The Leicestershire Flag flies in Parliament Square, London, July 2021. Credit: Leigh Wetherall
Congratulations to Leicestershire – the latest and last of the 39 historic English counties to enter the UK Flag Register.
The new Leicestershire Flag displays a cinquefoil (five-petalled flower) above a running fox on a red-and-white-zigzag background.
These traditional emblems appear throughout the county – used by towns, sports clubs and organisations alike.
The fox reflects Leicestershire’s traditional importance as a hunting county.
Meanwhile the cinquefoil, colours and zigzags have links to the medieval earldom of Leicester.
The de Beaumont earls used the cinquefoil, and their successors, the de Montforts, the red and white zigzags.
The first ceremonial hoisting of the flag – proposed for registration by the seven Leicestershire MPs – took place in London on Monday 19 July.
It flew proudly among its peers in Parliament Square in the week of Historic County Flags Day on 23 July.
Chief Vexillologist Graham Bartram commented:
‘We are delighted to register the final English county flag, that of Leicestershire. We encourage the people of Leicestershire, and indeed all the counties of Britain, to embrace and use their county flags with pride.’
