- PRATIQUE FLAG
- See quarantine flag.
Pratique/Quarantine Flag
- PRAYER FLAG
- A small, sometimes triangular flag, often used in groups and decorated with inscriptions, intended
to express a prayer as it flies – characteristic of Hinduism, Buddhists in the Himalayan
region and of a related Chinese sect (see also Buddhist flag,
dhvarja,
pavon,
thangka,
religious flag).
Hindu Prayer Flags
- PRECEDENCE
- The system often regulated by law, of placing flags, emblems or coats of arms
for a display or ceremony in order of importance – for more details see
Appendix II,
rules of etiquette and
position of honour (also
flag code,
flag law).
- PRE-HERALDIC
- A term that relates to European flags which do not contain any elements derived
from heraldry and/or which pre-date the introduction of heraldic symbolism (see also
anti-heraldry,
dragon flag 1),
flammula 2),
gonfanon,
heraldry,
pallia).
![[pre-heraldic flag]](../images/v/vx-es^r_ri.gif)
Oriflamme/War Flag of Charlemagne c800;
Cavalry Flag c1150, Spain;
Royal Standard of Ramiro I c845, Asturias
- PREPARATIVE (or PREPARATIVE FLAG/PENNANT)
- In British RN usage and in some others, the signal flag hoisted before a message
is sent and hauled down after that message has been completed (see also hoist 2)
and signal flag) – but see note below
(also code pennant with its following note,
distinction pennant 1)
and Marryat’s code).
Preparatives: Howe's and Popham's Codes 17901810, and in the Naval
Code of 1889, UK; Marryat's Commercial Service Code of 1817, UK; Current Naval Code, UK/NATO
Please note that this flag was originally introduced in Howe's code of 1790 to indicate that the
following message was not to be obeyed immediately, but only when the preparatory was again raised and
lowered, and that the term has also been used to describe a “telegraph flag” in Popham's
code of 1799 – see telegraph flag.
- PREPARATORY FLAG
- Flag P (Papa) in the International Code of Signal Flags hoisted to indicate
the imminent start of a yacht or dinghy race (see also blue peter,
international code of signal flags,
prize flag,
race signals,
racing flag).
![[Blue Peter - ICS Papa]](../images/v/vx-ics~papa.gif)
Signal Flag P (Papa)
- PREPUCED
- See priapic in his virility.
Flag of Chur, Switzerland
- PRESENTATION
- In UK usage and in some others, the term for a ceremony at which a regiment (or other
unit) is presented with its colour or colours (see also
colour 2) and
colours 2)).
Presentation of a King's Colour to the Royal Navy by HM King George VI in 1939
(Wikimedia)
- PRESIDENTIAL ARMS (or PRESIDENTIAL COAT OF ARMS)
- 1) See state arms 1) under arms
(also presidential standard).
- 2) Those arms, sometimes differing slightly from any state versions, which symbolize the office of president.
![[Trinidad & Tobago presidential arms]](../images/v/vx-tt).gif)
Presidential/State Arms, Serbia;
Presidential Flag/Arms, Lithuania;
Previous Presidential/State Arms, Trinidad and Tobago
- PRESIDENTIAL (or PRESIDENT’S) COLOUR (or COLOR)
- 1) See colour 2) and
colours 2).
- 2) In largely US usage, a term for the distinguishing flag of a president
when displayed indoors, or on parade when it is invariably fringed (see
presidential standard).
![[Presidential colour]](../images/v/vxt-d3358.gif)
President's Colour of the Air Force India;
Presidential Standard in Parade Format, USA (Graham Bartram)
- PRESIDENTIAL DECREE
- In some republican usage the legal means by which a head of state authorizes display of a flag or the
amendment of an established design, and the equivalent to a US Executive Order or Royal Order in Council –
see executive order, royal decree and
royal order in council 2)
(also flag law).
Flag of the Minister of Education, Belarus;
Presidential Flag of Greece; Flag of the
Prosecutor General, Ukraine; all authorized/introduced by Presidential Decree
- PRESIDENTIAL EMBLEM
- 1. See ‘emblem, state, national or Royal’ under ‘emblem’.
2. The emblem (as opposed to arms as defined herein) that is exclusively
used by the president in a republican form of government.
