Queen's Personal Canadian Flag
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The Queen's Personal Canadian Flag, sometimes called the Royal Standard of Canada, is the personal standard, or official flag, of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. The flag was adopted by the Queen in 1962.[1]
It is used only when the Queen is in Canada or is attending an event abroad as the Canadian head of state (for example, the commemorations at Juno Beach on June 6, 2004, and the rededication of the memorial at Vimy on April 9, 2007). The flag must be broken immediately upon the sovereign's arrival and lowered directly after her departure from any building, ship, aircraft, or other space or vehicle. The Queen's official representative, the Governor General of Canada, has a dedicated flag, as does each of the Lieutenant Governors.
As per Department of National Defence protocol, the Queen's personal standard must be flown on a flagpole bearing the crest of the Arms of Canada as the pike head.[2] The flag is not allowed to be used by any other person besides the sovereign; flags are kept at Rideau Hall and supplied to Canadian Heritage Visit Staff by the Household Staff prior to the Queen's arrival. It takes precedence above the national flag, standard of the Governor General, and those of the other members of the Canadian Royal Family, and Lieutenant Governors.[3]
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[edit] Design
The flag consists of the Royal Arms of Canada in banner form, defaced with one variant of the Queen's Royal Cypher: a blue disk with the initial "E," crowned, all within a wreath of roses, all gold-coloured.
The first quarter at the top left is made up of three heraldic lions passant gardant (historically referred to as leopards) on a red background; this is derived from the Coat of Arms of England, representing the English aspect of the monarchy and the fact that English is the most prominent official language of Canada.
The second quarter at the top right is made up of a red rampant lion within a double border with fleurs-de-lis. This is derived from the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland; this represents the Scottish aspects of the monarchy and that the Scottish was once the third largest ethnic group in Canada.
The third quarter shows the Brian Boru harp, featured in the Coat of Arms of Ireland. This represents the Irish aspects of the monarchy and the fact that the Irish was once the fourth largest ethnic group in Canada.
The fourth quarter shows three fleurs-de-lis on a blue background. This is derived from the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of France, representing the French aspect of the monarchy and the fact that the French ties still remain greatly as a result of the Canadian province of Quebec.
The bottom of the standard contains a sprig of three red maple leaves on a white background, representing the Canadian aspect of the monarchy, as well as the complete population of Canada regardless of ethnicity.
The sovereign's personal Canadian flag would presumably change if a new monarch having an initial other than "E" succeeds the throne (forcing a change of cypher) or a new design is approved.
[edit] Legal
The Standard/flag is protected under the Trade-marks Act. Section 9(a) "Prohibited Marks" states:
| “ | No person shall adopt in connection with a business, as a trade-mark or otherwise, any mark consisting of, or so nearly resembling as to be likely to be mistaken for ...the Royal Arms, Crest or Standard[4] | ” |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Franco, Guida; Canadian Almanac & Directory 2006; Toronto: Micromedia ProQuest; 2006; p. 3. ISBN 1-895021-90-1.
- ^ Department of National Defence: The Honours, Flags and Heritage Structure of the Canadian Forces; pg. 280
- ^ The Department of Canadian Heritage – The Queen's Personal Canadian Flag
- ^ Trade-marks Act
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