Introduction
The flag of Guernsey is the red cross of Saint George on white, with a narrower gold cross set inside it.
The gold cross is what makes it Guernsey rather than England, and it was added for a very practical reason.
Meaning & Symbolism
The red cross carries the island constitutional relationship with the English Crown. The gold cross stands for William, Duke of Normandy, who by tradition was given such a cross by Pope Alexander II and flew it at Hastings in 1066.
So the flag holds both halves of the island history at once: Norman by origin, attached to the English Crown by outcome.
History of the Guernsey Flag
The flag exists because of sport. Guernsey and England were turning up at international events under the same red cross on white, and the confusion was constant.
A Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee under Deputy Bailiff Sir Graham Dorey produced the solution, and the flag was adopted on 30 April 1985, first unveiled on the island on 15 February 1985.
Curiosities
- The flag was created to stop Guernsey and England turning up at sporting events under the same flag.
- The gold cross refers to the one Pope Alexander II is said to have given William of Normandy before Hastings.
- It was designed by a committee with the very literal name Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee.
- Before 1985 Guernsey simply used the plain cross of Saint George.
- The island is Norman in origin but attached to the English Crown, and the flag shows both.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Guernsey in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.