Editing Flag of Guernsey

{{Short description|British crown dependency flag}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox National flag
|Name       = Guernsey
|Article    =
|Image      = Flag of Guernsey.svg
|Use        = 110000
|Symbol     = 
|Proportion = 2:3<ref name="fotw">[http://www.flagspot.net/flags/gg.html Guernsey]; ''[[Flags of the World (website)|Flags of the World]]''; (c.1996 – Present)</ref>
|Adoption   = 30 April 1985
|Design     = A red cross of St George, which reflects the island's constitutional relationship with the English Crown, and a gold cross shown on the banner of William the Conqueror which represents the historic connection with the Duchy of Normandy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1925/Flags-and-Arms |title=Flags and Arms |publisher=Guernsey Royal Court |access-date=18 March 2023}}</ref>
| Designer  = Herbert Pitt
| Image2 = Civil Ensign of Guernsey.svg
| Nickname2 = Civil ensign of Guernsey
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| Image3 = Government Ensign of Guernsey.svg
| Nickname3 = Government ensign of Guernsey
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| Image4 = Flag of the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.svg
| Nickname4 = Flag of the [[governor of Guernsey]]
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[[File:Muratti 2012 01.jpg|thumb|Fans of the [[Guernsey national football team]] wearing the official and unofficial flags at a [[Muratti Vase]] game]]
[[File:Guernsey July 2010 113.jpg|thumb|Guernsey flag and [[state ensign]]]]
The '''flag of Guernsey''' was adopted in 1985 and consists of the red [[Saint George's Cross]] with an additional gold [[Normans|Norman]] cross within it. The creation was prompted by confusion at international sporting events over competitors from [[Guernsey]] and [[England]] using the same flag.<ref>Le Conte, David, ''Designing the Flag'', Review of the [[Guernsey Society]], Spring 1996, Vol LII No 1</ref> It was designed by the Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee led by Deputy Bailiff [[Graham Dorey|Sir Graham Dorey]]. The flag was first unveiled on the island on 15 February 1985.  The gold cross represents [[William the Conqueror|William the Bastard]], [[Duke of Normandy]] (who became, after the [[Norman Conquest]], William I of England).  William purportedly was given such a cross by [[Pope Alexander II]] and flew it on his [[War flag|standard]] in the [[Battle of Hastings]].<ref name=Bruce>Nicolls, Bruce, ''A New Flag for Guernsey'', Review of the [[Guernsey Society]], Winter 1985, Vol XLI No 3</ref> Since 2000, a [[red ensign]] with the cross in the fly has been used as the government's [[civil ensign]] and as a [[blue ensign]].

