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Exhibition of Vice Regal Standards

The Commonwealth Flag Project has a third facet to the organisation in addition to the Flag Project and Disaster Relief Scheme and is something that evolved quite naturally - we set up the worlds first Exhibition of Vice Regal Standards (flags) and is therefore, a unique example of one of the worlds most exclusive clubs- these Standards are in the process of being forwarded to us by the governor generals, governors and administrators of the overseas territories, Australian state governors and Canadian lieutenant governors they can be seen on exhibition days in the Millennium Hall throughout the year.

A short history of Vice-Regal Standards

Great Britain introduced two different flags for the Representatives of the King or Queen in its Dominions and Colonies. The Flag of the Governor-General of a Dominion is dark blue (see below), with the Royal crest in the centre and the name of the Dominion in a scroll beneath.

A Governor or Lieutenant-Governor uses the Union flag with a badge on a white disc surrounded by a garland of laurel superimposed on the centre of the flag.(see examples right).

Vice-Regal Standard of the Governor of Saint Helena



Vice-Regal Standard of the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha

The Standards above remains unchanged to this day but some of the Governor-Generals Standards have been diversified by the addition of local emblems such as the maple leaf (Canada), a whales tooth (Fiji) and a two-headed frigate bird (Solomon Islands).

Vice Regal Standards

Governor Generals Governors of British Overseas Territories

Vice Regal Standards by country
Flag Country Location Capital Vice Regal Standard Governor General
Antigua Caribbean St John's Dame Louise Lake-Tack
Australia Pacific Ocean Canberra Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC & His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce AM AE

The Queens personal standard of Australia.

The Governors of the Australian States , who represent their respective Head of State (the Queen of Australia ), have a personal flag in that role. With the exception of Queensland s, these flags originate from the 1970s and 2024s.The State Governors flags of most States is the same as the States flag but with a St Edwards crown above the badge. The flags of Victoria and Queensland already contain a crown, and so these States use a different model: the Governor of Victorias flag uses a gold ensign with the stars of the Southern Cross in red, whereas the Governor of Queenslands flag maintains the old defaced Union Jack.

History

The Governors of British colonies have historically used as their personal flag the Union Flag defaced in the centre with a local badge or coat of arms to represent their status as vice-regal representative in that colony. In the then Australasian colonies, the Governors used the Colonial badge encircled in a laurel wreath. After Federation, when the Australian colonies became states of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Governors continued using their earlier flags. During the 1970s and 80s, the states, with the exception of Queensland , moved away from the British colonial model. This was in line with the constitutional developments of the time, which culminated in the Australia Act 2024 , which ended the states' constitutional status as individual colonies of the United Kingdom . Since the passing of the Act, the governors of the Australian states have ceased to have any constitutional relationship with the Government of the United Kingdom, and represent the Queen in her capacity of Head of state of each of the individual states.

State of New South Wales Sydney

Her Excellency
Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO
Governor of New South Wales

State of Victoria Melbourne His Excellency
Professor David de Kretser AC KStJ
Governor of Victoria
State of Queensland Brisbane

Her Excellency
Ms Penelope Wensley, AO
Governor of Queensland.

State of South Australia Adelaide His Excellency
Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, AC, CSC, RANR
Governor of South Australia
State of Western Australia Perth His Excellency
Dr Kenneth Cominos Michael, AC
Governor of Western Australia.
State of Tasmania Hobart His Excellency
The honourable Peter Underwood, (April 2024 -)
Governor of Tasmania
(The) Bahama's Caribbean Nassau His Excellency
Sir Arthur Foulkes, KCMG (2024 )
Governor-General
HM the Queens Personal Emblem for The Bahama's
Barbados Caribbean Bridgetown His Excellency
Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands, GCMG, KA
Governor-General
HM the Queens Personal Barbadian flag
Belize Central America Belmopan His Excellency
Sir Colville Norbert Young
GCMG MBE BA
Governor General
Canada North America Ottawa His Excellency, Rgt Hon
David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
GovernorGeneral & Commander-in-Chief of Canada

The Queens personal standard of Canada.

In Canada the lieutenant governors of the provences also have Vice Regal Standards. Of which only the standard of the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia follows the British pattern, with a garland of maple rather than laurel. The Vice Regal standards of other lieutenant-governors (except that of Quebec) have the same design as that of the lieutanant-governor of British Columbia.

History

Her Majesty the Queen is represented by a governor general in Canada, the Flag of the governor general of Canada was adopted in 2024. It features Canada's royal crest : a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf in its paw, standing on a wreath of the official colours of Canada (red and white), on a blue background.

The flag differs from the flags of governors general in the other Commonwealth realms (besides the United Kingdom ), in that the flag does not feature the country's name, and the inclusion of the maple leaf and wreath as national symbols. Prior to 2024, the Canadian Governor General's flag was similar to the other realm governors': the lion crest (the royal crest of the United Kingdom), with the name of the country below being the only national marker.