Presidential Flag/Emblem of Armenia;
Presidential Flag/emblem of Kurdistan;
Presidential Standard/Emblem of Tajikistan
- PRESIDENTIAL SASH
- See sash 1).
Presidential Sash of Colombia
- PRESIDENTIAL STANDARD (or FLAG)
- That flag which symbolizes the office of president in a republican system
of government, often (but no means exclusively) a defaced or decorated version of the national flag (see
also deface 1),
distinguishing jack 2),
national flag,
presidential arms and
royal standard).
Presidential Flag
of Paraguay 19902013;
Presidential Standard of Croatia;
Presidential Flag of Iceland
- PRETENTIOUS FLAG
- See flag of pretence 1).
![[flag of pretence]](../images/v/vx-bo~1966.gif)
Naval Ensign of Bolivia 19662013
- PRIAPIC IN HIS VIRILITY
- A phrase sometimes used in heraldic blazoning when the male member of an animal is shown erect and in
a different tincture to its body – prepuced, villené, vilene or viriled
– but see the notes below (also
blazon and
tincture).
Flag of Appenzell, Switzerland;
Flag of Vauffelin, Switzerland;
Flag of Bern, Switzerland
Notes
a) As far as can be discovered the phrase and terms given above appear exclusive to fotw, and thus:
b) Are unknown to English heraldry.
- PRINCELY CORONET (or HAT)
- See coronet 2).
Princely Coronet/Hat (Wikipedia); National Flag of Liechtenstein bearing a
Coronet/Hat
- PRINCEFLAG (PRINCE FLAG, PRINCE’S FLAG, PRINSENVLAG or PRINZENVLAG)
- The alternative names originally applied to the orange-white-blue horizontal tricolour that was the first
pattern of Dutch national flag, the driekleur, and in use from c1575 – c1654/1660 – the prinsenvlag
or prinzenvlag (see also
double-prince,
Dutch colours 1),
driekleur,
triple-prince and
tricolour 2)).

National Flag of the Netherlands c1575–c1654/1660
Please note, evidence indicates that until the late 18th century the terms prinsenflag or
prinzenvlag were sometimes also applied to the red-white-blue tricolour.
- PRIVATE SHIP
- In British RN and some other naval usage, a vessel in commission that does
not fly the flag of a flag officer or broad pennant of a commodore (see also
broad pennant,
flag of command,
flag officer,
flagship and
masthead pennant 1)).
- PRIVATE SIGNAL
- 1) See call sign and
call sign hoist.
- 2) See house flag 3).
- 3) A naval term, now obsolete, for a confidential signal used by ships of
the same navy to verify each other's identity (see also
make her number and
pendant number).
- PRIVATEER(S)
- The term for a merchant vessel, or for the crew of such a vessel, holding a licence (or letter of marque)
from its government which entitled that vessel, or its crew, to attack the property of those countries
with whom they were at war a practice now obsolete corsair(s) see
privateer ensign and privateer jack.
A French Privateer attacking a British East Indiaman 1800 (Wikipedia)
Please note that possession of a letter of marque (and/or reprisal) also entitled
the holder and/or his crew to be treated as prisoners of war rather than face execution
if captured which was (and in some cases still is) the legal punishment for piracy on
the high seas (see also jolly roger 1)).
- PRIVATEER ENSIGN (or PRIVATEERING ENSIGN)
- In Spanish usage and some others, now obsolete, a special ensign prescribed for vessels engaged
in privateering – a corsair ensign – see privateer(s) and
privateer jack (also
ensign 1) and
jolly roger 1)).

Privateer Ensign 1820, Spain;
Privateer Ensign Proposal 1819, Austria-Hungary
- PRIVATEER JACK (or PRIVATEERING JACK)
- In English then UK usage, now obsolete, a special jack prescribed for vessels engaged in privateering and flown
from 1694 until 1856 – the distinction jack
or budgee jack see privateer(s)
and privateer ensign (also
budgee flag,
budgee pendant,
jack and
union jack 2)).
Privateer Jack 16941801, England/UK;
Privateer Jack 1801–1856, UK (CS)
- PRIZE FLAG
- A special flag flown by a yacht that has won a race (see also preparatory
flag, race signals, racing
flag 1)).