The flag of Prince Edward Island consists of a golden lion passant on a red field in the upper portion and a white field charged with three oak saplings and a large oak tree on a green island in the bottom portion.

[3] The island was renamed in 1799 to honour Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was the commander of the British forces in North America and garrisoned in nearby Halifax at the time.

[1][2] The territory hosted the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, which culminated in Canadian Confederation three years later on July 1, 1867, between the Province of Canada (consisting of modern-day Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

[4] Although the island was consequently dubbed the "Cradle of Confederation",[1] it initially opted not to join due to lack of popular support.

He created an armorial banner based on the province's coat of arms and included a fimbriation of alternating red and white rectangles on the outer three sides of the flag.

[A][10] The blazon for the arms – as outlined in the letters patent registering it with the Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) on July 15, 2011 – reads, "Argent on an island Vert, to the sinister an oak tree fructed, to the dexter thereof three oak saplings sprouting all proper, on a chief Gules a lion passant guardant Or".

According to vexillologist Whitney Smith, the gold lion in the upper part of the flag – corresponding to the one on the Royal Arms of England[6] – alludes to the English heritage of the early colonists to Prince Edward Island.

[12] Taken altogether, the trees tie in with the province's motto of Parva sub ingenti ("the small under the protection of the great", from the second book of the Georgics by Virgil).

[9] In addition to the dates set out by the federal government for flying flags at half-mast, the provincial flag is half-masted upon the death of the Lieutenant Governor or premier (either an incumbent or a previous one), as well as the incumbent speaker of the legislative assembly, member of the executive council, and federal members of parliament (MPs) and senators who represent the province.

The flag may be draped over the casket of an individual who was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces or who served in public office.