Symbol and Flag

Commonwealth Symbol

The Commonwealth symbol was originally designed by the Gemini News Service, London in 1972 and approved by the first Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Arnold Smith C.H.

In 1989 a second logo was introduced to appear on official Commonwealth Secretariat publications, and in 1999 a special commemorative logo was produced to mark the 50^th Anniversary of the modern Commonwealth.

In 2000 Secretary-General Rt. Hon Don McKinnon, approved a new design that is now in use in place of the original designs.  This design incorporates the image of the globe used in the original logo and the spears that make up the letter "C" from the 1989 design.

The radiating spears do not represent the number of countries in the Commonwealth but symbolise the many facets of Commonwealth cooperation around the world. The symbol is used on all official documentation and, sometimes in association with other specially developed logos, for the documents and logos of all Commonwealth Meetings. There is no fixed size or colour for the symbol but because of its frequent appearance on Commonwealth documentation, the black on white and gold on blue versions are commonly used.

Commonwealth Flag

The Commonwealth Flag consists of the Commonwealth symbol in gold on a blue background centred on a rectangle.

The flag developed from the car pennants produced for the first time at the Ottawa Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 1973. 

It is flown at Marlborough House, London, the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, throughout the year and for a limited period at other venues where Commonwealth Meetings are held or when other Commonwealth events / visits are taking place for example Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.