Government Ensign (Gibraltar, United Kingdom)

Last modified: 2013-11-20 by eugene ipavec
Keywords: gibraltar | ensign: blue | coat of arms (castle: yellow) | canton: union flag |
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image by Martin Grieve, 14 Apr 2005
Flag adopted 1875, current version adopted 1999

• Introduction
• Description
• Construction Sheet and Badge Detail
• Government Ensign ?-1999
• Government Ensign 1921-c.1939(?)
• Government Ensign 1875 - 1921

See also:

• Civil Ensign (Gibraltar)
• Gibraltar (United Kingdom)

The Gibraltar blue ensign, used by the Government of Gibraltar vessels, used to be the official flag of the colony – Gibraltar is the only remaining Crown Colony, all the others are Overseas Territories – until the Gibraltar government decided to use the city flag instead.

Graham Bartram, 12 Dec 1998

The blue ensign was adopted in 1875 by the Colonial Office.

Pascal Vagnat, 30 Apr 1997

Christopher Southworth provided the construction figures for the present Government ensign of Gibraltar, which was adopted in the format shown below in 1999. David Prothero informs us that according to information supplied by Nick Weekes, this flag is used only by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

Martin Grieve, 14 Apr 2005

Construction Sheet image by Martin Grieve, 14 Apr 2005

Badge Detail image by Martin Grieve, 15 Apr 2005

Government Ensign ?-1999

image by Martin Grieve, 07 Apr 2005

From further evidence collected by David Prothero we know that the castle was originally intended to be grey/natural stone (and is so illustrated and described by a number of sources), however, it is shown as gold in the 1939 Flaggenbuch, as it is in the 1955 Edition of BR20 (possibly Part II of 1958?), and in Change No. 5 (1999) to the Edition of 1989. This last did, of course, establish the present size and style of defacement, and is repeated in the current (2005) Edition.

Martin Grieve, 07 Apr 2005

We received information from a reasonably authoritative source strongly suggesting that the badge had a gold border prior to the 1999 revisions, but may I suggest that (if this is so) it is (perhaps) more likely to date from the early-1980s Gibraltar Government insistence on adding a gold ring to the Governor's Flag rather than from the late 1930s (since neither the 1939 Flaggenbuch nor BR20 (1955) show it)?

Oh well, during the preparation of this series we've had white castles, grey castles, gold castles, brown castles and red castles (with or without mortaring – with straight or slanting sides), and some wonderfully conflicting information throughout. So a relatively minor query over the existence (or otherwise) of a gold border on one flag out of the three (for a comparatively short period of time) shouldn't cause us to lose too much sleep?

Christopher Southworth, 07 Apr 2005

Government Ensign 1921-c.1939?

image by Martin Grieve, 07 Apr 2005

Government Ensign 1875 - 1921

image by Martin Grieve, 14 Apr 2005

Badge Detail image by Martin Grieve, 07 Apr 2005

The previous blue ensign, if I recall correctly, had the shield of arms in a standard white disc.

Roy Stilling, 30 Apr 1997

The exact date upon which this flag was introduced is unknown at the present time; however, it is known that the design had been agreed by 1875. David Prothero has confirmed that the badge originally appeared on a white disk, but that its removal (as unnecessary) was proposed on 1 June 1921, agreed on 7 July 1921, confirmed by the Governor on 22 September 1923 and included in the 1925 amendments to the 1915 Edition of Flags of All Nations.

Martin Grieve, 07 Apr 2005