernsey Society is an organisation for people with an interest in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Society aims The Guernsey Society aims are to promote, maintain and stimulate interest in all matters concerning the Bailiwick of Guernsey, its past, ...

, Winter 1985, Vol XLI No 3 Since 2000, a red ensign with the cross in the fly has been used as the government's

civil ensign A civil ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and the naval ensign (or war ensign). It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag ...

and as a

blue ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or defaced with a badge or other emblem. The ev ...

History

Prior to 1985, Guernsey had no official unique flag and instead used the

St George's Cross In heraldry, Saint George's Cross, the Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader. Associated with the cru ...

(the

flag of England The flag of England is the national flag of England, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. It is derived from Saint George's Cross (heraldic blazon: ''Argent, a cross gules''). The association of the red cross as an emblem of England ...

) as its flag when one was officially required. This came about after

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

granted consent for Guernsey to use the flag of England in 1936; during the German occupation of the Channel Islands, the residents were prevented from displaying official British symbols, but the flag of England was permitted for civilian use. The

Government of Guernsey The Policy & Resources Committee is the Senior Committee of the system of government in Guernsey. It was created on 1 May 2016 to replace the Policy Council of Guernsey. Guernsey generally operates a system of government by committees and cons ...

carried out official studies in 1906 and 1935 to determine any unique and identifiable historical flags that Guernsey could use to represent it. In 1983, the

Bailiff of Guernsey The title Bailiff of Guernsey has been used since at least the 13th century and indicated the leading citizen of Guernsey. The 90th and current Bailiff is Richard McMahon. History A ''Bailli'', the early Norman name for Bailiff was the perso ...

argued the need for a new flag for Guernsey because of the confusion caused by using the flag of England. The impetus for the flag's creation was confusion at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, where Guernsey competed under the flag of England some other nations' competitors erroneously believed England was entering two teams into the Games. BayeuxTapestryScene46

Research was carried out by Deputy Bailiff Sir

Graham Dorey Sir Graham Martyn Dorey (15 December 1932 – 25 June 2015) was the Bailiff of Guernsey from February 1992 to March 1999. Biography The second son of a local grower, Martyn Dorey, he was evacuated to Scotland during World War II. He was educa ...

, of Guernsey's Flag Investigation Committee. The committee considered a number of designs. It was initially considered that the new flag for Guernsey should contain green, but it was ruled that the colour green has no historical basis in Guernsey aside of being used as a sporting colour by the Guernsey national football team in

Muratti The Muratti Vase is an annual men's and women's football competition, inaugurated in 1905, between teams representing the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey. The larger islands of Guernsey and Jersey dominate the competition, wit ...

matches. Consideration was given to using the

coat of arms of Guernsey The coat of arms of Guernsey is the official symbol of the Channel Island of Guernsey. It is very similar to the arms of Normandy, Jersey and England. Seal of Guernsey The Seal of Guernsey closely follows the Coat of Arms, it originates from 12 ...

on a St George's Cross but this was rejected on the grounds that the arms would be unidentifiable at a distance. It was also decided that to do so would be to focus on English symbols, not recognising Guernsey's independence or Norman history. The committee eventually settled on including a gold cross on top of the St George's Cross. The gold cross was chosen as it was a symbol of King

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

, seen on a banner at the

, as portrayed on the Bayeux Tapestry. That banner was purportedly given to William by Pope Alexander II as a symbol of his blessing for the

Norman Conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...

along with a request for the clergy of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

to give way to William. The new flag's design was to symbolise that the islanders were of Norman descent but loyal to the English (and later British) Crown. In 1985

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

, Duke of Normandy, granted a Royal Warrant for the flag to become the official flag of Guernsey. Unveiled on 15 February 1985, the flag was flown for the first time on

Liberation Day Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...

on 9 May, the 40th anniversary of the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

' liberation from German occupation during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Thereafter, the Guernsey flag was used in the

Grosse Rocque Große or Grosse is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Demetrius Grosse *Maurice Grosse *Katharina Grosse *Ben Grosse *Hans-Werner Grosse *Heinz-Josef Große *Julius Grosse Julius Waldemar Grosse (25 April 1828 – 9 ...

ceremony, replacing the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

, which had traditionally been raised on Grosse Rocque every August

bank holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or held ...

. The flag would then fly on the rock continuously for a year before being replaced with a new one. The flag of Guernsey is flown from all of the States of Guernsey buildings except on designated flag-flying days, when the Union Jack is used instead. These days mostly relate to birthdays and anniversaries of senior members of the Royal Family as well as Commonwealth Day and

Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in Nov ...

. The flag is also flown on the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings on all public buildings. The flag provided inspiration for the flag of Alderney in 1993. It has also inspired other symbols. In 2011, the

Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service is the ambulance and rescue service of Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands, and also provides these services to other islands within the Bailiwick of Guernsey, both those directly governed, an ...

adopted a new logo comprising the Cross of St George and gold Norman cross, but defaced by the Maltese Cross of the

Venerable Order of Saint John The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

based on the Guernsey flag. In November 2012 the

Bailiwick of Guernsey The Bailiwick of Guernsey (french: Bailliage de Guernesey; Guernésiais: ''Bailliage dé Guernési'') is an island country off the coast of France as one of the three Crown Dependencies. Separated from the Duchy of Normandy by and under the t ...

's St John Ambulance was elevated to a Commandery within the Order dependent on the Priory of England and the Islands in a church service which included granting a new flag from the British

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

including elements of the flag of Guernsey. The flag is not universally supported. Some Guernsey sports fans complain that the flag lacks Guernsey's sporting colour of green or the crest of Guernsey. In the 2000s, a green and white tricolour with the coat of arms of Guernsey in the centre was created by Guernsey sports fans to be used as Guernsey's unofficial sporting flag.

Guernsey ensign

At the same time as the flag of Guernsey was adopted, the Royal Warrant also provided for creation of a Guernsey

. This was created as a British red ensign incorporating the Guernsey gold cross. That was created for Guernsey residents and British subjects as an alternative flag of Guernsey as well as to be used as Guernsey's

merchant ensign A civil ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and the naval ensign (or war ensign). It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag ...

. In 2000, the States of Guernsey adopted a

version of the Guernsey ensign for maritime usage on government vessels.

Gallery of historical flags

The previous flag of Guernsey was the

, which Guernsey was permitted to use in 1936 for its state flag. However, there is evidence to suggest the existence of an even earlier Guernsey flag, used in the mid-19th century. This was a St George's cross on a blue-and-white chequered field, with the

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

in canton. Further details of its use and official status remain doubtful, however. Flag of Guernsey (1936).svg, FIAV historical

1936–1985 flag Old Flag of Guernsey.svg, FIAV historical

19th century flag Unoffical Flag of Guernsey (1890-1940).svg, Unofficial sporting flag of Guernsey

Parish flags

Image:Flag of Forest Parish, Guernsey.svg, Flag of

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Image:Flag of Saint Peter Port, Guernsey.svg, Flag of

Saint Peter Port St. Peter Port (french: Saint-Pierre Port) is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958. St. ...

Image:Flag of Saint Pierre du Bois Parish, Guernsey.svg, Flag of

Saint Pierre du Bois St Peter's ( Guernesiais: Saint Pierre), known officially as ''Saint Pierre du Bois'' (English: "St. Peter in the Wood") is a parish in Guernsey. It is the centre for the Guernsey Western Parishes which includes Torteval, St Saviour's and the ...

Image:Flag of Torteval Parish, Guernsey.svg, Flag of Torteval

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guernsey, Flag of

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