The Secret History Behind Eswatini's Flag
Eswatini's flag is built around a warrior's shield, and its roots go back to a military flag of 1941.
The design is inspired by a military flag that King Sobhuza II presented to a Swazi regiment in 1941. The flag was hoisted for the first time on April 25, 1967, and the College of Arms in London registered it on October 30, 1967. The current version was adopted on October 6, 1968, a month after independence.
It has three horizontal bands: blue, a red band three times as wide and edged in yellow, and blue again. In the middle sits a black and white ox-hide shield over two spears and a staff decorated with the tassels of widowbird and lourie feathers. The shield, spears and staff stand for protection against enemies, and the black and white of the shield is often read as a sign of different peoples living together in peace.
Blue stands for peace and stability, red for past battles, and yellow for the country's mineral resources.
The date printed on every Eswatini design in our catalog, September 6, 1968, is Independence Day.
A shield, two spears and a king's old flag.
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