![[Falkland Islands]](../images/f/fk.gif)
by Graham Bartram
Last modified: 2019-01-09 by rob raeside
Keywords: falkland islands | sheep | bullock | sealion | falklands island company |
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by Graham Bartram
![[Falkland Islands, pre-1999 pattern]](../images/f/fk_1948b.gif)
by >Graham Bartram and António Martins
The flag actually changed in appearance this year (1999) when the Ministry of Defence changed the specification for the placement of badges on ensigns. The size of the badge was increased considerably (200% - 300%) and all white discs were removed. The badges are now more like major charges on the field rather than small augmentations. In the future, if one of these flags needs to be differenced (e.g. the Falkland's Police ensign - which doesn't actually exist) the second badge will sit in the centre of the third quarter.
Graham Bartram, 12 October and 11 December 1999
The The Merchant Shipping (Falkland Islands Colours) Order 1998 was made on 16th December 1998, laid before Parliament on 4th January 1999 and coming into force on the 25th of January this year.
Jan Oskar Engene, 10 November 1999
I am a bit puzzled by this change of size in the badges. Does the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence have the authority to change the flags of the dependencies? I mean, if I am not mistaken the Falkland Island red ensign was adopted through the "The Merchant Shipping (Falkland Islands Colours)
Order" which was approved by "The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council." I guess there will be similar legislation for other dependencies. Can the UK Ministry of Defence just overturn such legislation?
Jan Oskar Engene, 13 October 1999
I think that the Ministry of Defence has inherited the right of the Admiralty to indicate how the badges should be displayed on a flag. The flags actually used are not necessarily the same as the drawings in even official flag books, so perhaps no one will be surprised. For example, in 1936 the Admiralty Flag Book of 1930 was amended with a new badge for the Falkland Islands based on the arms granted in 1925. However the arms were not popular, ("have no artistic merit,", "furnish occasion for critical levity,") and the old badge continued in use until 1948 when the 1925 arms were cancelled and replaced by the current arms.
David Prothero, 17 October 1999
Orders in Council are part of the law of the land. The Ministry of Defence can only override them if this power is given to them in the order.
Andrew Yong, 19 October 1999
Until April 1964 defacements for Red Ensigns were authorized by Admiralty
Warrant. After the Admiralty became Ministry of Defence (Navy), Red Ensign
defacements were issued by Royal Warrant. Under the Merchant Shipping
(Registration etc.) Act of 1993, defaced Red Ensigns must be authorized by
Orders in Council. The only Blue Ensign defacements that required a warrant were
those for India and chartered companies. All other Blue Ensign defacements were
considered to be for "ships belonging to Her Majesty" and thus did not require a
warrant. It seems that the Ministry of Defence can amend and issue defacements
of the Blue Ensign but not of the Red Ensign.
David Prothero, 21 October 1999
I was working on the bases between 1953 and 1958. I recall that the RRS John
Biscoe and RRS Shackleton flew a blue ensign with a slightly different form.
There was no helm or crest and the "wavy barry" were a sort of Cambridge blue.
The bases flew the Union flag.
Graham Rumsey, 7 November 2004
All the government and official buildings now fly the disc-less version with
the larger arms, as promulgated by the MoD in 1999. I suspect that some private
residences still fly the disc version.
Graham Bartram, 16 May 2005
Press Release
It is notified for general information that new designs for flags for the
Falkland Islands - Red and Blue Ensigns - were approved by Her Majesty the Queen
in July this year [2007]. Approval was based on new artwork supplied by the
Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms in London and the approved designs
have been entered in the appropriate book of registration at the College of
Arms. The Crest used on the flags is the 1948 version. Copies of the relevant
artwork are attached [blue ensign;
red ensign]. Government departments will
commence flying the new versions of the Blue Ensign as soon as supplies arrive
in the Islands.
Government Secretary,
The Secretariat, Thatcher Drive, Stanley, Falkland Islands
Tim Cotter, 22 October 2007
The ship is supposed to be the Desire, the ship that discovered
the islands in 1592, thus giving us the colony's motto 'Desire the Right',
as it was written on a scroll at the bottom of it. The ship and the river
are in the newer badge much more stylized.
Roy Stilling, Stuart Park, Nick Artimovich, 21 February 1996
The ship's mainsail is "charged with four torts in cross", to quote the
blazon shown on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Falkland_Islands).
However, Ralph Hartemink's site at
https://ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=National_Arms_of_the_Falkland_Islands
clearly shows these red objects as six-pointed stars.
Question: is the blazon
at Wikipedia correct? Are they torts or estoiles?
Rob Raeside, 19
December 2018
The Falklands Islands government website appears to show them as
stars:
https://www.falklands.gov.fk/self-governance/the-falkland-islands-government/.
