Сент-Еленаның туы және тарихы

Flag

The flag of Saint Helena consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the shield from the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1984 shortly after the island was granted a new coat of arms, it has been the flag since. Saint Helena's flag is similar to the flags of eight other British Overseas Territories, which are also Blue Ensigns with their respective coats of arms.

Saint Helena was first sighted by João da Nova in May 1502. The East India Company (EIC) was later conferred a royal charter to govern the island in 1659. It briefly came under Dutch sovereignty in 1673, before becoming a crown colony for the duration of Napoleon's exile there from 1815 until his death in 1821. After reverting back to EIC control for thirteen years, it became a crown possession again in 1834. Saint Helena was accorded its own badge in 1874 that was eventually utilised on its flag. This consisted of a depiction of the territory's rocky coastline and an East Indiaman. The badge was later redesigned in 1984, with the Saint Helena plover added to the upper portion. The territory's flag was also utilised as the official flag of Tristan da Cunha, as well as on Ascension Island in an unofficial capacity. This continued until the two islands adopted their own distinct flags in 2002 and 2013, respectively. Minor updates were made to the shield (and, by extension, the flag of Saint Helena) in April 2019, amid concerns that the illustration of the wirebird had become misrepresented. The island's government consequently invited the College of Arms in London to create an up to date painting of the coat of arms that could be digitally generated while remaining faithful to the colors prescribed in the 1984 Gazette.