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Website update

While we update our website, online joining and renewal options may be temporarily unavailable. But please don’t despair. You can still join the Flag Institute or renew your membership. Simply click on this post to email the Flag Institute Administrator, or call 07935 973072 (answerphone), and we’ll be in touch.    

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Conway Hall Library Room showing bookcases, tables and chairs

Flag Institute Spring Conference 2024 – book now

Booking is now open for the Flag Institute Spring Conference 2024, taking place in central London on Saturday 18 May, 9.30am–5pm. As ever we’ll be showcasing a mix of contemporary and historical vexillological presentations. Speakers will include Brian Cham on the Tino Rangatiratanga Flag (Maori Flag). Further announcements will follow shortly. The registration fee is […]

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Commander Bruce Nicolls RN

We are sad to report that Commander Bruce Nicolls RN died on 2 July 2023 at the age of 91. Bruce served in the Royal Navy (1946–82), where he first became interested in vexillology and heraldry. He was a prolific designer of flags, including those of Guernsey, the Mary Rose Trust and the Royal Naval […]

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Greenknowe Tower, Berwickshire

Flag for Berwickshire

Design an official flag for Berwickshire! That’s the challenge to groups and individuals set by a new competition launched last month. The contest – run by Berwickshire Civic Society with support from the Fallago Environment Fund – offers a first prize of £250. The Court of Lord Lyon and the Flag Institute will also register […]

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Katie Ayers displays her knitted Union Jack

Knit your own Union Jack?

Knit your own Union Jack? Why not? Buckinghamshire-based Katie Ayers set herself this challenge and turned to us for vital information. Our Union Flag Specification gave her the correct proportions to plot the number of stitches. Then she started with a number of smaller examples… and just kept going. You can see a proud Katie […]

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Keith Primary School pupils and vexillologist Philip Tibbetts launch the Banffshire flag design competition, February 2023.

New flags for Moray and Banffshire

New flags for Moray and Banffshire are in prospect after a design competition that opened on 27 February 2023. Communities Vexillologist Phillip Tibbetts visited ten local schools during the competition launch. ‘The kids are very enthusiastic about this,’ said Philip, who is also March Herald and Honorary Vexillologist at the Lyon Court. ‘Around Scotland we […]

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Kevin Harrington 1934-2023

Kevin Harrington 1934-2023

We’re sad to share news that our good friend Kevin Harrington died on 19 February. Kevin was the long-time President of the Canadian Flag Association / Association canadienne de vexillologie. He was a well-known figure at International Congresses of Vexillology and a major contributor to the study of flags. We enjoyed his company most recently […]

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Flagmaster archive upgraded

We’ve just upgraded issues 1 to 116, so it’s easier than ever to explore the Flagmaster archive. Flagmaster brings you over half a century of flag research, news and expertise, all in fully searchable PDFs to view or download. Compatible with translation or text-to-speech software so you can change language or listen if you prefer. […]

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Shows the Wales flag

Wales wins the World Cup (of flags) 2022

Wales wins the World Cup of Flags 2022! The Red Dragon crushed mighty Brazil, grabbing 93.5 per cent of the votes. ‘Wales wins. We salute you,’ tweeted exhausted competition host Bernard Muscat. ‘Long may your glorious flag fly free across valleys and over mountain tops.’ 1000s of votes were cast in the month-long Twitter poll, […]

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Who will win the World Cup of Flags 2022?

The second edition of the Flag Institute’s World Cup of Flags launches Friday 28 October on Twitter. Using the same groups drawn by FIFA in April, Twitter users will be able to vote for their favourite flags from those representing countries competing in the men’s football World Cup 2022 in Qatar. People will be able […]

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