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Union Jack

January 19, 2024

"Union Flag" redirects here. For other uses, see Union flag (disambiguation) and Union Jack (disambiguation).

The Union Jack,[note 1][3][4] or Union Flag, is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. The Union Flag was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. The flag continues to have official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag.[5]

Union Flag
Union Jack / Union Flag
Royal Union Flag (Canada)
UseNational flag
Proportion5:3, commonly flown on land; and 2:1, commonly flown at sea.[1]
Adopted1606 (origin), 1707 (First version was officially adopted.), 1 January 1801; 223 years ago (1801-01-01) (current version with St Patrick's Cross)
DesignBlue field on which the Cross of Saint Andrew counterchanged with the Cross of Saint Patrick, over all the Cross of Saint George fimbriated.

It is sometimes asserted that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage, but this assertion was dismissed by the Flag Institute in 2013 after historical investigations.[6][7][8][note 2] The origins of the earlier flag of Great Britain date from 1606. King James VI of Scotland had inherited the English and Irish thrones in 1603 as James I, thereby uniting the crowns of England, Scotland, and Ireland in a personal union, although the three kingdoms remained separate states. On 12 April 1606, a new flag to represent this regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England, a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross, and the flag of Scotland, a white saltire (X-shaped cross, or St Andrew's Cross) on a blue background, would be joined, forming the flag of England and Scotland for maritime purposes.

The present design of the Union Flag dates from a royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.[10] The flag combines aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of St George for the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland. Although the Republic of Ireland is no longer part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is. There are no symbols representing Wales in the flag, making Wales the only home nation with no direct representation, as at the time of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (creating legal union with England) the concept of national flags was in its infancy. The Welsh Dragon was however adopted as a supporter in the royal coat of arms of England used by the Tudor dynasty from 1485.[11]

The flags of British Overseas Territories, as well as certain sovereign states and regions that were previously British possessions, incorporate the Union Flag into their own flag designs or have official flags that are derived from the Union Jack. Many of these flags are blue or red ensigns with the Union Flag in the canton and defaced with the distinguishing arms of the territory. The governors of British Overseas Territories and the Australian states, as well as the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia also have personal standards that incorporate the Union Flag in their design.

Terminology edit

The terms Union Jack and Union Flag are both used historically for describing the national flag of the United Kingdom. Whether the term Union Jack applies only when used as a jack flag on a ship is a matter of debate.[12]

According to the website of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:[13][14] "Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms (Wales had been annexed into the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542.). This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I of England. Because the Queen died unmarried and childless, the English crown passed to the next available heir, her cousin James VI, King of Scotland. England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a union of the crowns."[8] Each kingdom had its own national flag for ships, but in 1606 James VI and I introduced a combined national flag.[15] The UK Parliament website states "The result was the Union Jack, Jack being a shortening of Jacobus, the Latin version of James".[14]

The etymology of jack in the context of flagstaffs reaches back to Middle German. The suffix -kin was used in Middle Dutch and Middle German as a diminutive.[16] Examples occur in both Chaucer and Langland though the form is unknown in Old English.[16] John is a common male forename (going back to the Bible), appearing in Dutch as Jan. Both languages use it as a generic form for a man in general.[17] The two were combined in the Middle Dutch Janke, whence Middle French Jakke and Middle English Jack.[18] Jack came to be used to identify all manner of particularly small objects or small versions of larger ones. The OED has definition 21 "Something insignificant, or smaller than the normal size" and gives examples from 1530 to 2014 of this usage.[18] Further examples in the compounds section at 2b illustrate this.[18] The original maritime flag use of jack was "A ship's flag of a smaller size than the ensign, used at sea as a signal, or as an identifying device".[19] The jack was flown in the bows or from the head of the spritsail mast to indicate the vessel's nationality: "You are alsoe for this present service to keepe in yor Jack at yor Boultspritt end and yor Pendant and yor Ordinance"[20] The Union Flag when instantiated as a small jack became known as the "Union Jack" and this later term transferred to more general usage of the Union Flag.[21]

 
A portrait of a ship, with the Union Jack placed on a jackstaff at the ship's bow, 1637

Also later a short flagpole was placed in the bows of a ship to fly the jack, this became known as the jackstaff.[22]

According to the Flag Institute, a membership-run vexillological charity,[23] "the national flag of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories is the Union Flag, which may also be called the Union Jack."[24] The institute has also stated:

it is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. In 1908, a government minister stated, in response to a parliamentary question, that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag".[12][25]

