List of Welsh flags

This is a list of flags used exclusively in Wales.

National flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Since 1959 (official)(variants first appeared c.1485)	Flag of Wales, also known as Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon)	Per fess Argent and Vert, a dragon passant Gules
	Since 1921	Flag of Saint David	Sable a cross Or

Royal standards

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Since 1837	The Royal Standard, used by Queen Elizabeth II in England, Wales and Northern Ireland	A banner of the Queen's Arms, the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, blazoned Quarterly, I and IV Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or; II Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory-counter-flory Gules; III Azure a harp Or stringed Argent
	Since 1962	Standard of the Prince of Wales, used only in Wales	A banner based on the arms of the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn the Great, with the Prince of Wales's coronet in the centre, blazoned Quarterly Or and Gules four lions passant guardant counterchanged armed and langued Azure, over all an inescutcheon Vert charged with the coronet of the Heir Apparent

Government flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Since 2017	The ensign used aboard ships of the Welsh Government, such as the patrol boats of the Marine and Fisheries Division.	A British blue ensign defaced with a yellow dragon

Religious

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Since 1921	Flag of Saint David	Sable a cross Or - used by the Welsh Christian Party
	Since 1954	Flag of the Church in Wales	Argent a cross Azure a celtic cross proper

Historical

Welsh flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1807 – 1953	Used from 1807 until 1953.
	1953 – 1959	Used from 1953 until 1959, depicting the Royal Badge of Wales after its augmentation of honour.

Welsh royal standards

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1401 – 1416	Banner adopted by Owain Glyndŵr and thought to be derived from the counter-charged arms of the princely Houses of Mathrafal and Dinefwr. It is currently in use by the National Eisteddfod for Wales, Cymdeithas yr Iaith and widely amongst pro-independence groups	Quarterly Or and Gules, four Lions rampant counter-charged
	c.1195 – 1378	Banner of the princely House of Aberffraw and the Kingdom of Gwynedd famously used by Llywelyn the Great, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain Lawgoch. The Prince of Wales uses a version of this flag today emblazoned with a Crown on a green shield	Quarterly Or and Gules, four Lions passant guardant counter-charged langued and armed Azure
	c.1100 – c.1400	Banner of the princely House of Mathrafal used during the early Middle Ages by the rulers of Powys, Powys Wenwynwyn and later by their heirs the de la Pole (Powysian) dynasty. Modern use is rare	Or a Lion rampant Gules langued and armed Azure
	c.1100 – c.1300	Banner of the princely House of Dinefwr and the Kingdom of Deheubarth, a realm which covered much of south Wales. The banner would have been used during the early Middle Ages and later by the Talbot dynasty who inherited the arms. Modern use is rare	Gules a Lion rampant Or, a border engrailed of the last
	c.1240 – 1282	Banner of the personal arms of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd	Argent three Lions passant Gules
	c.1160 – c.1350	Banner of Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor, and later the Banner of Powys Fadog	Argent a Lion rampant Sable langued and armed Gules. Often referred to as the Black Lion of Powys.

Battle flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	c.1400 – c.1416	Banner known as Y Ddraig Aur or "The Golden Dragon" which has ancient origins. It was famously raised over Caernarfon during the Battle of Tuthill in 1401 by Owain Glyndŵr	Argent a dragon rampant Or
	13th century	Banner known as Y Groes Nawdd or "The Cross of Neith" said to have been the battle flag of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (d. 1282)	Purpure a celtic cross Or

Regions, counties and cities

Traditional counties

Of the 13 historic counties, 7 have flags registered with the Flag Institute, with Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire (Ceredigion), Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire outstanding.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	March 2014	Flag of Anglesey	Gules a chevron Or between three lions rampant Or.
	Since 2012	Flag of Caernarfonshire	Vert, three eagles displayed in fess Or.
	Not yet registered	Flag of Ceredigion	Sable, a lion regardant Or.
	Since 2015	Flag of Flintshire	Argent a Cross engrailed Sable between four Cornish Choughs proper
	Since 2013	Flag of Glamorgan	Gules, three Chevronels Argent
	Since 2015	Flag of Merionethshire	Azure, three goats rampant Argent, armed and unguled Or; from the dexter base the sun in his splendour issuant Or.
	Since 2011	Flag of Monmouthshire	Per pale Azure and Sable three Fleurs-de-lis Or.
	Not yet registered	Flag of Montgomeryshire	Or a Lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure.
	Since 1988	Flag of Pembrokeshire	Azure a cross Or on an inescutcheon of five Vert a Tudor Rose quarterly counter-changed Argent and Gules.

Principal areas

See also: Local government in Wales

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1906	Flag of Cardiff	Argent on a Mount Vert a Dragon rampant Gules supporting in front of a Leek issuing from the Mount a Flag Staff erect proper flying therefrom to the sinister a Banner of the third charged with three Chevronels of the first.
		Flag of Monmouthshire (principal area)
	1929	Flag of Newport	Or, a chevron reversed Gules
	1922	Flag of Swansea	Per Fess wavy Azure and barry wavy of six Argent, of the first a double-towered Castle or, in Chief on an Inescutcheon of the third a Lion passant guardant Gules.

Nationalist flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1960s	Welsh Republican Tricolour	A vertical tricolour of green, red and white with a black star representing those who have fallen for their country.
	Since 1960s	Yr Eryr Wen – the White Eagle, used by radical nationalists. The eagle or Eryr is thought to refer to Owain Gwynedd who used an eagle for his coat of arms, and also Snowdonia (called Eryri in Welsh).	A stylised white eagle on a black background.
	1970s	Y Ddraig Ddu or "The Black Dragon" used by the Cymru 1400 republican movement	The Red Dragon of Wales on a black field
	1960s	Banner of the now defunct Meibion Glyndŵr militant pro-independence organisation	Banner of Owain Glyndŵr indented with the border of an eldest son

References