Royal Standard of Scotland

The Royal Standard of Scotland, also known as the Royal Standard of the King of Scots or more commonly the Lion Rampant was the flag used historically by the King of Scots. The banner of the ancient Royal Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Scotland, it is the Scottish Royal banner. [ [http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/237.html The "Lion Rampant" Flag] The Court of the Lord Lyon. Retrieved on 10 October 2008.] The Lion is commonly thought to have been adopted in the early 12th century by William I (known as "William the Lion"), but there is no evidence of its use as "the Arms of Dominion of Scotland" before 1222, when it appeared in the seal of his son, Alexander II. An earlier recorded Scottish Royal standard featured a dragon, which is known to have been used at the Battle of the Standard in 1138 by David I.It has also been suggested that The Royal Arms of Scotland were first devised by King Malcolm III Canmore in 1061.

The flag is a red lion rampant with blue tongue and claws within a red double border on a yellow background. The scheme is formally defined in heraldry as: "Or, a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory counter-flory of the second", meaning: A gold (Or) background, whose principle symbol is a red (Gules) upright lion (lion rampant) with blue (Azure) claws and teeth (armed and langued), surrounded by a two lined (tressure) decorated with of floral symbols (flory counter-flory) of the second colour specified in the blazon (Gules).

Following the Union of the Crowns in 1603, the flag was incorporated into the Royal Standard of successive British Monarchs, appearing in both the first and fourth quadrants of versions used in Scotland while only appearing in the second quadrant on versions used elsewhere.

Today the flag is used officially at the Scottish Royal residencies of Holyrood Palace and Balmoral Castle when the Queen is not in residence. The flag may also be used by representatives of the Crown, including the First Minister, Lord Lieutenants in their Lieutenancies, the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Lord Lyon King of Arms. The Lion Rampant element was also incorporated on the capbadge of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. [ [http://www.britishflags.net/royalscotland.html britishflags.net- The Royal Standard of Scotland] ] As the personal banner of the monarch, its use is restricted under the Act of the Parliament of Scotland 1672 cap. 47 and 30 & 31 Vict. cap. 17. [ [http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/237.html Lyon Court- "The Lion Rampant"] ] . In 1978 a St Albans linen merchant, Denis Pamphilon, was fined £100 daily for usurpation of the standard on decorative bedspreads until he desisted, and both Rangers F.C. and the Scottish National Party have been admonished by the Lyon for its improper use. [Groom, Nick (2006). "The Union Jack: the Story of the British Flag", Atlantic Books, p.294. ISBN 1843543362.]

A variation of the Royal Standard of Scotland is used by the heir apparent to the King of Scots, the Duke of Rothesay, whose personal Standard is the Royal Standard of Scotland defaced with an Azure coloured label of three points. [ [http://flickr.com/photos/beery_pix/2689133146/ image] ] (The banner of the Duke of Rothesay also features the same, displayed upon an inner shield).

Today however, the flag is also sometimes used unofficially as a second national flag of Scotland (particularly at sporting events). The red lion rampant on a yellow shield also features on the badges of both the Scottish Football Association and the Scotland national football team.

The central lion-rampant motif is also used as a badge by Irish clans who claim a place in the Milesian genealogies, in common with Malcolm III, King of Scots.

ee also

* Flag of Scotland
* List of Scottish flags
* Royal Standard

References