Notwithstanding Their Lordships' circular of 1902, by 1913 the Admiralty described the "Union Flag" and added in a footnote that 'A Jack is a Flag to be flown only on the "Jack" Staff'.[26]

However, the authoritative A Complete Guide to Heraldry published in 1909 by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies uses the term "Union Jack".[27]

The term "Union Flag" is used in King Charles I's 1634 proclamation:

... none of Our Subjects, of any of Our Nations and Kingdoms shall from henceforth presume to carry the Union Flag in the Main top, or other part of any of their Ships (that is) St Georges cross and St Andrew's Cross joined together upon pain of Our high displeasure, but that the same Union Flag be still reserved as an ornament proper for Our own Ships and Ships in our immediate Service and Pay, and none other."[28]

— Proclamation appointing the Flag, as well for Our Navy Royal as for the Ships of Our Subjects of South and North Britain – 5 May 1634

and in King George III's proclamation of 1 January 1801 concerning the arms and flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland:

And that the Union Flag shall be Azure, the Crosses Saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick Quarterly per Saltire, counterchanged Argent and Gules; the latter fimbriated of the Second, surmounted by the Cross of St. George of the Third, fimbriated as the Saltire : ...[29]

— A Proclamation Declaring His Majesty's Pleasure concerning the Royal Style and Titles appertaining to the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and its Dependencies, and also the Ensigns, Armorial Flags, and Banners thereof"

When the first flag representing Britain was introduced on the proclamation of King James I in 1606,[30] it became known simply as the "British flag" or the "flag of Britain". The royal proclamation gave no distinctive name to the new flag. At the funeral of King James in 1625 the flag was called the "Banner of the Union of the two Crosses of England and Scotland".[31] The word jack was in use before 1600 to describe the maritime bow flag.[12] By 1627 a small Union Jack was commonly flown in this position. One theory goes that for some years it would have been called just the "Jack", or "Jack flag", or the "King's Jack", but by 1674, while formally referred to as "His Majesty's Jack", it was commonly called the "Union Jack", and this was officially acknowledged.[10][8]

 
A portrait of King George III in 1800. A proclamation by George III in 1801 refers to the design as the Union Flag.

A proclamation issued by King George III at the time of the Union of 1801 concerned flags at sea and repeatedly referred to "Ensigns, Flags, Jacks, and Pendants" and forbade merchant vessels from wearing "Our Jack, commonly called the Union Jack" nor any pendants or colours used by the King's ships.[32] Reinforcing the distinction the King's proclamation of the same day concerning the arms and flag of the United Kingdom (not colours at sea) called the new flag "the Union Flag".[33]

The size and power of the Royal Navy internationally at the time could also explain why the flag was named the "Union Jack"; considering the navy was so widely utilised and renowned by the United Kingdom and colonies, it is possible that the term jack occurred because of its regular use on all British ships using the jackstaff (a flag pole attached to the bow of a ship). The name may alternatively come from the 'jack-et' of the English or Scottish soldiers, or from the name of James I who originated the first union in 1603. Even if the term Union Jack does derive from the jack flag, after three centuries, it is now sanctioned by use and has appeared in official use, confirmed as the national flag by Parliament and remains the popular term.[34]

Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945, referred to the flag of the United Kingdom as the Union Jack. In March 1899, Churchill wrote to his mother from India about her plans to produce a new trans-Atlantic magazine, to be called The Anglo-Saxon Review. The drawing at the end of this letter was deliberately facetious, teasing her for going down-market, and in the accompanying letter he wrote, "Your title 'The Anglo Saxon' with its motto 'Blood is thicker than water' only needs the Union Jack & the Star Spangled Banner crossed on the cover to be suited to one of Harmsworth's cheap Imperialist productions."[35]

 
Winston Churchill with other delegates of the First Quebec Conference, 1943. A Union Jack is pictured in the background.

More recently, Reed's Nautical Almanac (1990 edition) unambiguously stated: "The Union Flag, frequently but incorrectly referred to as the Union Jack, ..." and later: "8. The Jack – A small flag worn on a jackstaff on the stem of Naval Vessels. The Royal Navy wears the Union Flag ... This is the only occasion when it correct to describe the flag as the Union Jack".[36] However, this assertion does not appear in any Reed's Nautical Almanac since 1993. In the 2016 Reed's Nautical Almanac, the only entry where this might appear, section 5.21, covering Flag Etiquette, does not include this statement. Within the Almanac, neither the Union Flag nor the Union Jack are included pictorially or mentioned by name.

