Barbados
Trivia
The trident on the flag is said to represent the broken trident of Britannia. Representing the end of British colonialism.
Technical Specifications
| Adopted | 30th November 1966 |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Design | A ultramarine and gold vertical tricolour with a black trident |
| Colours | PMS – Blue: 280 C, Yellow: 123 C CMYK – Blue: 70% Magenta, 20% Black; Yellow: 30% Magenta, 90% Yellow. |
Brief History
In 1833 the British colony of Barbados joined the British Windward Islands, the Union Jack as the flag. In 1870 The Flag of the Colony of Barbados was a blue ensign with the emblem of Barbados in the centre right side of the flag. The emblem of Barbados featured Britannia in the sea. In 1885 Barbados left the British Windward Islands colony.
The Flag of the British Windward Islands (1833 to 1886)
The Flag of the Colony of Barbados (1870 to 1966)
Between 1958 and 1962 Barbados was part of the West Indies Federation. The Flag of the West Indies Federation was a blue field featuring four undulating white lines with a golden circle on top. This design was to represent the sun shining on the Caribbean Sea.
Barbados became independent in 1966 and a new flag was adopted. Grantley W. Prescot’s design was chosen from a competition that saw over a thousand entries. It is an ultramarine and gold vertical tri-colour with a black broken trident in the centre. The broken trident is a reference to the old emblem of Barbados that shows Britannia holding a trident, saying that Barbados has broken from British colonialism. The three points of the trident are said to represent the government of, for and by the people and the Ultramarine is the sea with the gold as the sand.
The Flag of the West Indies Federation (1958 to 1962)
The Flag of Barbados (1966 to Present Day
The Coat of Arms of Barbados
The Coat of Arms of Barbados was designed by Mr Neville Connell and adopted in 1966. It features a gold shield with Pride of Barbados flower and bearded fig tree in the centre. A dolphin on the left and a pelican on the right hand side of the shield referencing the islands fishing industry and the Pelican Island. Above the shield is a helmet with a national symbol of a hand holding two stalks of sugar cane on top. Underneath a banner reads “PRIDE AND INDUSTRY”.
The Queen’s Personal Barbadian Flag
The Queen’s Personal Barbadian Flag was adopted in 1970 as the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II. It is a yellow field is a bearded fig tree behind a golden E on a blue disk; the border of the disk is a garland of gold roses. In the top corners are red Pride of Barbados flowers.
The flag is only used when the Queen is in Barbados or representing Barbados as their head of state when abroad.
The Flag of the Governor-General of Barbados
The Flag of the Governor-General of Barbados is a blue field with a golden lion on the St Edward’s crown in the centre with the word Barbados in the banner.
The Naval Ensign of Barbados
The Naval Ensign of Barbados is a White ensign that features a St George’s cross with the flag of Barbados in the top left hand corner.