==History==
Prior to 1985, Guernsey had no official unique flag and instead used the [[St George's Cross]] (the [[flag of England]]) as its flag when one was officially required. This came about after [[King Edward VIII]] granted consent for Guernsey to use the flag of England in 1936. During the [[German occupation of the Channel Islands]], the residents were prevented from displaying official British symbols, but the flag of England was permitted for civilian use.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Smith |first=Whitney |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Guernsey |title=flag of Guernsey |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> The [[Government of Guernsey]] carried out official studies in 1906 and 1935 to determine any unique and identifiable historical flags that Guernsey could use to represent it.<ref name=tgf>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2004/07/21/guernsey_flag_feature.shtml |title=The Guernsey Flag |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=22 July 2004 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> In 1983, the [[Bailiff of Guernsey]] argued the need for a new flag for Guernsey because of the confusion caused by using the flag of England.<ref name=bbc /> The impetus for the flag's creation was confusion at the [[1982 Commonwealth Games]], where Guernsey competed under the flag of England{{sndash}} some other nations' competitors erroneously believed England was entering two teams into the Games.<ref name=bbc>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/guernsey/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8622000/8622080.stm |title=25 years under the Guernsey flag |work=BBC News |date=15 April 2010 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Eustache de Boulogne-Bayeux.png|thumb|Cross of [[William the Conqueror]] on the [[Bayeux Tapestry]], source of inspiration for the flag of Guernsey]]
Research was carried out by Deputy Bailiff Sir [[Graham Dorey]], of Guernsey's Flag Investigation Committee. The committee considered a number of designs. It was initially considered that the new flag for Guernsey should contain green, but it was ruled that the colour green has no historical basis in Guernsey aside of being used as a sporting colour by the [[Guernsey national football team]] in [[Muratti]] matches. Consideration was given to using the [[coat of arms of Guernsey]] on a St George's Cross but this was rejected on the grounds that the arms would be unidentifiable at a distance. It was also decided that to do so would be to focus on English symbols, not recognising Guernsey's independence or Norman history.<ref name=tgf /> The committee eventually settled on including a gold cross on top of the St George's Cross. The gold cross was chosen as it was a symbol of King [[William the Conqueror]], seen on a banner at the [[Battle of Hastings]], as portrayed on the [[Bayeux Tapestry]].<ref name=tgf />  That banner was purportedly given to William by [[Pope Alexander II]] as a symbol of his blessing for the [[Norman Conquest of England]] along with a request for the clergy of the [[Church of England]] to give way to William.<ref name=Bruce /> The new flag's design was to symbolise that the islanders were of Norman descent but loyal to the English (and later British) Crown. In 1985 [[Queen Elizabeth II]], Duke of Normandy, granted a [[warrant (law)|Royal Warrant]] for the flag to become the official flag of Guernsey. Unveiled on 15 February 1985, the flag was flown for the first time on [[Liberation Day]] on 9 May, the 40th anniversary of the [[Channel Islands]]' liberation from German occupation during the [[Second World War]].<ref name=bbc />

Thereafter, the Guernsey flag was used in the [[Grosse Rocque]] ceremony, replacing the [[Union Jack]], which had traditionally been raised on Grosse Rocque every August [[bank holiday]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-11425467 |title=Saviour found for Guernsey flag ceremony |work=BBC News |date=28 September 2010 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> The flag would then fly on the rock continuously for a year before being replaced with a new one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/guernsey/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8680000/8680076.stm |title=Raising the flag for Liberation at Cobo |work=BBC News |date=13 May 2010 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> The flag of Guernsey is flown from all of the [[States of Guernsey]] buildings except on [[Flag of the United Kingdom#Flag days|designated flag-flying days]], when the Union Jack is used instead. These days mostly relate to birthdays and anniversaries of senior members of the Royal Family as well as [[Commonwealth Day]] and [[Remembrance Sunday]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/3422/Flag-Flying-Days-in-Guernsey |title=Flag Flying Days in Guernsey |publisher=Guernsey Royal Court |date=25 February 1947 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> The flag is also flown on the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings on all public buildings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/channel/update/2016-10-14/guernsey-flags-flown-to-commemorate-battle-of-hastings/ |title=Guernsey flags flown to commemorate Battle of Hastings |publisher=ITV |access-date=10 May 2017}}</ref>

The flag provided inspiration for the [[flag of Alderney]] in 1993.<ref name=bbc />  It has also inspired other symbols. In 2011, the [[Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service]] adopted a new logo comprising the Cross of St George and gold Norman cross, but [[Defacement (flag)|defaced]] by the [[Maltese Cross]] of the [[Venerable Order of Saint John]] based on the Guernsey flag.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-13622786 |title=Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue celebrates 75 years |work=BBC News |date=2 June 2011 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> In November 2012 the [[Bailiwick of Guernsey]]'s St John Ambulance was elevated to a Commandery within the Order dependent on the [[St John Ambulance (England and the Islands)|Priory of England and the Islands]] in a church service which included granting a new flag from the British [[College of Arms]] including elements of the flag of Guernsey.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-20494633 |title=Guernsey St John Ambulance goes independent |work=BBC News |date=26 November 2012 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>

The flag is not universally supported. Some Guernsey sports fans complain that the flag lacks Guernsey's sporting colour of green or the crest of Guernsey. In the 2000s, a green and white tribar with the coat of arms of Guernsey in the centre was created by Guernsey sports fans to be used as Guernsey's unofficial sporting flag.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gg-1890.html |title=Green-white-green Tricolour on Guernsey |publisher=Crwflags.com |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref>