For comparison with another anglophone country with a large navy, the Jack of the United States specifically refers to the flag flown from the jackstaff of a warship, auxiliary or other U.S. governmental entity.[37]

The Butcher's Apron is a pejorative term for the flag, common among Irish republicans, citing the blood-streaked appearance of the flag and referring to atrocities committed in Ireland and other countries under British colonial rule.[38][39] In 2006, Sandra White, a Member of the Scottish Parliament, caused a furore when the term was used in a press release under her name. It was later blamed on the actions of a researcher, who resigned yet claimed that the comment had been approved by White.[40] The Irish folk band the Wolfe Tones has a song entitled "The Butcher's Apron" which makes reference to the term.[41]

In the Chinese language, the flag has the nickname Rice-Character Flag (米字旗; Mandarin Pinyin: mǐzìqí, Cantonese Jyutping: mai5zi6kei4), since the pattern looks like the Chinese character for "rice" (米).[42]

Design edit

 
Diagram showing step-by-step construction of the Union Jack Flag, as described in the blazon as decreed by George III of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801

The current flag's design has been in use since 1801. Its original blazon, as decreed by George III of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801, reads:

"the Union flag shall be azure, the crosses-saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick quartered per saltire counter changed argent and gules; the latter fimbriated of the second [viz., argent]; surmounted by the cross of St. George of the third [viz., gules], fimbriated as the saltire [viz., argent]."[43]

Specification edit

The Union Jack is normally twice as long as it is tall, a ratio of 1:2. In the United Kingdom, land flags are normally a ratio of 3:5; the Union Jack can also be made in this shape, but is 1:2 for most purposes. In 2008, MP Andrew Rosindell proposed a Ten Minute Rule bill to standardise the design of the flag at 3:5, but the bill did not proceed past the first reading.[44]

The three-component crosses that make up the Union Flag are sized as follows:[45]

  • The red St George's Cross width is 1⁄5 of the flag's height with a 1⁄15 flag height fimbriation
  • The white diagonal St Andrew's Cross width is 1⁄5 of the flag's height, visible on either side of the St Patrick's Cross in diagonals of 1⁄10 and 1⁄30 of the flag's height, respectively.
  • The red diagonal St Patrick's Cross width is 1⁄15 of the flag's height. It is offset by 1⁄30 of the flag's height in an anti-clockwise direction[clarification needed]. According to the official blazon of 1801, the white diagonal St Andrew's Cross is in fact counterchanged with the red diagonal of St Patrick's Cross. In this interpretation, the width of both saltires is 1⁄15 of the flag's height, with fimbriations of 1⁄30 of the flag's height on either side of the red saltire.

The crosses and fimbriations retain their thickness relative to the flag's height whether they are shown with a ratio of 3:5 or 1:2. Height here is the distance from top to bottom which in vexillology is termed width or breadth.

Ratios edit

 
Union Flag with an aspect ratio of 3:5
 
Aspect diagram of a 3:5 Union Flag

The Admiralty in 1864 settled all official flags at proportions of 1:2, but the relative widths of the crosses remained unspecified, with the above conventions becoming standardised in the 20th century.[46] In the 19th century, the Union flag was defined by the same blazon but could vary in its geometrical proportions.[47]

Although the most common ratio is 1:2, other ratios exist. The Royal Navy's flag code book, BR20 Flags of All Nations, states that both 1:2 and 3:5 versions are official.[48] The 3:5 version In this version, the innermost points of the lower left and upper right diagonals of the St Patrick's cross are cut off or truncated. The Garter King of Arms also suggests a ratio of 3:5 as the suitable proportion for a Union Flag flown on land.[49]

The Queen's Harbour Master's flag, like the Pilot Jack, is a 1:2 flag that contains a white-bordered Union Flag that is longer than 1:2. The jacks of ships flying variants of the Blue Ensign are square and have a square Union Flag in the canton.[48] The Queen's Colours of Army regiments are 36 by 43 inches (910 mm × 1,090 mm); on them, the bars of the cross and saltire are of equal width; so are their respective fimbriations, which are very narrow.[50]

In South Africa, the Union Jacks flown alongside the National Flag between 1928 and 1957 were 2:3 flags.[citation needed]

