Die Flagge "Flagge von Guernsey
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Last modified: 2023-12-23 by rob raeside
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![[Guernsey]](../images/g/gg.gif)
image
by André Coutanche
Flag adopted 30 April 1985.
See also:
The flag is white with St George Cross, and a yellow cross with ends pattée - a
cross which appears on a gonfanon of William the Conqueror
on the Bayeux tapestry. There is also a red ensign, with this cross in the fly.
Pascal Vagnat, 14 March 1996
The gold equal-armed cross overlying the red cross was added to the flag in
1985 to distinguish it from England's. The gold cross also appears in the fly of
the Guernsey Red Ensign. The Lieutenant-Governor's flag is as Jersey's except
that Guernsey's arms are distinguished from those of Jersey (and England) by the
addition of a golden sprig of leaves issuing from the top of the shield.
Roy Stilling, 14 March 1996
The flag was adopted by the 'States of Guernsey' on 15 March 1985, and on 30
April 1985 it was established by the Order in Council. It was first officially
hoisted on 9 May 1985.
Christopher Southworth,
19 February 2005
The significance of 9 May is that it is Liberation Day - the anniversary of the
liberation of Guernsey (and the other Channel Islands) from German occupation in
1945.
André Coutanche, 20 February 2005
The text of the Royal Warrant for the flag is available at
http://www.1204.gg/flag_arms.aspx.
André Coutanche, 24 February
2005
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Guernsey flag, the BBC, 15 April
2010, relates the history of the flag, as follows:
"[...]
The flag was
adopted to mark the 40th anniversary of Guernsey's liberation from German
Occupation during WWII.
[...]
One of the motivating reasons behind the
creation of a flag for Guernsey was the confusion that was caused by using the
same flag as England. The example of this cited in the Guernsey Tourist Board's
1995 History of the Guernsey Flag was the Commonwealth Games where many
competitors came away with the opinion that England was somehow fielding two
teams. The flag was designed, after much research, by the Guernsey Flag
Investigation Committee chaired by the then Deputy Bailiff Sir Graham
Dorey.
[...]
The flag became official as it was granted a Royal Warrant by
Her Majesty The Queen and it was first flown on Liberation Day, 9 May 1985.
[...]"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/guernsey/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8622000/8622080.stm
Ivan Sache, 15 April 2010
It was said that the yellow cross pattée was copied from the Bayeux
Tapestry. Does anybody know if this is true, and if there is an image
anywhere? Bruce Nicholls (long time chairman of the Flag Institute)
suggested blue balls in the four quarters of the flag, so they may have been
part of the Conqueror's flag design also, but his balls were dropped.
Richard Mallett,
15 April 2010
There are dozens of flags on the tapestry. Several have designs which have
something similar to a cross pattée on them. The clearest is about 90% of the
way along the tapestry, immediately to the right of the perhaps significant
words "Hic est dux Willelm." It has the form of a long 3-tailed pennon (carried
by a Norman on horseback) with a square towards the hoist containing a gold
cross surrounded by four unidentifiable objects all on white, surrounded by a
gold border, and with a green and gold area at the fly end. It seems similar to
the cross pattée of Guernsey - but given the image reproduction and the vagaries
of the original stitching it could just as easily be either similar to the cross
of Jerusalem or the arms of Edward the Confessor.
James Dignan, 16
April 2010
![[Part of the Bayeux Tapestry]](../images/g/gg_bayeux1.jpg)
![[Part of the Bayeux Tapestry]](../images/g/gg_bayeux2.jpg)
There's an image of the relevant part of the tapestry on Flickr - here is a
crop of it. This part of the tapestry is
also shown in the leaflet published by the States of Guernsey which describes
the flag; even more cropped in the second image above.
It seems to
me that these show well enough the gold cross pattée to answer Richard's
original question and to justify its use on the Guernsey flag and ensign.
Whether the rich colours we show on the website can be so fully justified,
I'm not sure, unless someone can say with any certainty how the dyes used
would have faded since new.
André Coutanche, 16 April 2010
Fox-Davies book "The Art of Heraldry" [fox04] describes such a cross as
follows: ...not [an] English form of the cross if treated as distinct from
others here depicted, though old representations of the cross patée throughout
may be found closely akin to [this]."
