The flag of Norfolk is the

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 emp ...

of the

English county The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

. The flag consist of a vertical bi-colour of gold and black, with a white bend (heraldry), bend bearing nine black ermine spots alternating between pairs and singles. It was officially registered on 11 September 2014 as a traditional county flag, following a campaign by Norfolk resident Dominic Victor Maverick Smith. __TOC__

Design and symbolism

The flag's design is the banner of arms attributed to the first Earl of Norfolk, Ralph de Gael. This 12th-century design has been associated with the county ever since, appearing on maps and books and of course forming the basis of the county council arms awarded in 1904. It is thought that the ermine bend (the diagonal stripe from top left to bottom right) found in the design may be a reference to Brittany, where Ralph was Lord of Gael as the ermine is a common local emblem such that it features on the Flag of Brittany, Breton flag. This ermine pattern has had differing designs but for the registration a precise form was chosen in consultation with the Flag Institute and a flag bearing this design was commissioned by the Association of British Counties. This pattern was duly registered.[ The Flag Institute].

Council Flag

Before the creation of a Norfolk flag, the Norfolk County Council’s coat of arms had been constructed as a flag so was incorrectly described as the county flag of Norfolk. Whilst also incorporating the De Gael design the council arms represent the council only, and include a specific ornamentation from King Edward VII in recognition of the royal residence at Sandringham House, Sandringham – a red bar, heraldically termed a “chief”, placed across the De Gael arms and featuring elements borne by the Prince of Wales, a title which the king had previously held. This very specific design, accordingly, very clearly represents only the council rather than the county as an entity in its own right.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Norfolk Norfolk Flags of places in England, Norfolk Flags introduced in 2014, Norfolk