Personal Flags and
Standards
The Sovereign and members of the
Royal Family
The Sovereign and members of the Royal Family are entitled
to display personal flags and standards which are normally
flown to denote their presence. These flags and standards
are flown day and night at any building in which they are
in residence or in which they are attending a public function.
Generally, personal flags and standards are flown behind
the saluting base when troops are inspected and on Her Majesty's
ships when they are aboard.
Normally, personal flags and standards are broken from the
flag pole as members of the Royal Family step on the saluting
base or enter the building and are lowered as they leave.
The saluting base flag pole must therefore be rigged with
halyards.
Her Majesty's Personal Canadian flag and standards of members
of the Royal Family will take precedence before the national
flag; they are never half-masted.
These flags and standards, like all personal flags, are never
used by others.
Although Her Majesty The Queen has several standards and
personal flags which are displayed according to the event
and the location, in Canada, only The Queen's Personal Canadian
flag will be displayed to mark her presence (as illustrated
above).
Royal flags and standards are normally provided by the Household
Staff and are lent to the Department of Canadian Heritage
Visit Staff prior to the visit; The Queen's Personal Canadian
flag is obtained from Rideau Hall.
If more than one member of the Royal Family is present on
an official visit, only the standard of the member taking
precedence shall be flown.
Flags and standards of foreign heads of state may be flown
as the occasion demands but normally only the foreign national
flag is flown in connection with a Head of State visit. The
foreign national flag will take precedence after the national
flag.
The Governor General's flag
The Governor General's flag (as illustrated above) has precedence
over all flags in Canada except The Queen's Personal Canadian
flag and the flag of the Lieutenant Governor of a Province
at the Lieutenant Governor's residence or on occasion when
the Lieutenant Governor is performing his duties as The Queen's
representative in the Province. The same provisions specified
for the Sovereign's flag and other personal standards apply
to the Governor General's flag.
The Lieutenant Governors' flags
The flags of the lieutenant governors of provinces within
the province of their jurisdiction are treated in a manner
similar to the Governor General's flag and take precedence
over all flags except The Queen's Personal Canadian flag (as
illustrated below).
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