As such, perhaps "cross patée
ancient" would make sense, though Guernsey Cross (or Norman Cross, perhaps) is
more evocative of the exact shape intended.
James Dignan, 16 April
2010
![[Civil ensign of Guernsey]](../images/g/gg-ce.gif)
image
by Clay Moss, 19 October 2008
The Civil Ensign of Guernsey was established at the same time as the flag (15
March 1985) and by the same Order in
Council (30 April 1985) as the Island
Flag. The wording of the Order is interesting insofar as it stipulates that
usage of the flag when flown by "companies registered in etc...is restricted to
vessels operating in waters adjacent to the Channel Islands". In addition, an
attached illustration also gives us an overall size for the cross - it occupies
three-fifths of flag width.
Christopher Southworth, 19 February
2005
So far as the usage of the ensign is concerned, the wording quoted in the
States' leaflet is rather more extensive. It says: "The gold cross of William [the Conqueror] also appears on a special Ensign
for use by Guernsey residents who are British subjects. They may fly the Ensign
on vessels which are registered or certificated in their own names, regardless
of where they sail. Companies which are registered and have their principal
place of business in the Island may fly the Guernsey Ensign on their vessels,
when operating in waters adjacent to the Channel Islands". I have seen the
Guernsey ensign on Guernsey-registered craft in harbours in Greece and elsewhere
in Europe.
André Coutanche, 20 February 2005
The wording of the leaflet is not actually at variance with that of the
Warrant, with regard to "the Ensign as hereinafter described and
blazoned...Gules in the Canton the Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland and the fly a Guernsey Cross...as in the painting annexed
more plainly depicted", it then continues:
"the same to be borne and used and
flown by and for our subjects of Guernsey and by and for Companies which are
registered in our said Island and have their principal place of business there,
all in a manner as is customary and in accordance with the Laws of Arms, always
providing that the hearing and use, flying and display of the said Ensign by
such companies be restricted to vessels operating in waters adjacent to the
Channel Islands".
The above apparently draws a distinction between use by
private citizens and by corporate bodies, as does the leaflet, so it would
appear that, strictly according to law, an owner may sail his yacht anywhere in
the world wearing the defaced Red Ensign of Guernsey, but a commercial ship must
change to a plain Ensign when outside the Channel Islands - I wonder if any of
the other pre-1995 Orders make the same distinction?
Christopher
Southworth, 20 February 2005
According to some sources the 1985 warrant authorised its use only by
"vessels operating in waters adjacent to the Channel Islands". I asked Bruce
Nicholls who designed the flag if he knew when the area restriction on the use
of the ensign by private vessels was lifted, and why it still applied to company
vessels.
He replied, "I have not seen the warrant, but the text (para 23)
of the Flag Investigation Committee report dated 1st February 1985, forming part
of the Billet d'Etat of 13th March 1985, includes the same words as in the
website: "regardless of where they sail". In the recommendations of the report (para
30) and in the motion placed before The States by the Bailiff and President of
the States, dated 15th February 1985, also included in the Billet d'Etat, the
wording has been changed, omitting these words, and reads: "a distinctive
ensign, for Her Loyal Subjects of Her Island of Guernsey, and for companies
which are registered in the Island and have their principal place of business
there, with a restriction that its use by companies be limited to vessels
operating in waters adjacent to the Channel Islands". However, the inference
clearly is that the restriction on its use to adjacent waters applies only to
companies and not to private individuals. I think you'd have to ask the Board of
Trade why there is this restriction."
So, it seems, loyal Guernsey subjects have always been allowed to fly the
Guernsey ensign "regardless of where they sail".
David Prothero, 23
February 2005
The text of the Royal Warrant for the flag is available at
http://www.1204.gg/flag_arms.aspx.
André Coutanche, 24 February
2005
![[Civil ensign of Guernsey]](../images/g/gg~blue.gif)
image
by Martin Grieve, 1 February 2008I also have reliable (although unconfirmed by original sources) information
that there is a defaced Blue Ensign for Guernsey. I have been advised that it
was "adopted by Guernsey at the end of September 1999, and approved by the
Secretary of State for Defence later that same year."
