Aug 19, 2014

Gibraltar (United Kingdom)

The flag of Gibraltar is one of most curious cases of symbolic transfer. It's currently carried as a strong symbol of loyalty to the British crown (as you can see on these photos), what strongly contradicts its historical origins.

This is the flag of Gibraltar:


This flag is a banner of arms (a rectangular version of a coat of arms) of Gibraltar. Although confirmed by the College of Arms after the English conquest of the rock, the original grant of arms was made by Queen Isabella the Catholic, of Castile, commemorating the Spanish "re-conquest" of the place.

And the coat of arms and, consequently, the flag, is emerged in Spanish symbolism: the castle is pun on "Castile" and the biggest symbol of that kingdom, now part of Spain. The key represents the nickname of "key of Spain", although this metaphor has its origins at the time the Arabs still controlled the rock.

The most ironic thing on this flag becoming a symbol of loyalty to the British crown, in my opinion, is the fact that the Spanish never stopped using it as their own symbol. At the English takeover of the rock, most of Spanish residents of Gibraltar moved to a recently-established city called San Roque (notice the pun on "St. Rock"). As most of San Roque's earlier government was strongly linked to Spanish Gibraltarian one, they kept using the coat of arms, and now fly this flag:


A "Gibraltarian" flag with a Spanish crown. Yes, this is something that would cause much confusion to an unsuspecting.

Comments are welcome.

3 comments:

  1. THIS FLAG IS THE TOWN OF SAN ROQUE CADIZ SPAIN TOTALLY GIBRALTAR USE THE FLAG WITH THE A TOWN THE UK.

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  2. ESTA BANDERA ES COJIDA DE LA PRIMERA BANDERA QUE ESTABA EN GIBRALTAR EN 1704 Y LA AUNTENTICA SE CONSERVA EN SAN ROQUE PUEBLO ESPAÑOL EN UN PENDON QUE ONDEO EN SU DIA EL ALCALDE DE GIBRALTAR EN SU TIEMPO DETRAS DE ESTA BANDERA IVAN LAS PERSONAS QUE FUERON ECHADAS DE GIBRALTAR TRAS LA GUERRA QUE SE PRODUJO POR CONQUISTARLA LOS AUNTENTICOS POBLADORES DE GIBRALTAR SON LOS SANROQUEÑOS ,LOS DE LA CIUDAD DE ALGECIRAS SPAIN ,LOS BARRIOS,PUENTE MAYORGA, Y LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION SPAIN QUE TIENE ESE NOMBRE DEBIDO AL FUERTE CONSTRUIDO A LOS LADOS DEL CAMPO NEUTRAL LLAMADO SAN FELIPE Y SANTA BARBARA LOS ACTUALES HABITANTES DEL PEÑON SON DE GENOVA HEBREOS QUIZA DE ISRAEL MUSULMANES MALTESES Y ESPAÑOLES ESTOS ULTIMOS FUERON ECHADOS DE GIBRALTAR EN 1704 Y AHORA FORMAN UNA MEZCLA DE ESPAÑOLES Y INGLESES MEZCLADO CON OTRAS CULTURAS QUE YA E MENCIONADO ESTA ES LA REALIDAD DE LA BANDERA

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