Personal Arms and flag Protocol and guidelines

This is really a fallow up of my personal flags blog. I think its correct to publish guidelines and protocol regarding my personal arms and flag and forms of the flag or arms. The person who is entitled to uses or bear the arms or flags in this will be known as the bearer. For any flag that is appointed or given to people, the person will be known as an apointie.
Firstly my personal coat of arms.

For information on what the individual characteristics of the coat of arms are and what they symbolise please see the relevant publication. These arms may only be used by the bearer and can be placed used on official and non official papers, buildings or as a mark of property. Others can be entitled to use a version of these arms or incorporate them into their own arms at the bearers pleasure.

The banner of the arms is the personal flag of the bearer of the arms. This is a personal flag that can only be used by the bearer or to mark that the bearer is in residence. A house flag is available for use when the baere is not.

Position of Honour

The order of precedence of flags in the UK is: Royal Standards, the Union Flag, the flag of the UK home nation (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, etc.), flags of other nations (in alphabetical order), the Commonwealth Flag, the European Union Flag, county flags, flags of cities or towns, personnel flags, and house flags. This should be fallowed in regard of the flags here see Flag Institute for more information

Double Flagging 

Sometimes it may be desired to display two flags when only one flagpole is available. As long as both flags are British this is possible. The senior flag should fly at the top, with a gap of about 30cm (12”), assuming there is enough vertical space on the pole. For example, the Union Flag can be flown over the personal flag. When flags are at half-mast the lower flag must be removed.

As a pall for a coffin

If the personal flag is to be used on a coffin, it should be placed so that the top-left corner of the flag is over the deceased’s left shoulder. The flag should be removed before interment or cremation and folded and passed on to the heir of the arms and therefore the flag. This symbolises that the arms have passed to them and it is now their personal flag. This depends on the wishes of the deceased it may also share the coffin with another flag if appropriate.

Folding the flag

The flag should be folded using the Royal Navy’s method shown here, based on a 1:2 flag (138cm x 276cm) with no fittings (ie. ropes, toggles or clips), or using the method shown for the Union FlagThe Union Flag is pulled taut. The Union Flag is folded in half, lengthways (Fig. 1).Keeping the Union Flag taught it is then folded in half (lengthways) a second time (Fig. 2).

A straight fold of 1/14 of the flag’s length (20cm on a casket cover) is taken from the foot of the Union Flag (Fig. 3). This fold may not be necessary, or may need to be a different length, depending upon the shape, size and material of the flag being folded - practise first!

The first triangular fold is made ensuring it is within 5mm of the straight edge (Fig. 4).

The triangular folding procedure continues until it reaches the head of the Union Flag (Figs. 5, 6 & 7).

Any remainder is tucked away into the fold of the triangular shape (Fig. 8 & 9).

The Union Flag ready for presentation (Fig. 10).


On Vehicles
A car flag should be placed on a staff fitted to the front-right wing, in the centre of front edge of the bonnet, or in the centre of the front edge of the roof. If two flags are to be flown, the senior flag should be on the front-right wing and the junior flag on the front-left wing.

The flag should never be painted on a vehicle of any sort as the coat of arms would be more appropriate for this.

In Morning

If the bearer is in morning then the flag may be flown at half mast, until the day after the funeral. It must not be flown at half mast for the passing of the bearer unless the new bearer wishes. An alternative mark of mourning, used when half-masting is unsuitable, is to add a black cravat or ribbon to the top of the flag, at the hoist. The Flag must not be used on Remembrance Sunday but the Union Flag should fly at full mast. 

Disposal of the Flag

When the flag has become tattered and beyond repair it should be properly disposed of in a respectble manner.Either

1. torn into tiny shreds and burned or
2. Placed in a marked box and buried
3. it may also be hung up if this seems appropriate
   

Pennant 

It is sometimes impractical to fly a full-size flag throughout the year - flags can wear out quickly, especially if they are flown in adverse conditions. Bare flagpoles are a sad sight. The pennant, or vimpel, is a solution to these problems. The long narrow streamer-like flags are designed to be left flying day and night. This can be used whether the bearer is resident or not as the lion rampant at the hoist is not full banner of arms.

Direct Representation flag

A person who is directly representing the bearer or a family member can use a flag to distinguish this if appointed  This takes the form of an ensign with the bearer's personal flag in the canton. The field in this example is black but dark blue or any other colour deemed appropriate by the bearer is also suitable. This flag may be defaced with a personal logo, symbol or arms of the appointee.

Pipers and Pipe Banners

Appointed pipers can use a pipe banner on their bagpipes there are two banners that may be used.

This banner bears the coat of arms should be on a blue field unless appropriate circumstances dictate otherwise. If it is to be displayed on a tartan pipe banner then it should be either the Douglas(modern) tartan or the Ulster (modern red) or County Londonderry district tartans, as these are the entitled tartans. It can be double sided and the reverse can have a separate image, regarding band, regiment, piper, country etc if the piper or pipe major wishes.

This pipe banner should be used by the senior piper to the bearer  It must be the same on both sides. 

Standards

. The McKittricks are not officially recognised as a clan, as they are/were a sept of the Clan Douglas. However the McKittricks in Northern Ireland do not fallow the clan system although we are allowed to ware the appropriate tartan.  fallowing is a personal standard.

This standard is only to be used if the bearer is present as it has the personal banner at the hoist. It features the motto and the crest. For people representing the bearer the fallowing standard may be usesd. 

This has the home nation flag in the hoist. In the absence of an official Northern Ireland flag the Ulster Banner is used however other flags that can occupy this position are: Ulster Flag, St Patrick's Saltire, St Andrew's Saltire,Ulster Nation Flag or an official N.Ireland flag if,and when it becomes official, a banner of the arms of the County or City of the person using this banner or personal arms may also be used if its deemed appropriate. The lion rampant on black occupies the field and the motto is on white rather than black. 

The Union Flag should fly on all National holidays or days with the fallowing exceptions:

St Patricks day - St Patrick's Saltire

St Andrews Day - St Andrews Saltire

Burns Day - Ulster-Scots Flag or St Andrews Saltire

Ulster Day - Ulster Banner

N.Ireland International Football game - Ulster banner or IFA flag

12th July - Boyne Standard or Ulster Banner or Union flag

Derry Celebrations - Crimson Banner of Londonderry

The Union Flag can fly any day but it must be flown on national days it can still be used on the above dates providing the other flags mentioned are also flown