The many crosses of St George

The St George’s Cross, a red cross on a white background, is recognised around the globe as the flag of England. King Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart) is believed to have adopted St. George’s Cross as his flag during his crusades. Red crosses were also used by English soldiers throughout the Middle Ages, […]

The West Indies Federation Flag

The West Indies Federation existed from 3rd January 1958 – 31st May 1962. Its flag was designed by Edna Manley (1900-1987) who is considered to be the ‘mother of Jamaican art’. Her design was a blue background with four undulating horizontal white stripes to represent the Caribbean Sea, the upper two stripes reflecting the lower […]

Easter Island Flag

The flag of Easter Island, a special territory of Chile, was first flown in public alongside its parent nation’s flag on 9th May 2006. Adorning its white background is a red Reimiro, an ornament worn around the chest. The Indiana University Art Museum says: “The Reimiro was worn by both men and women. It served […]

The Silver Fern – New Zealand’s new flag?

In the near future we will be hearing about the two flag referendums taking place in New Zealand. In March 2014 New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, said the country would hold a referendum on whether or not to change the national flag should he be re-elected. He was, and said referendum will now take […]