Flag of Malta

The flag of Malta is divided into two vertical halves: white next to the flagpole and red on the other side. In the upper corner of the white part it bears a small grey drawing with a red border. It is the Cross of George, a British medal for courage that was not won by a soldier but by the whole island.

How it came about

White and red have accompanied Malta for centuries. One tradition says they were given by the Norman count Roger I of Sicily in 1091, but no document proves it. It is more likely that they come from the flag of the Knights of Saint John, a military and religious order that ruled the island for almost three centuries: a white cross on a red ground.

During the Second World War, Malta suffered a very harsh siege: constant bombing and a population on the brink of starvation. In 1942, King George VI of the United Kingdom granted the Cross of George to all its inhabitants, and the following year the medal moved onto the flag.

How it has changed

Malta was a British colony until 1964, so for a long time the official flag, which was British, coexisted with the bicolour that people used.

1. 18th-19th centuries

   The Maltese use a simple white and red flag, with no drawing at all. In 1798 it is carried by the rebels who rise against the French occupation.

2. 

   1875-1943

   As a colony, the official flag is blue, with that of the United Kingdom in the corner and the arms of Malta, which changes several times.

3. 

   1943-1964

   The Cross of George appears on a blue square. In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II recognises the white and red flag as the official flag of Malta.

4. 

   1964

   With independence, the blue square is replaced by a thin red border, so that the cross stands out less.

What it means

Each element recalls a part of the history of the island:

• White and red

  the traditional colours of Malta, probably inherited from the Knights of Saint John.

• Cross of George

  the courage of the Maltese during the siege of 1940 to 1942. In the centre you can see Saint George killing the dragon and the English inscription For Gallantry, “for gallantry”.

• Red border

  it surrounds the cross from 1966 and replaces the old blue square.

Fun facts

1. A medal for a whole country

   The Cross of George has only ever been awarded to a whole collective three times. Malta was the first, in 1942; then came the Northern Ireland police in 1999 and the British NHS in 2021.

2. A piece of flag given as a gift

   A legend tells that Count Roger carried a flag chequered white and red, and that before leaving Malta he cut off a corner and gave it to the Maltese. It is a good story, but that is all it is: a legend.

3. A cross that is debated

   In 1975 the Parliament approved that the cross could be removed by a simple majority of votes. Every few years someone proposes doing so on the grounds that it is a colonial symbol, and others reject it out of respect for those who resisted the siege.