Immediately upon becoming Queen, Elizabeth inherited the two versions of the royal standard of the United Kingdom. Since the 1960s, flags were introduced to represent the Queen in various other
Commonwealth realms, which followed the same basic pattern: the nation's coat of arms in banner form with the device found on her personal flag. The Queen's representatives in these nations had their own flags to represent them.
United Kingdom Upon the death of her father, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II and therefore adopted the Royal Standard. This flag was used to represent the Queen not only in the United Kingdom but also overseas when she made state visits. It is the royal arms in banner form undifferentiated. File:Royal standard of the United Kingdom.svg|Outside Scotland File:Royal Standard of the United Kingdom (in Scotland).svg|Scotland
Sierra Leone The Queen's Sierra Leonean standard was created when she visited Sierra Leone in 1961, in her capacity as
Queen of Sierra Leone. The flag featured the
coat of arms of Sierra Leone in
banner form, which depicts a lion beneath a zigzag border, representing the
Lion Mountains, after which the country was named. It also had three torches which symbolized peace and dignity. At the base were wavy bars depicting the sea. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the
Queen's Personal Flag. The Sierra Leonean standard also served as the inspiration for the design and layout of
her personal standard for Canada. This flag ceased to be used when Sierra Leone became a republic in 1971.
Canada The Queen had a personal Canadian Flag in her role as
Queen of Canada. The flag was adopted and proclaimed by her on 15 August 1962. The flag, in a 1:2 proportion, consists of the escutcheon of the
Royal Coat of Arms of Canada in banner form defaced with the distinct device of Queen Elizabeth II: a blue
roundel with the initial E surmounted by
St Edward's Crown and within a wreath of
roses, all gold-coloured. The Queen's Canadian Standard was also flown sometimes in her absence. To mark the Queen's sixty years on the Canadian throne on 6 February 2012, her personal Canadian standard was unfurled at Rideau Hall and on
Parliament Hill, as well as at provincial
royal residences and
legislatures across the country.
Australia The Queen had a personal Australian Flag in her role as
Queen of Australia. The flag was approved for use in by the Queen on 20 September 1962, and first used during the 1963 royal visit. Each of the six sections of the flag represents the
heraldic badge of the
Australian states, and the whole is surrounded by an
ermine border representing the federation of the states. The flag is flown on
Royal Australian Navy ships, or on Australian official buildings or in enclosures only on occasions when the monarch is present. The exception to this rule is parades in honour of their birthday, when the flag is flown even if the monarch is not present. When it is flown on or outside a building, no other flag is flown with it. On 7 July 2000, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 by the British Parliament, the Queen attended a church service at Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen's personal flag for Australia flew at the Abbey, the first time it had flown in the United Kingdom.
New Zealand The Queen had a personal flag in her role as
Queen of New Zealand. It was approved for use in 1962. It was flown by the Queen when in New Zealand. The only time the flag was flown in New Zealand in the absence of the Queen, was at parades held on and in honour of her official birthday. The flag is the escutcheon of the
arms of New Zealand in banner form, defaced with a blue roundel surrounded by a garland of roses encircling a crowned letter 'E', all in gold. The flag is divided into four quadrants: The first quadrant includes depicts four stars as representative of the
Southern Cross constellation, as depicted on the
national flag. The second quadrant consists of a golden
fleece on a red field. The third quadrant contains a golden
wheat sheaf on a red field. The final quadrant includes two crossed gold hammers on a blue field. The central stripe consists of three
ships. Superimposed in the centre is a dark blue roundel bearing a Roman E surmounted by a Royal Crown within a chaplet of
roses, all gold-coloured, obscuring the centre ship. The flag takes precedence over the New Zealand flag, and is protected under the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981; Section 12(1) states: "Every person commits an offence against this Act who, without the authority of Her Majesty or (as the case may require) the Governor-General, displays or exhibits or otherwise uses any representation to which this subsection applies in such a manner as to be likely to cause any person to believe that he does so under the authority, sanction, approval, appointment, or patronage of Her Majesty or the Governor-General". An example of the Queen's New Zealand Standard being used outside New Zealand, is at the unveiling of the
New Zealand War Memorial in London, UK, by the Queen at Hyde Park in 2006. The Queen's Personal New Zealand Standard was flown, along with the
Union Flag, and the
flag of New Zealand on three separate freestanding flagpoles at the ceremony.
Trinidad and Tobago The Queen's personal flag for
Trinidad and Tobago was used for the first time when she visited Trinidad and Tobago in 1966. The flag featured the
coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago in
banner form, which depicts the colours of the national flag. The gold ships represent the three ships
Christopher Columbus used on his voyage. The two birds above are
hummingbirds. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag (obscuring the centre ship), which is taken from the
Queen's Personal Flag. This flag ceased to be used when Trinidad and Tobago became a republic in 1976.
Jamaica The Queen had a personal flag in her role as
Queen of Jamaica. It was first used when she visited Jamaica in 1966, as part of her Caribbean tour.
Malta The Queen had a personal flag for use in
Malta, in her role as
Queen of Malta. The flag was adopted on 31 October 1967, and first used when the Queen visited Malta in 1967. The flag consisted of the
coat of arms of Malta in
banner form, which depicts the colours white and red, and a representation of the
George Cross,
awarded to Malta by
George VI in 1942. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the
Queen's Personal Flag. This flag ceased to be used when Malta became a republic in 1974. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses defaced the flag, which is taken from the
Queen's Personal Flag. This flag ceased to be used when Mauritius became a republic in 1992.
Barbados The Queen had a personal flag for use in
Barbados, in her role as
Queen of Barbados. It was first used when the Queen visited Barbados in 1975. The standard consisted of a yellow field with a bearded fig tree, a long-established symbol of the island of Barbados, and the national flower the
Pride of Barbados flowers in each of the upper corners. A blue disc of the crowned letter "E", surrounded by a garland of gold roses, was displayed prominently on the flag within the centre of the tree. This flag ceased to be used when Barbados became a republic in 2021. ==Personal flag==