Colours edit

Although the official design of the flag at the College of Arms does not specify colours beyond azure, argent and gules (blue, white and red, respectively), according to Graham Bartram (chief vexillologist of Flag Institute) the colours blue, red, and white are:[34][51][52]

Scheme Blue[53] Red[54] White
Pantone (paper) 280 C 186 C Safe
HEX #012169 #C8102E #FFFFFF
MoD 8711D 8711 8711J
NSN 8305.99.130.4580 8305.99.130.4584 8305.99.130.4585
CMYK 100.85.5.22 2.100.85.6 0.0.0.0
RGB 1, 33, 105 200, 16, 46 255, 255, 255

All HEX, CMYK and RGB specifications for the Pantone colours are taken from the official Pantone website on the webpages of the corresponding colours. Although these colour specifications are official, not all of the colours are completely congruent. This is due to different specifications for different types of media (for example, screen and print).

Flying edit

 
Hoist on the left
 
Hoist on the right
The correct way to fly the flag. If no staff is used and the flag is only seen from one direction, the view shown at left is used.
 
Staff from the left
 
Staff from the right
Correct vertical displays of the Union Flag. The left view is also the vertical display used if there is no staff or a bi-supported staff is used, and flag is only seen from one direction.

The flag does not have reflection symmetry due to the slight pinwheeling of the St Patrick's and St Andrew's crosses, technically the counterchange of saltires. Thus, there is a correct side up. The flag does have two-fold rotational symmetry, though. The original specification of the Union Flag in the royal proclamation of 1 January 1801 did not contain a drawn pattern or express which way the saltires should lie; they were simply "counterchanged" and the red saltire fimbriated. Nevertheless, a convention was soon established which accords most closely with the description. The flag was deliberately designed with the Irish saltire slightly depressed at the hoist end to reflect the earlier union with Scotland, giving as it were seniority to the Saint Andrew's cross.

When statically displayed, the hoist is on the observer's left. To fly the flag correctly, the white of St Andrew is above the red of St Patrick in the upper hoist canton (the quarter at the top nearest to the flag-pole). This is expressed by the phrases wide white top and broadside up. An upside-down flag must be turned over to be flown correctly; rotating it 180 degrees will still result in an upside-down flag.

The first drawn pattern for the flag was in a parallel proclamation on 1 January 1801, concerning civil naval ensigns, which drawing shows the red ensign (also to be used as a red jack by privateers). As it appears in the London Gazette, the broad stripe is where expected for three of the four quarters, but the upper left quarter shows the broad stripe below.[32]

 
Wrong way, hoist on the left
 
Wrong way, hoist on the right
The Union Flag viewed upside down. The Union Flag is sometimes mistakenly flown upside down.

It is often stated that a flag upside down is a form of distress signal or even a deliberate insult. In the case of the Union Flag, the difference is subtle and is easily missed by the uninformed. It is often displayed upside down inadvertently—even on commercially-made hand waving flags.[55]

On 3 February 2009, the BBC reported that the flag had been inadvertently flown upside-down by the UK government at the signing of a trade agreement with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. The error had been spotted by readers of the BBC News website who had contacted the BBC after seeing a photograph of the event.[56]

History edit

In 1603, James VI of Scotland inherited the Kingdom of England (and the newly created client state, the Kingdom of Ireland) as James I, thereby uniting the crowns in a personal union. With Wales annexed into the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, James now ruled over all of the island of Great Britain, which he frequently described as a unified kingdom (though the parliaments of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland did not actually unify until the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1707).[34] In the wake of the 1603 personal union, several designs for a new flag were drawn up, juxtaposing the Saint George's Cross and the St Andrew's Saltire, but none were acceptable to James:[57]

Early (c. 1604) design proposals (manuscript in the National Library of Scotland)[57]
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
Other design proposals, c. early 17th century
  •  
    One early proposal for the Union Jack, consisting of a white St Andrew's saltire with blue fimbriation superimposed over a red St George's cross on a field of white
  •  
    A reconstruction of the Union Jack displayed on the ceiling boss from Linlithgow Palace
 
The Linlithgow Palace carving with a proposed flag of the new Union of the Crowns, c. 1617

Various other designs for a common flag were drawn up following the union of the two Crowns in 1603, but were rarely, if ever, used.[58] One version showed St George's cross with St Andrew's cross in the canton, and another version placed the two crosses side by side. A painted wooden ceiling boss from Linlithgow Palace, dated to about 1617, depicts the Scottish royal unicorn holding a flag where a blue Saltire surmounts the red cross of St. George.

