Pale (heraldry)

In heraldry and vexillology, a pale is a charge consisting of a band running vertically down the centre of a shield or flag.

[1] The word pale originally referred to a picket (a piece of wood much taller than it is wide such as is used to build a picket fence) and it is from the resemblance to this that the heraldic pale derives its name[2] (see 'pale', English: Etymology 2 on Wiktionary).

A pale may be couped ("cut off" at either end, and so not reaching the top or bottom of the shield).

[4] The Canadian pale, invented by George Stanley for the flag of Canada, occupies fully half the field.

The name was suggested by Sir Conrad Swan, and used when Elizabeth II proclaimed the new flag on 28 January 1965.