Theflag of Malta (il-bandiera ta' Malta) is abicolour, with white in thehoist and red in thefly. A representation of theGeorge Cross,awarded to Malta byGeorge VI in 1942, is carried, edged with red, in thecanton of the white stripe.[1] The flag was first recognized in May of 1952.[2] It is the only national flag to feature English-language text ("For Gallantry" on theGeorge Cross).[3] It is one of two national flags, alongsideBelize, to depict ahuman.
The red hue in the Maltese flag is officially documented asPantone 186 C,RGB (207,20,43),Hex #CF142B orSpot Colour - 50% rubine red • 50% warm red.[4]
The constitution of Malta also states that the white side must be on the hoist pole while the red side must be "in the fly".[5]
Tradition states that the colours of the flag were given toMalta byRoger I of Sicily in 1091. Roger's fleet landed in Malta on the completion of theNorman conquest of Sicily.[6] It is said that local Christians offered to fight by Roger's side against the Arab defenders. In order to recognize the locals fighting on his side from the defenders, Roger reportedly tore off part of his chequered red-and-white flag.[7] However, this story has been debunked as a 19th-century myth,[8] possibly even earlier due toMdina, Malta's old capital, associating its colours with Roger's in the late Middle Ages.[9]
Theflag of the Knights of Malta, a white cross on a red field,[11] was a more likely source of the Maltese colours, inspiring the red and white shield used during theBritish colonial period.[8] The flag used by the knights was also known to be the oldest still-in-use national flag.[12][13] The blue canton present in the 1943 to 1964 version of the flag was removed after Maltese independence, with the George cross instead given a red fimbriation.[14]
The George Cross originally appeared on the flag placed on a bluecanton (seeList of flags of Malta). The flag was changed on 21 September 1964 with Malta's independence when the blue canton was replaced by a redfimbriation, the intention being that the Cross appear less prominent. KingGeorge VI bestowed the George Cross on Malta on April 15, 1942[15] in recognition of its courageousness during World War II.[16][7] The symbol was later officially added to the Maltese flag on 28 December 1943[17] despite symbolism being in circulation between April 1942 and December 1943 depicting the flag.[18]
Every few years, the debate to remove the George Cross from the national flag comes up. In 1975 an act passed in parliament allowing the George Cross to be removed by a simple parliament majority[19] with the reasoning being that the cross ties Malta to its turbulent, colonial past.[20][8] A campaign on social media in 2013 further emphasized this point, coming up with an alternative of replacing it with theMaltese cross.[21][22]
The issue of the cross returned to the fore of Maltese politics in 2019 when Maltese historian and noted Napoleon apologist andFrancophileCharles Xuereb called for its removal from the flag, as well as the demolition of British colonial monuments across the country, arguing that the addition of the cross was a "colonial gimmick" in an interview withThe Times of Malta.[23]
Rival historianJoe Pirotta argued against Xuereb's idea in an article also published byThe Times of Malta saying that the addition of the cross was a great honor withMario Farrugia, chairman of theFondazzjoni Wirt Artna, arguing that removing the cross would be "an insult" to those who fought againstNazism and that "The George Cross has become as famous as the Maltese Cross" as a symbol of Malta.[24]
Thecivil ensign shows a red field, bordered white and charged with a blankMaltese cross. It is also known as the Merchant's flag[25] and/or the maritime flag of Malta.[26][27][16]
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