== Guernsey ensign ==
At the same time as the flag of Guernsey was adopted, the Royal Warrant also provided for creation of a Guernsey [[civil ensign]]. This was created as a British [[red ensign]] incorporating the Guernsey gold cross. That was created for Guernsey residents and British subjects as an alternative flag of Guernsey as well as to be used as Guernsey's [[merchant ensign]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1925/Flags-and-Arms |title=Flags and Arms |publisher=Guernsey Royal Court |date=9 May 1985 |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> In 2000, the States of Guernsey adopted a [[blue ensign]] version of the Guernsey ensign for maritime usage on government vessels.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/documents/reference-library/br-2/BRd%202%20-%20Book/an91b.pdf |title= The Blue and Red Ensigns of Her Majesty's Fleet |publisher=Royal Navy |access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref>

==Gallery of historical flags==
The previous flag of Guernsey was the [[St George's Cross]], which Guernsey was permitted to use in 1936 for its state flag.  However, there is evidence to suggest the existence of an even earlier Guernsey flag, used in the mid-19th century.  This was a St George's cross on a blue-and-white chequered field, with the [[Union Flag]] in [[canton (flag)|canton]].  Further details of its use and official status remain doubtful, however.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thesarnian.com/essentials/guernsey-flag/ |title=Guernsey flag |date=31 May 2017 |publisher=The Sarnian |access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref>

<gallery class="center">
Flag of Guernsey (1936).svg| 1936–1985 flag
Old Flag of Guernsey.svg| 19th century flag
Unoffical Flag of Guernsey (1890-1940).svg|Unofficial sporting flag of Guernsey
</gallery>

==Parish flags==
{{main|Parishes of Guernsey}}
<gallery>
Image:Flag of Castel Parish, Bailiwick of Guernsey.gif|Flag of [[Castel, Guernsey|Castel]]
Image:Flag of Forest Parish, Guernsey.svg|Flag of [[Forest, Guernsey|Forest]]
Image:Flag of Saint Andrew Parish, Bailiwick of Guernsey.gif|Flag of [[Saint Andrew, Guernsey|Saint Andrew]]
Image:Flag of Saint Martin Parish, Bailiwick of Guernsey.gif|Flag of [[Saint Martin, Guernsey|Saint Martin]]
Image:Flag of Saint Peter Port, Guernsey.svg|Flag of [[Saint Peter Port]]
Image:Flag of Saint Pierre du Bois Parish, Guernsey.svg|Flag of [[Saint Pierre du Bois]]
Image:Flag of Saint Sampson Parish, Bailiwick of Guernsey.gif|Flag of [[Saint Sampson, Guernsey|Saint Sampson]]
Image:Flag of Saint Saviour Parish, Bailiwick of Guernsey.gif|Flag of [[Saint Saviour, Guernsey|Saint Saviour]]
Image:Flag of Torteval Parish, Guernsey.svg|Flag of [[Torteval, Guernsey|Torteval]]
Image:Flag of Vale Parish, Bailiwick of Guernsey.gif|Flag of [[Vale, Guernsey|Vale]]
</gallery>

==Other flags==
<gallery>
Image:Flag of Lihou.svg|Flag of [[Lihou]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://guernseypress.com/news/2019/08/19/lihou-can-fly-own-flag/ |title=Lihou can fly own flag |author=Yves Le Marquand |date=19 August 2019 |work=Guernsey Press |access-date=31 August 2024}}</ref>
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Flag of Jersey]]
* [[List of British flags|List of flags of the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Flags of the Bailiwick of Guernsey}}

{{British dependencies flags}}
{{Flag of Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guernsey, Flag of}}
[[Category:National symbols of Guernsey|Flag]]
[[Category:National flags]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1985]]
[[Category:Flags with crosses]]
[[Category:Flags of indigenous peoples|Guernsey]]
[[Category:Flags of Crown Dependencies]]
[[Category:Flags with red, white and yellow]]