Flags on churches - College of Arms

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class="span9">  <div id="system-message-container"> </div> <div class="item-page"> <div class="page-header"> <h1> Flags on churches </h1> </div> <p><strong>Provinces of Canterbury and York</strong></p> <p>By a warrant dated 9th February 1938 the Earl Marshal laid down that the flag to be flown upon any church within the Provinces of Canterbury and York was "The Cross of St George and in the first quarter the escutcheon of the Arms of the See in which the church is ecclesiastically situated". The flag therefore consists of the flag of St George with the diocesan arms in the top corner nearest to the mast.</p> <p>The text of this Warrant may be seen <a href="https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/images/downloads/Church_Flags_Warrant_1938.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>Garter Principal King of Arms gave the following directions:-</p> <p>1. The Arms of the diocese are to be placed in the first quarter only.</p> <p>2. The shield of the Arms should fill the space and should not be ensigned with a mitre.</p> <p>3. New flags should be made to an approximate ratio of 5 x 3 which is larger than, or more square than, ordinary flags to enable the Arms to be included. Shields may be added to existing flags of St George without altering their shape. </p> <p>4. The shield of Arms should be of the same material as the flag and inserted. The larger charges on the shield are also to be inserted but smaller charges and shading can be applied in oil paint. All heraldry is read from the flagstaff and charges on the shield must face the same way in relation to the staff on both sides of the flag.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Province of Wales</strong></p> <p>Letters Patent dated 9 December 1954 were issued by Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms, granting Arms to The Representative Body of the Church in Wales. This grant also established that the Arms were to be flown on a flag or banner on any church within the Province of Wales.</p> <p>The Arms are blazoned <em>Argent on a Cross Azure a Celtic Cross Or</em>.</p> <p>There are no fixed colours in heraldry: provided the blue and gold used in the flag are clearly identifiable as such, any shade chosen is acceptable. For the avoidance of doubt and the sake of convenience, Garter King of Arms has approved a version of the flag established by this grant as being an accurate representation suitable for use. This has the proportions 5:3. </p> <p><a href="https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/images/downloads/Flag_for_Flying_on_Churches_in_Wales.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flag for Flying on Churches in Wales</a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Any enquiries regarding the flying of flags should be addressed to the Officer in Waiting in the first instance. To receive up-to-date advice from the College of Arms on official flag-flying days, instructions for flying flags at half-mast, and other relevant information, sign up <a href="https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/resources/flag-flying-news-by-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> </div>  </div> <div id="aside" class="span3">  <div class="well "><div class="page-header"><strong>Our Resources </strong></div><ul class="category-module mod-list"> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/architecture">Architecture of the College</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/arms-of-her-majesty-queen-camilla">Arms of Her Majesty Queen Camilla</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/bibliography-of-present-officers">Bibliography of Present Officers</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/court-of-chivalry">Court of Chivalry</a> </li> <li> <a 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<li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies">Peerages and Baronetcies</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/proving-succession-to-a-baronetcy">Proving succession to a Baronetcy</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/proving-succession-to-a-peerage">Proving succession to a Peerage</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/recent-peerage-successions">Recent Peerage Successions</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources">Resources</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/roll-of-the-baronetage">Roll of the Baronetage</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/roll-of-the-peerage">Roll of the Peerage</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/royal-cyphers">Royal Cyphers</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/same-sex-marriages">The Arms of Individuals in Same-Sex Marriages</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge">The conjugal arms of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/the-law-of-arms">The Law of Arms</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/union-flag-approved-designs">Union Flag: approved designs</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/union-flag-faqs">Union Flag: FAQs</a> </li> <li> <a class="mod-articles-category-title " href="/resources/peerages-and-baronetcies/what-is-recorded-in-the-roll-of-the-peerage">What is recorded in the Roll of the Peerage</a> </li> </ul> </div>  </div> <div aria-label="Breadcrumbs" role="navigation"> <ul itemscope 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Flags on churches - College of Arms