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SAVE THE DATE: FI AGM and Winter ’26 Conference, Saturday 14 November, 10.00 to 17.00 GMT, FREE and ONLINE

Each year we hold a Spring and a Winter Conference, and in 2021/22 we ran a special Golden Jubilee gala programme.

FI Spring ’26 Conference sponsored by Flagmakers

Saturday and Sunday, 30/31 May, Bristol

Saturday 30 May, Gather Round, 15-16 Brunswick Square, Bristol BS2 8NX

10.30am: registration opens

11am – 6pm: presentations

  • Cry God for Harry, England and St … who?: An exploration of the chequered history and strange resurrection of the English national flag – John Cartledge, Flag Institute; speaker at ICV25 Rotterdam; ICV26 Sydney; ICV27 London; ICV28 San Antonio; ICV30 Beijing

Special preview of presentation to be delivered at the 31st International Congress of Vexillology in Paris, 6-10 July 2026

The summer of 2025 saw an unprecedented eruption of flags on lampposts in many English towns and cities, with the cross of St George prominent among them. But who exactly was St George, what does he have to do with England, and what message were the organisers of this sudden outburst of vexillological devotion to him seeking to convey?

  • Always the bridesmaid … rank flags of vice, deputy or assistant presidents, ministers and officials – John Hall FF FFI, Flag Institute Chairman

For every Donald Trump there is often a JD Vance waiting just one step from power. Many countries have flags and standards for all manner of office-holders and their deputies. John will journey into the obscure recesses of the broom cupboard of state to explore symbols of rank, particularly those in the second or third tiers of protocol. And he will seek to answer that age-old question, ‘Why does an admiral have no balls at all?’

  • Flag flying regulations and protocol – Geoff Parsons MSc CEng FIET FFI, Flag Institute Chairman (former)

Demystifying UK flag regulations and protocol, this session aims to encourage confident and informed flag flying, supported by official Flag Institute guidance. Geoff will cover where and how flags may be flown, who is permitted to fly them, and the correct procedures for display, including order of precedence and position. It will highlight real-world examples of political sensitivities, conflicts with local authorities and breaches of flag protocol, inviting delegates to review sample displays and spot instances of non-compliance.

  • Subjective views on US state flags: 123 polling studies – Alan Hardy, Flag Institute; North American Vexillological Association Flag Design Committee

Furthering his interest in US state flags, in 2017 Alan established, within a public forum, a comprehensive methodology for soliciting viewpoints and administering polls on all current flags and known redesigns. From then until 2025, month-in/month-out, some 200,000 flags were assessed, and the resulting study has identified and advanced several front-running options for a vastly improved set of designs. This wrap-up presentation looks to assess the project and tries to point ways forward. How can changes be implemented without incurring vast expense or running the risk of built-in social blowback?

More speakers and presentations to be announced.

6pm – 7.30pm: Old Town walking tour

A bespoke walking tour through Bristol’s old town with experienced local guide Duncan McKellar. Duncan is the founder of the city’s top three walking tours and will lead us through historic backstreets to finish on the harbourside. Along the way we’ll touch on Bristol’s civic life, processions, public symbolism and maritime heritage, with chance to spot where coats of arms, guild histories and other emblems still shape the cityscape. We’ll discuss Bristol’s Saxon origins, its trading past, the Blitz and even 1960s rock and roll. Passing pirate haunts, merchant houses and Robinson Crusoe’s first port of call, we’ll end our unique stroll on the waterfront – at the pub where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his classic Treasure Island.

7.30pm: President’s Drinks at the Llandoger Trow

Sunday 31 May

10.00am – 10.40am: M Shed (part of Bristol Museums)

An expert guide will bring M Shed to life, introducing its galleries, explaining how M Shed came into being, and sharing memorable stories you won’t find on any label. The tour offers a lively introduction to Bristol’s past and present, giving a vivid sense of the city’s character and its place in the wider world. Whether you already know the city or are discovering it for the first time, the tour will add colour, context and plenty of talking points to the conference weekend.