Christopher Southworth, 19 February
2005
From Malcolm Farrow's 'Colours of the Fleet':
"The defaced Blue Ensign of
Guernsey is a recent, rare and little known flag. The warrant was signed by Dr
Lewis Moonie (Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence) on 11th July
2000. It is worn by the SARNIA (a harbour workboat), and LEOPARDESS (sea
fisheries protection craft). The defacement is the same as for the red ensign of
Guernsey."
David Prothero, 19 February 2005
![[Civil ensign of Guernsey]](../images/g/gg~jack.gif)
image
by Clay Moss, 19 October 2008
Both the defaced Blue Ensign and matching jack are authorised by MoD Warrant.
Christopher Southworth, 20 October 2008
![[Construction sheet of Guernsey flag]](../misc/gg'.gif)
image
by André Coutanche
![[Construction sheet of Guernsey civil ensign]](../misc/gg'ce.gif)
image
by André Coutanche
The images are from the FOTW-ws gifs originally made by Vincent Morley. I have reduced the length of the flag to give the correct 2:3 ratio specified in the construction sheet. The source is a leaflet published by the States of Guernsey.
André Coutanche, 4 February 2001
What flag does the Queen use in the Channel Islands?
James Dignan,
22 March 2004
Even though the Channel Islands are a "Crown Dependency" rather than part of
the United Kingdom as such it would appear that Her Majesty still flies the same
Royal Standard as she does in England and Wales.
Christopher Southworth, 23 March 2004
![[Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey]](../images/g/gg-lg.gif)
image located by Richard Mallett 15 March 2006
Source:
http://www.flags.net/GUER02.htm by
Graham Bartram
Guernsey's coat of arms has a sprig of leaves at the top, as seen on the coat
of arms on the flag of the Lieutenant Governor.
Richard Mallett 15
March 2006
![[Guernsey Pride flag]](../images/g/gg_qq.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 20 May 2019
Guernsey Gay Pride Flag has appeared in September 2018 during the Channel
Islands Pride event. Its photos, taken before a St John Ambulance building (the
organization displayed rainbow colours to honour the event, following the
practice from the United Kingdom), can be seen here:
https://stjohn.gg/news/5129
(large
photo #1:
https://stjohn.gg/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_4921.jpg)
(large photo
#2:
https://stjohn.gg/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_4865.jpg)
The flag
is derived from that of the Bailiwick by repainting top and bottom portions of
its field into the rainbow colours - not the usual six, but seven stripes, as
used in the original seven-striped flag although
the colour shades differ somewhat, especially those of indigo and violet. The
horizontal arms of the cross seem to be a bit wider than the vertical ones; in
addition to that, they are also merged with the bottom red stripe of the rainbow
into a single shape.
Tomislav Todorovic, 20 May 2019
![[Guernsey Pride flag]](../images/g/gg_qq1.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 12 November 2023
In 2020, a different design was introduced, which was created by Ollie
Browning [1, 2]. It is more similar with the flag of the Bailiwick, keeping its
white field, but repainting the cross pattée into white and the Cross of St
George into the rainbow colors, with a complete rainbow pattern (red at the top)
over its horizontal arms, the top arm in red over orange over yellow and the
bottom arm in green over blue over violet; the cross pattée has a bit shorter
arms, so as to fit precisely between the top red and bottom violet fields. The
flag seems to be used very rarely: its only photos are from the Channel Islands
Pride 2020 [3] and Brighton Pride 2022 [2], as well as a photo and a video [4]
of its hoisting shortly before the 2022 FIFA World Cup (November-December 2022)
in order to show support for LGBTQ+ football players and fans in light of the
human rights issues in Qatar (the 2022 World Cup host country).
Sources:
[1] Channel Islands Pride at Facebook - Post on 2020-07-24:
https://www.facebook.com/channelislandspride/posts/get-yourself-a-limited-edition-guernsey-pride-flag-order-now-and-collect-from-th/1180752198927932/
[2] Channel Islands Pride at Facebook - Post on 2022-08-26:
https://www.facebook.com/channelislandspride/photos/a.120951521574677/1718966215106525
[3] Channel Islands Pride at Facebook - Post on 2020-10-14:
https://www.facebook.com/channelislandspride/photos/a.1247113638958454/1246294742373677
[4] Island FM radio station website:
https://www.islandfm.com/news/guernsey/watch-pride-flag-raised-ahead-of-world-cup/
Tomislav Todorovic, 12 November 2023