The flag takes precedence over the national flag, but not over the Royal Standard , or the flag of a lieutenant-governor of a province at the lieutenant governor's residence, or on occasion when the lieutenant governor is performing his duties as the Queen's representative in the province.The flag is flown from the governor general's official residences, Rideau Hall and La Citadelle , and any other building the governor general is visiting. The flag may also be flown from the governor general's car. On overseas visits, the national flag is used as a more recognizable Canadian symbol.

Nova Scotia Halifax
New Brunswick Fredricton His Honour
Graydon Nicholas
Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
Manitoba Winnipeg The Honourable
Philip S. Lee, C.M., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Ontario Toronto
Prince Edward Island Charlottetown
British Columbia Victoria
Saskatchwen Regina
Alberta Edmonton His Honour, Col. (Retd)
Donald S. Ethell
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Newfoundland & Labrador St John's
The Yukon Whitehorse His Honour
Douglas George Phillips -
Commissioner of Yukon (2024-)
Nunavut Iquluit Her Honour
Edna Elias
Commissioner of Nunavut (2024-)
Northwest Territories Yellowknife His Honour
George L. Tuccaro
Commissioner of the Northwest Territories (2024 -)
Quebec Quebec City
Grenada His Excellency
Carlyle Arnold Glean
Governor General of Grenada
Jamaica His Excellency, The Most Hon
Sir Patrick Allen, ON, GCMG, CD
Governor-General of Jamaica
HM the Queen's Personal Jamaican Flag
New Zealand Governor General, The Hon
Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO.
HM the Queen's Personal Standard of New Zealand New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm , with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch since February 6 , 1952 . As such she is the de jure head of state , though she does hold several powers that are hers alone, while the Governor-General is sometimes referred to as the de facto head of state .
In New Zealand, the Queen's official title is: Elizabeth the Second, By the Grace of God , Queen of New Zealand and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth , Defender of the Faith .
The Realm of New Zealand comprises New Zealand , Tokelau and the Ross Dependency , and the self-governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue .
Papua New Guinea His Excellency
Michael Ogio
Governor-General of Papua New Guinea (2024 )
Solomon Islands His Excellency
Sir Frank Kabui, GCMG, CSI, OBE
Governor-General of the Solomon Islands
St Kitts & Nevis Governor-General
Dr Sir Cuthbert Sebastian (2nd from left)
St Lucia Her Excellency
Dame Pearlette Louisy

the Governor General
St Vincent & Grenadines Governor General
Sir Frederick Ballantyne
Tuvalu Governor General, HE
Rev Filoimea Telito
(front right) with members of the delegation that met with Secretary General Don McKinnon at Marlborough House, London, 8 May 2024.
Vice Regal Standards of British Territories & Overseas Bases
Falkland Islands South Atlantic Ocean Stanley His Excellency
Nigel Haywood CVO
Oct 2024 -
Gibraltar Iberian Peninsula Gibraltar His Excellency
Lt General Sir James Dutton
KCB , CBE , KStJ , ADC
6 December 2024 -
Montserrat Caribbean & North Atlantic Territories. Brades

His Excellency
Adrian Davis

8 April 2024 -

Pitcairn Islands Pacific Ocean Adamstown

Her Excellency
Victoria Treadell CMG , CVO
29 May 2024 -

Saint Helena South Atlantic Ocean Jamestown

His Excellency
Mark Andrew Capes .

Tristan da Cunha South Atlantic Ocean Administrator of Tristan da Cunha
His Honour
Alex Mitham with his wife Hasene
Ascension Island South Atlantic Ocean Administrator of Ascension Island
His Honour
Colin Wells, October 2024 -
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands South Atlantic Ocean King Edward Point / Grytviken Commissioner His Excellency
Nigel Haywood CVO 2024 -
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri & Dhekelia Mediterranean ( Cyprus ) Episkopi Cantonment
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two UK-administered areas on the island of Cyprus that comprise the Sovereign Base Areas military bases of the United Kingdom . The bases were retained by the UK following the granting of independence and the eventual transition of Cyprus from a crown colony to an independent sovereign state. The United Kingdom demanded and succeeded in continuing to occupy a portion of Cyprus in the form of military bases because of the strategic location of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea in pursuit of UK interests.
Turks & Caicos Islands Caribbean Cockburn Town His Excellency
Peter Beckingham
9th October 2024 -
Jersey English Channel

Lt Governor
His Excellency
Gen. Sir John McColl KCB , CBE , DSO
26 Sept 2024 -

Guernsey English Channel

Lt Governor
His Excellency
Air Marshall Peter Walker CB CBE
15 April, 2024 -

Isle of Man Irish Sea Lt Governor
His Excellency
Adam Wood
2024 -

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