The edging surrounding the George Cross on Malta’s national flag is red.
Malta’s flag is a vertical white-and-red bicolour, with white at the hoist and red at the fly. In the upper hoist corner, a representation of the George Cross appears on the white stripe, outlined or edged with red.
The George Cross was awarded to Malta by King George VI on 15 April 1942 for the island’s courage during the Second World War. It was later incorporated into the flag. When Malta became independent in 1964, the former blue canton around the cross was replaced by red edging.
This detail is often confused with the Maltese Cross, a separate eight-pointed symbol associated with the Knights of Malta. The George Cross is a British honor: its design is a silver cross with a red border and the inscription “For Gallantry,” making Malta’s flag unusual among national flags.