Flag of Guernsey
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| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | April 30, 1985 |
| Design | Cross |
The flag of Guernsey was adopted in 1986 and consists of the red St George's Cross with an additional gold Norman cross within it. The creation was prompted by confusion at international sporting events over competitors from Guernsey and England using the same flag. It was designed by the Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee led by Deputy Bailiff Sir Graham Dorey. The flag was first unveiled on the island on 15 February 1985. The gold cross represents William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy (who became, after the conquest, William I of England). William purportedly was given such a cross by Pope Alexander II and flew it on his standard in the Battle of Hastings. Since 2000, a red ensign with the cross in the fly has been used as the government's civil ensign and blue ensign.
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. 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. 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. The impetus for the flag's creation was confusion at the Commonwealth Games, where Guernsey competed under the flag of England–some other nations' competitors erroneously believed England was entering two teams into the Games.
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