Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Queen's Personal Flag for New Zealand, also known as the New Zealand Royal Standard, is the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of New Zealand

Monarchy in New Zealand

The monarchy of New Zealand also referred to as The Crown in Right of New Zealand, Her Majesty in Right of New Zealand, or The Queen in Right of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Realm of New Zealand,...

. The flag was approved for use in 1962. It is used by the Queen only when she is in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

or attending an event abroad in her role as head of state in New Zealand. The Queen's representative, the Governor-General of New Zealand

Governor-General of New Zealand

The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....

has his or her own flag

Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand

The Flag of the Governor-General of New Zealand is an official flag of New Zealand and is flown continuously in the presence of the Governor-General of New Zealand. The flag in its present from was adopted in 2008...

.

On 11 October 1962 the Queen announced the adoption of a special personal flag for use on her tour of New Zealand between 6-18 February 1963 and for use afterwards.

The flag is flown continuously on any building in which the Queen is in residence and by a ship transporting Her Majesty in New Zealand waters. It is also flown whilst the Queen is attending a state or public function, and it is to be seen above the saluting base at military parades and open air gatherings when Her Majesty is present. It is also broken when the Queen sets foot on board one of Her Majesty's New Zealand ships.

When flown with the New Zealand Flag, the Queen's Personal Flag for New Zealand takes the position of honour.

The only occasions on which the Queen's Personal Flag for New Zealand are flown in her absence are at parades in honour of Her Majesty's Official Birthday.

The flag is the banner of the arms of New Zealand

Coat of arms of New Zealand

The coat of arms of New Zealand is the official symbol of New Zealand. The initial coat of arms was granted by King George V on the 26 August 1911, and the current version was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.-History and design:...

defaced with the Queen's Royal Cypher

Royal Cypher

In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...

.

The flag is divided into four quadrants: The first quadrant includes depicts four stars as representative of the Southern Cross constellation

Crux

Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations, but is one of the most distinctive. Its name is Latin for cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped asterism that is commonly known as the Southern Cross.-Visibility:...

, as depicted on the national flag

Flag of New Zealand

The flag of New Zealand is a defaced Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars represent the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross....

. The second quadrant consists of a golden fleece

Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

on a red field. The third quadrant contains a golden wheat

Wheat

Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

sheaf on a red field. The final quadrant includes two crossed gold hammers on a blue field.

The central stripe consists of three ship

Ship

Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

s. Superimposed in the centre is a dark blue roundel bearing a Roman E surmounted by a Royal Crown within a chaplet of rose

Rose

A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...

s, all gold-coloured, obscuring the centre ship.

The central blue disc is taken from the Queen's Personal Flag

Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II

The Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II is used in Commonwealth of Nations countries which are not Commonwealth Realms. The flag was created in 1960 and first used in 1961 for the Queen's visit to India..-Description:...

, which is used by the Queen in relation to her role as Head of the Commonwealth

Head of the Commonwealth

The Head of the Commonwealth heads the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation which currently comprises 54 sovereign states. The position is currently occupied by the individual who serves as monarch of each of the Commonwealth realms, but has no day-to-day involvement in the...

See also