The Falkland Islands have been claimed and occupied by several nations throughout its history, who generally used their national flags on the islands. It wasn't until 1876 that the islands were given a flag of their own, which consisted of a Blue Ensign defaced with the seal of the islands - an image of HMS Hebe in Falkland Sound, overlooked by a bullock. A new coat-of-arms for the islands was introduced on 16 October 1925, consisting of the Desire and a sea lion in a shield surrounded by the motto of the islands, Desire the Right. This coat-of-arms later replaced the image of the bullock and ship on the flag. On 29 September 1948, the flag was updated to include the new coat-of-arms superimposed upon a white disc. The flag was banned by the Argentine military junta from 2 April – 14 June 1982, during their occupation of the islands, when it was replaced by the flag of Argentina. In 1999 the size of the arms was increased and the white disc removed to create the current flag. The Falkland Islands Red Ensign was created by The Merchant Shipping Order 1998, No. 3147 of 1998, which came into force in 1999 and which contains a picture of the ensign containing the Falkland arms on a white disc. Red Ensign with the Falklands coat of arms superimposed is used as the islands' civil ensign. Previously the plain red ensign was used by ships in the territorial waters around the Falklands. The Governor of the Falkland Islands uses a Union Flag defaced with the coat of arms. It was this flag that was raised at Government House in Stanley by the Royal Marines at the end of the Falkland War, signifying the liberation of the islands.
Use of the flag
Since its approval, the Falklands flag has been used to represent the Falkland Islanders internationally. In 2011, in support of Argentina's claim to the islands, the members of Mercosur banned Falklands flagged vessels from entering their ports. Vessels flying the Falklands Civil Ensign are required to re-flag with the Red Ensign to enter Mercosur ports. The flag was flown from several HM Government buildings in London, including 10 Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall, on 14 June 2012 to mark the 30th anniversary of the islands' liberation.
Former flags
Civil ensign
For the majority of the Falkland Islands existence as a British territory, the appropriate civil ensign was the same as that of the United Kingdom, an undefaced red ensign. The first warrant issued for the use of a defaced red ensign was issued in 1998, to be effective on 25 January 1999. This warrant prescribed the coat of arms of the Falkland Islands within a white disc. However, a revision of territorial flags issued later that year removed the white disc and enlarged the territorial emblems across the board.
