Flag of Montgomeryshire

Flag of Montgomeryshire
Proportion	3:5
Adopted	Not yet adopted

Flag of Montgomeryshire
Name	"Lion of Powys"
Proportion	3:5
Adopted	Not yet adopted
Designed by	Traditional

Montgomeryshire

The Montgomeryshire flag refers to two rival proposed flags of the county of Montgomery. Neither has nyet been registered with the Flag Institute.

The Two Designs

The design on the left (a red lion on gold) is the traditional banner of arms of the ancient and historic kingdom of Powys. After 1160 Powys split in to two parts with the larger southerly portion (known either as "Powys-Weynwynwyn" or "Upper Powys") continuing to use the unaltered banner of Powys until it was transformed into the "Earldom of Powis" in 1283 whose ruling families sat at Powis Castle in Welshpool and continued to use the design in their own personal arms. In 1543 this earldom was transformed into a county based on the English model which was named "Montgomeryshire". From 1543, until the shire was incorporated into the enlarged modern-day "County of Powys", in 1974, Montgomeryshire had almost exactly the same boundaries as the former kingdom of Powys-Wenwynwyn. The banner was known as the Lion of Powys and had been used for many centuries to represent the area and the areas rulers. In 1951, Montgomeryshire County Council was granted a coat of arms that included, prominently, the red lion on gold and the motto; POWYS PARADWYS CYMRU' - Powys paradise of Wales.

Arms of Sir Edward Cherleton, 5th Baron Cherleton and Last Lord Charleton of Powys (1370-1421) whose ancestor the 1st Baron had in 1309 wed Hawise Gadarn, daughter of the last Welsh ruler of Powys-Wenwynwyn.

The design on the right (three silver horse heads on black) is a banner of the personal arms of a locally celebrated seventh-century king of Powys named Brochwel Ysgithrog, famed for his resistance to the invading Saxons. In the mediæval period a coat of arms was retrospectively created for him bearing three white horse heads on a black field. The arms borne by the local council in the twentieth century included a black and white border as a reference to Brochwel's arms.

Outside links

• Flag Institute
• Civic Heraldry