Malta Flags – Maltese Flag, Civil Ensign & Bunting

The Maltese flag: white, red and the George Cross

Malta’s flag is divided vertically, white at the hoist and red at the fly, with a representation of the George Cross edged in red in the upper hoist corner. The white and red go back centuries and are traditionally linked to Count Roger of Sicily and later to the Knights of St John, whose eight-pointed cross is a separate symbol. The George Cross was awarded to the whole island by King George VI on 15 April 1942, in recognition of the people’s endurance under the siege and bombing of the Second World War, and it was placed on the flag in 1943, first on a blue canton and from independence on 21 September 1964 directly on the white with a thin red border. That makes Malta one of the few countries whose national flag carries a British decoration. Our Malta flag is printed in the 2:3 proportion with the cross drawn in the grey of the medal and the correct red fimbriation.

Independence Day, Republic Day and the festa

Malta has five national days and the flag flies for all of them: Freedom Day on 31 March, Sette Giugno on 7 June, Victory Day on 8 September, Independence Day on 21 September and Republic Day on 13 December. Through the summer the village festas add band-club flags and bunting to every street. The Maltese community in Britain is long established, especially in London and in the dock towns, and the Maltese High Commission, Maltese clubs and restaurants serving pastizzi and ftira keep the flag visible, as do the many British families with a Maltese grandparent or a service connection to the island. In sport the flag turns out for the national football team, whose Wembley visit in Euro qualifying in 2023 brought thousands of Maltese shirts to London, and for waterpolo, Malta’s other great passion.

The Malta civil ensign

Alongside the national flag we stock the Malta civil ensign in the DuraFlag grade: a red field with a white border and a white Maltese cross at the centre, the flag worn by Maltese merchant and pleasure vessels since 1965. It is also the flag that many people think of as the Maltese cross flag, and it suits a yacht club, a boat on the Solent or a Knights of Malta themed event. It comes in 20x12in and 5ft x 3ft with rope and toggle or eyelets.

Malta flag sizes and grades

5ft x 3ft is right for a flagpole, a club front or a festa street; 3ft x 2ft for a short pole or an indoor wall; 8ft x 5ft for a tall fixed pole or a stage; 20x12in for a car or a hand pole. Flagtex is a printed woven polyester for short-term and indoor use, DuraFlag a heavier knitted polyester with double-stitched hems for a pole in daily use. All have a sewn header with brass eyelets; DuraFlag can be fitted with clips or rope and toggle.

Malta bunting

Malta bunting repeats the national flag on rectangular pennants in 3m and 9m lengths, sewn to a tape in weatherproof polyester, for a band-club balcony, a restaurant frontage or a 21 September party. Plain red and white runs from the bunting range give the Maltese colours at lower cost for a long street.

Hand flags and table flags

Malta hand flags on wooden sticks come in 9x6in and 18x12in for football, festas and school assemblies. The Malta table flag is a 6x4in flag on a base for an office, a restaurant counter or a consulate desk, and the large wooden table flag at 18x12in suits a club bar or reception. Italy, Sicily, Cyprus and the rest of the Mediterranean are under world flags.

Maltese flag FAQs

Popular in this collection

• Malta Flag (20x12in to 8x5ft, 2 grades)from £6.99
• Malta Civil Ensign DuraFlagfrom £14.99
• Malta Bunting (3m, 9m)from £9.98
• Malta Hand Flagsfrom £5.99
• Malta Table Flag with Basefrom £1.98
• Malta Large Wooden Table Flagfrom £3.98