New Flag for the Swiss Guard

The Swiss Guard is the Pontifical Swiss Guard of the Holy See stationed at the Vatican in Rome.  The dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance, often, probably mistakenly, thought to have been designed by Michelangelo. Their flag carries the arms of the current pope, Pope Francis Bergoglio, the founding pope, Pope Julius II Della Rovere, whose canting "rovere"/oak tree can be seen, and at the centre, the current commandant's arms. The new commander, Christoph Graf, will be sworn in on the 6th May, the anniversary of the Sack of Rome, when the flag will be used for the first time.