Malta Flag

Description

The Malta flag is available from Flags Online in full-size and desk formats, printed on both sides and made to last outdoors.

About the Malta Flag

White and red divide the Malta flag down the middle, with white at the hoist and red at the fly, and in the upper corner of the white half sits a small image of the George Cross, edged in red. It is one of the few national flags anywhere to carry a military decoration as part of its design, and that detail alone sets it apart from most others in the Mediterranean.

Colours and Symbolism

Tradition has long linked Malta’s red and white to the Norman ruler Roger I, who is said to have torn a piece of his own chequered banner to mark out his Maltese allies during a battle in 1091. Historians now treat that story as a myth invented centuries later, and see a more plausible source in the red and white cross of the Knights of Malta, who governed the islands for over two centuries. The George Cross on the Malta flag commemorates the courage shown by the Maltese people during the siege and bombing of the islands in the Second World War, when King George VI awarded the decoration to the whole population on 15 April 1942.

History of the Malta Flag

The George Cross was added to depictions of the flag not long after the 1942 award, and was formally incorporated on 28 December 1943, initially shown on a blue canton. When Malta gained independence from Britain on 21 September 1964, the flag was adjusted again: the blue canton was dropped in favour of a simple red border around the cross, making the decoration sit more quietly within the white field. That version, largely unchanged since, is the Malta flag flown today.

Flying and Displaying the Flag

The Malta flag hangs vertically as often as it is flown horizontally, and either way the white half with the George Cross should sit at the hoist or top, never reversed. It is flown on government buildings throughout Valletta and the other towns, and features heavily around Independence Day on 21 September, Republic Day on 13 December, and Freedom Day on 31 March. Because the George Cross is a recognised award rather than a decorative device, Maltese protocol treats the flag with particular formality, and it is rarely reproduced with the cross omitted or altered.

Malta Flag Sizes and Pricing

• 180 x 120cm — R860
• 22 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R800
• 10 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R650
• 90 x 60cm — R400

Material and Construction

Made from 100% polyester bunting material and digitally printed on both sides. Hemmed all around with two rows of stitching and finished with a polyester webbing heading. Rope and toggle for hoisting included.

Supplied in packs of 10. Printed on both sides onto polyester and supplied with a black plastic stick and removable base — take the base off and it doubles as a hand waving flag.

Ordering and Delivery

Every Malta flag is printed to order and dispatched from our Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg branches, with courier delivery nationwide. Bulk and school orders are welcome — contact us for volume pricing on quantities of 10 or more.

Order Lead Times

Almost everything we make is freshly printed and made to order, just for you! So please allow 3–5 working days for us to prepare your order before it heads out the door. We’ll always try to get it to you sooner where we can. Some fast movers, like South African flags, ship quicker as they’re often in stock.

One quick thing to keep in mind: the “next working day” you see on your order confirmation is the courier’s delivery time from the day we dispatch — not from the day you place your order. So it’s really 3–5 days to prepare + next-day delivery.

Good things are worth the wait — we’re excited to get your order into your hands.

Additional information