The house flag of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, London. A flag divided diagonally into four white, red, yellow and blue quarters. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached. The flag combines the yellow and red of Spain with the blue and white of the Portuguese royal colours.

In 1822 Brodie Wilcox, a London shipbroker, and Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland islands, established a shipping company that ran cargo ships between England and the Iberian peninsula. Their main business was running mail but the ships carried a wide variety of other cargo. In 1835 Dublin ship owner Richard Bourne joined the business which was subsequently named the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. By 1845 the company not only was running ships to Spain and Portugal but also Singapore, Hong Kong, and Egypt. The company was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1847, and renamed the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. In 1904 the company began operating cruise ships and shore excursions. In 1914 it acquired the British India Steam Company, then the largest British shipping line with 131 ships. By the 1920’s P&O operated over 500 ships. Despite losses of 85 ships in World War I and 179 ships in World War II, the company continued its growth, and began focusing on cruise ships and cargo ships in the 1950’s. The company began running tankers in 1959 and in the 1960’s entered the roll-on roll-off (RORO) ferry business. In 1965 P&O was one of the four major shipping companies to enter the consortium known as Overseas Containers Limited (OCL), which 20 years later it would subsequently buy out. Throughout the latter part of the twentieth century, P&O became involved in other areas of business besides shipping, including construction management and property investment. In 1987 its RORO ferry M/S Herald of Free Enterprise capsized off the coast of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193 passengers onboard. The ensuing court battle became a precedent-setting case in which not only 7 P&O employees but P&O itself were found guilty of manslaughter. Despite the charges, no sentences were carried out. By 1999 P&O began focusing more on their maritime activities, and less on their construction and property investments. In 2006 P&O was finally taken over by Dubai Ports World, the third largest ports operator in the world, for a sum of almost 4 billion British pounds. The company still operates passenger services and cruises under the name P&O. In 1822 Brodie Wilcox, a London shipbroker, and Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland islands, established a shipping company that ran cargo ships between England and the Iberian peninsula. Their main business was running mail but the ships carried a wide variety of other cargo. In 1835 Dublin ship owner Richard Bourne joined the business which was subsequently named the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. By 1845 the company not only was running ships to Spain and Portugal but also Singapore, Hong Kong, and Egypt. The company was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1847, and renamed the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. In 1904 the company began operating cruise ships and shore excursions. In 1914 it acquired the British India Steam Company, then the largest British shipping line with 131 ships. By the 1920’s P&O operated over 500 ships. Despite losses of 85 ships in World War I and 179 ships in World War II, the company continued its growth, and began focusing on cruise ships and cargo ships in the 1950’s. The company began running tankers in 1959 and in the 1960’s entered the roll-on roll-off (RORO) ferry business. In 1965 P&O was one of the four major shipping companies to enter the consortium known as Overseas Containers Limited (OCL), which 20 years later it would subsequently buy out. Throughout the latter part of the twentieth century, P&O became involved in other areas of business besides shipping, including construction management and property investment. In 1987 its RORO ferry M/S Herald of Free Enterprise capsized off the coast of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193 passengers onboard. The ensuing court battle became a precedent-setting case in which not only 7 P&O employees but P&O itself were found guilty of manslaughter. Despite the charges, no sentences were carried out. By 1999 P&O began focusing more on their maritime activities, and less on their construction and property investments. In 2006 P&O was finally taken over by Dubai Ports World, the third largest ports operator in the world, for a sum of almost 4 billion British pounds. The company still operates passenger services and cruises under the name P&O. In 1822 Brodie Wilcox, a London shipbroker, and Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland islands, established a shipping company that ran cargo ships between England and the Iberian peninsula. Their main business was running mail but the ships carried a wide variety of other cargo. In 1835 Dublin ship owner Richard Bourne joined the business which was subsequently named the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. By 1845 the company not only was running ships to Spain and Portugal but also Singapore, Hong Kong, and Egypt. The company was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1847, and renamed the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. In 1904 the company began operating cruise ships and shore excursions. In 1914 it acquired the British India Steam Company, then the largest British shipping line with 131 ships. By the 1920’s P&O operated over 500 ships. Despite losses of 85 ships in World War I and 179 ships in World War II, the company continued its growth, and began focusing on cruise ships and cargo ships in the 1950’s. The company began running tankers in 1959 and in the 1960’s entered the roll-on roll-off (RORO) ferry business. In 1965 P&O was one of the four major shipping companies to enter the consortium known as Overseas Containers Limited (OCL), which 20 years later it would subsequently buy out. Throughout the latter part of the twentieth century, P&O became involved in other areas of business besides shipping, including construction management and property investment. In 1987 its RORO ferry M/S 'Herald of Free Enterprise' capsized off the coast of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193 passengers onboard. The ensuing court battle became a precedent-setting case in which not only 7 P&O employees but P&O itself were found guilty of manslaughter. Despite the charges, no sentences were carried out. By 1999 P&O began focusing more on their maritime activities, and less on their construction and property investments. In 2006 P&O was finally taken over by Dubai Ports World, the third largest ports operator in the world, for a sum of almost 4 billion British pounds. The company still operates passenger services and cruises under the name P&O. (Research: Rebeca Hernandez)