11.30am – 1pm: SS Great Britain

An expert guide will lead a lively tour of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s legendary steamship SS Great Britain, revealing its remarkable story and the experiences of the passengers and crew who travelled the world on board. The tour explores daily life at sea, global routes and cargoes, and the ship’s role in transforming maritime travel. Along the way, our guide will highlight the use of flags and ensigns, adding an extra layer of interest for vexillologists. This visit promises an atmospheric journey through Victorian seafaring, engineering innovation, and the wider world that the SS Great Britain helped to connect.

Past events

AGM and Winter ’25 Conference

Saturday 15 November, 10.00 to 17.00 GMT, FREE and ONLINE

The Dublin Municipal flag – described by the Irish Times as green, featuring a central yellow harp and, in one corner, three white castles on a blue field – first flew over City Hall on 22 June 1885. The design combined elements of three existing flags: the Green Harp flag, the Green Ensign, and Dublin’s banner of arms. The banner of arms had served as Dublin’s flag until an incident on 23/24 March, when it was stolen overnight from the Mansion House, most likely by loyalist students from Trinity College. The theft was seen as a response to nationalist Lord Mayor John O’Conner, who declared in a speech that he would take down the flag if the Prince of Wales arrived in Dublin. The new flag represented a shift in civic identity. It is still in use today as the official flag of Dublin City Council and flies proudly throughout the city.

  • Rotterdam and Papendrecht: Flag histories and protocols – Edgar Zaagsma, Papendrecht municipal officer and Consul for the War Graves Foundation

This presentation had a dual focus: the city of Rotterdam and the municipality of Papendrecht. Edgar explored the history of the Rotterdam flag, the development of its municipal coat of arms, and the presence (or absence) of Rotterdam’s colours in everyday life. He then turned to Papendrecht, offering a brief overview of its flag and coat of arms, with particular stress on the official flag protocol written for the municipality. Edgar highlighted how and why this local protocol differs from the national approach.

  • Raising respect: How the International Center’s Flag Program builds cultural understanding – Peter Kirkwood, Protocol Officer, The International Center

The Flag Program of Indiana’s International Center promotes cultural awareness, civic pride and international understanding through the proper display and care of national, state and organisational flags. Run by the Office of Protocol, and featuring a complete United Nations flag collection and a growing number of flags and banners, the Program serves as a resource for schools, community groups, state and local governments and visiting delegations. Peter explored the Program’s history, outreach and alignment with global protocol standards. Showcasing flags as powerful symbols of respect and identity, he highlighted their enduring role in connecting nations and the communities of Central Indiana.

  • State emblems in Greece, 5th–3rd centuries BC – Jorge Hurtado Maqueda, President, Sociedad Española de Vexilología (SEV); presented by José Manuel Erbez, Secretary, SEV

Jorge explored the use of emblematic symbols in Classical and Hellenistic Greece, examining how states expressed authority and identity through visual means during a formative period in ancient history. He reviewed the extant sources and the interpretive challenges they present, considered how state emblems were deployed in land warfare and naval conflict, and concluded with a comparative reflection on Greek and Roman symbolism. Rich in historical insight and analytical depth, this contribution from the SEV offered a fascinating perspective on early state symbolism and the origins of vexillological practice.

  • Armenian revolutionary flags: Photography and propaganda – Maxim Saakyan, founder of Uncovering Roots; Leo Torosian, law student and political staffer

Producer Maxim Saakyan worked on this story with Leo Torosian for Uncovering Roots, a podcast that covers untold stories and that has featured in the Guardian and on Spotify. When Leo started researching Armenian revolutionary flags, he found hundreds of photographs. Fighters posing with rifles, daggers and, almost always, flags. Not the kind you’d see flying at the Olympics, but hand-stitched flags covered in swords, slogans, skulls, crosses and dates. These were not just battle flags, they were propaganda. Today, only a dozen or so of these flags survive. The rest exist only in staged photographs, carefully posed and sent across borders to fund raise, recruit and inspire. Together, Max and Leo demonstrated how flags became more than just symbols; they became evidence of a movement fighting for survival, statehood and honour.

  • Pride Flags of today: Origin, metamorphosis and current designs – Heather Binnington, retired teacher from the York Region District School Board (Canada)

Where did Pride Flags begin? Where have they been, and what do they look like today? Heather showed how these continually evolving flags adapt attentively to the communities they serve and provided answers to the questions regularly asked about the Standard and Progress Pride Flags.