King's Flag for Australia

The King's Flag for Australia is the special flag used for Charles III when he is acting as the King of Australia. This flag shows that the King is present in a building or on a vehicle in Australia, just like the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom does in the United Kingdom. It is an important symbol that connects Australia to its history as a part of the British monarchy. This flag helps show respect for the King’s role in Australia and is used during official visits and events.

History

Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to have a special flag for Australia. Her flag was approved in 1962 and first used during a visit in 1963. Before that, the flag of the United Kingdom was used instead. Queen Elizabeth’s flag had a special star and a blue circle with a letter and a crown.

King Charles III also has a special flag for Australia. It was approved in 2024 and first used during his visit to Australia later that year.

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  Elizabeth II's personal flag being used in Brisbane, 1982

The flag being used by Elizabeth II during the [1982 Commonwealth Games](/wiki/1982_Commonwealth_Games) in Brisbane

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  The flag being used on a vessel carrying Elizabeth II, 1988

Description

The King's Flag is a special banner that shows the design from the arms of Australia. It has six parts, each one standing for one of the six Australian states. The flag is surrounded by a fancy ermine border that stands for all the states together.

• The upper left part is for New South Wales and shows a red St George's Cross with a gold lion in the middle and gold stars on each arm.
• The upper middle part is for Victoria and has a crown and five white stars on a blue background.
• The upper right part is for Queensland and shows a blue Maltese cross with a crown on a white background.
• The lower left part is for South Australia and includes a piping shrike on a gold background.
• The lower middle part is for Western Australia and shows a black swan on a gold background with its wings up.
• The lower right part is for Tasmania and has a red lion on a white background.

Use

The King's Flag for Australia is used when the king visits Australia. You can see it on Royal Australian Navy ships, in important buildings, and on cars or airplanes the king uses. When this flag is flown, it is the only flag that should be there. The flag also shows the king's presence during special events, like when the King's colours are shown at the Trooping the Colour. The king's colours represent the king being there in a symbolic way.

Coronation and jubilee standards

During the special ceremony when a new king or queen starts their rule, flags from different countries are carried inside a big church called Westminster Abbey. These flags show the coat of arms of each country. Australia used flags based on its coat of arms at three big events in 1911, 1937, and 1953 for Kings George V, George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II. In 2023, when King Charles III started his rule, Australia used its national flag instead.