The Flag Institute is an educational charity headquartered in London, England. It maintains an unofficial UK Flag Registry and offers advice and guidance about flags and their usage. The UK's only official authorities for flags are the College of Arms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland, and the Ministry of Defence for military flags and those flown at sea.
History and role
The Institute was formed out of the Flag Section of The Heraldry Society on St George's Day, 23 April 1971, by William Crampton, later President of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations. It is a membership-based vexillological organisation, and provides advice and assistance to individuals and organisations. The Institute maintains the William Crampton Library, based in Kingston upon Hull, England and named in honour of its co-founder. It publishes a quarterly 24-page full colour journal, Flagmaster, and a virtual magazine called eFlags. Since 2006 it has sponsored an annual public lecture on a flag-related topic, known as the 'Perrin Lecture'. It holds twice yearly meetings for its members in various locations around the United Kingdom. The Institute itself is governed by a Board of five elected Trustees who are advised by an appointed Council of members. Until early 2010 the nationalflag of the United Kingdom was only flown from the Houses of Parliament when Parliament was sitting, and when the Houses rose it was taken down. The Flag Institute with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Flags and Heraldry campaigned to see the flag flown permanently. In early 2010 Black Rod agreed that this should be so and since then the flag has flown all the time. In May 2011 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles said: Following a postal ballot of members, the Institute became a charity at its annual general meeting in Worcester on Saturday 17 November 2012. Under the supervision of their Chief Vexillologist Graham Bartram, the Institute keeps an unofficial registry of flags for the countries, regions and counties of the UK. The Institute provide informal advice to various government agencies, and flag designs with which its officers have been involved include those for the badge and ensign of the UK Border Agency and the flag of the UK Supreme Court., Charles Ashburner, and Andrew Rosindell, MP, celebrate the permanent flying of the nation's flag over the Palace of Westminster