A real picture of coat of arms here (behind the members of Assembly):
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Members_of_the_Falkland_Islands_Legislative_Assembly_%2830890771101%29.jpg
also clearly shows stars when you zoom in on it.
Zoltan Horvath, 19
December 2018
![[Civil ensign]](../images/f/fk_1999r.gif)
image
by Graham Bartram and António Martins
Boats and ships registered in the Falkland Islands are entitled to carry
a special defaced red ensign. This is provided for in the Merchant Shipping
(Falkland Islands Colours) Order, 1998, which came into force on 25
January 1999. The Falkland Islands red ensign was designed by the late
director of the Flag Institute, Dr William Crampton, in spring 1996.
Jos Poels, 25 January 1999
The Falkland Island red ensign still has a small badge on a white disk. This is what the illustration in the order in Council shows, and the text explicitly says:
"The positioning and proportions of the defacement shall be in accordance with the illustration in the Schedule hereto."The order does not give the Ministry of Defence the power to change the flag.
Shortly after the Merchant Shipping (Falkland Islands Colours) Order, 1998 was issued I spoke to Mr A. K. Galloway, clerk of the Privy Council, who actually signed the instrument. According to him the civil ensign doesn't have a white disc on it. It's not mentioned in the text and, according to him, a white circle was only included on the black and white illustration as otherwise the arms would not have been visible, black on black. We talked about doing future statutory instruments in colour to avoid confusion of this sort.
So the question of the circle is moot - officially it doesn't exist,
and the Ministry of Defence doesn't need to get rid of it. The size of
the badge is indeed specified, and the Ministry of Defence doesn't have
absolute control over civil ensigns, sharing that honour with the Department
of Environment, Transport, and Regions. In terms of blue ensigns the proportions
of badges are within the Ministry of Defence's competency and can be changed
by the Ministry of Defence without reference to anyone else. The actual
badges are defined in consultation between the Ministry of Defence, Home
Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and College of Arms.
Graham Bartram, 11 December 1999
The Red Ensign defaced with the badge of the Falkland Islands was
approved by Her Majesty 16th December 1998 and came into effect on
25th January 1999 (Statutory Instrument 1998 No 3147).
David Prothero, 14 August 2000
I can add a little confusion to the discussion on the Falklands Islands Civil
Ensign in FOTW. I asked William Crampton (who designed the flag) about the white
disk some years ago (and fortunately took notes of his answer). William said
that "he had given them the option of whether or not to place the arms in a
white disk, and that they had chosen to do so". Whatever the person who
signed the Order told Graham Bartram, the white disk appears to have been a
deliberate choice, and whether the Schedule is in black and white or colour
really doesn't make any difference because the wording of the Order is specific
in referring to it. Article Two (the Schedule) shows a white disk 48% of flag
width - knowing William it was probably intended as one-half. The Falklands
Islands Colours Order was issued under powers granted by Act of Parliament, and
placed before that body in proper form; it is therefore law.
Christopher Southworth, 12 May 2003
![[Governor of the Falklands]](../images/f/fk-gov.gif)
by Martin Grieve
based on a badge by Graham Bartram and union flag by António Martins.
The present defaced Union Flag flown by the Governor of: the Falkland Islands.
One of my good friends from college days is (or was) Rector of the Falklands
Islands (and hence chaplain to the Governor). He says that every year at the
Queen's Birthday parade in Stanley, the Governor arrives at the parade ground as
Governor, with his Governor Flag. However at the end of the parade, the
Governor's flag is lowered and replaced with the Royal Standard and God Save the
Queen is played, before again being lowered and replaced by the Governor's flag
again.
I was told that the thinking behind this was that for this brief period of time
the Governor is there not as the Island Head of Government, but as truly the
representative of the Queen and hence receiving the honours due to the
sovereign. Constitutionally that might be an interesting question, but is anyone
else aware of anything similar happening anywhere else?
John Hall, 12 April 2007
![[British joint services flag]](../images/g/gb^js-fk.gif)
image
by Graham Bartram, 6 July 2012
The British joint services flag used following the Argentine invasion. It is still in use and can be seen on the rank plates on the vehicles of some senior officers. The Arms with the seal is still in use as the cap badge and arms of the Falkland Islands Defence Force, who refused to change to the sheep one.
Chris Harris, 23 April 2001
It follows the design of British unified command (i.e. Royal Navy/Army/RAF) car plates. I would guess that it was the command flag of "Commanding Officer - The Falkland Islands". You can see the official Unified Service flags at http://www.flags.net/UNKG3.htm. [See also British joint services flag on FOTW.]
Graham Bartram, 25 April 2001
See also:
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