1606–1801 edit

Main article: Flag of Great Britain
 
The first Union Flag from 1606

On 12 April 1606, a new flag to represent the regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England (a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross), and the flag of Scotland (a white saltire on a blue background, known as the saltire or St Andrew's Cross), would be joined together,[10] forming the flag of Great Britain and first union flag:

By the King: Whereas, some differences hath arisen between Our subjects of South and North Britaine travelling by Seas, about the bearing of their Flagges: For the avoiding of all contentions hereafter. We have, with the advice of our Council, ordered: That from henceforth all our Subjects of this Isle and Kingdome of Great Britaine, and all our members thereof, shall beare in their main-toppe the Red Crosse, commonly called St George's Crosse, and the White Crosse, commonly called St Andrew's Crosse, joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds, and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects: and in their fore-toppe our Subjects of South Britaine shall weare the Red Crosse onely as they were wont, and our Subjects of North Britaine in their fore-toppe the White Crosse onely as they were accustomed.[59]

 
Painting of HMS Royal Charles, a Royal Navy ship of the line, c. 1660. The Union Jack is displayed prominently on the jackstaff at the bow, and on the ship's mizzenmast.

This royal flag was, at first, to be used only at sea on civil and military ships of both England and Scotland, whereas land forces continued to use their respective national banners.[60] Flying the national flag at the mainmast had signified the Admiral of the Narrow Seas (the English Channel) and confusion arose. In 1634, King Charles I restricted its use to Royal Navy ships.[15][28] After the Acts of Union 1707, the flag gained a regularised status as "the ensign armorial of the Kingdom of Great Britain", the newly created state. It was then adopted by land forces as well, although the blue field used on land-based versions more closely resembled that of the blue of the flag of Scotland.

Various shades of blue have been used in the saltire over the years. The ground of the current Union Flag is a deep "navy" blue (Pantone 280), which can be traced to the colour used for the Blue Ensign of the Royal Navy's historic "Blue Squadron". (Dark shades of colour were used on maritime flags on the basis of durability.) In 2003 a committee of the Scottish Parliament recommended that the flag of Scotland use a lighter "royal" blue (Pantone 300) (the Office of the Lord Lyon does not detail specific shades of colour for use in heraldry).

A thin white stripe, or fimbriation, separates the red cross from the blue field, in accordance with heraldry's rule of tincture where colours (like red and blue) must be separated from each other by metals (like white, i.e. argent or silver). The blazon for the old union flag, to be compared with the current flag, is azure, the cross saltire of St Andrew argent surmounted by the Cross of St George gules, fimbriated of the second.

 
The Protectorate Jack, flag used by The Protectorate from 1658 to 1660

The Kingdom of Ireland, which had existed as a personal union with England since 1541, was unrepresented in the original versions of the Union Jack.[60] However, the flag of the Protectorate from 1658 to 1660 was inescutcheoned with the arms of Ireland. These were removed at the Restoration, because Charles II disliked them.[61]

The original flag appears in the canton of the Commissioners' Ensign of the Northern Lighthouse Board. This is the only contemporary official representation of the pre-1801 Union Jack in the United Kingdom[62] and can be seen flying from their George Street headquarters in Edinburgh.

This version of the Union Jack is also shown in the canton of the Grand Union Flag (also known as the Congress Flag, the First Navy Ensign, the Cambridge Flag and the Continental Colours), the first widely used flag of the United States, slowly phased out after 1777.

 
The Union Jack flown on HMS Queen Charlotte, the Royal Navy flagship during the Glorious First of June in 1794. As is common for the period, the flag is an approximation of the Union Jack's proper specification.

Lord Howe's action, or the Glorious First of June, painted in 1795, shows a Union flying from HMS Queen Charlotte on the "Glorious First of June" 1794. The actual flag, preserved in the National Maritime Museum, is a cruder approximation of the proper specifications; this was common in 18th and early 19th century flags.[63][64]

The flag is also flown beside Customs House in Loftus Street, Sydney, to mark the approximate location at which Captain Phillip first raised the Union Jack, and claimed New South Wales in 1788. On the plaque it is referred to as the "Jack of Queen Anne".

The British Army's flag is the Union Jack, but in 1938, a "British Army Non-Ceremonial Flag" was devised, featuring a lion on crossed blades with the St Edward's Crown on a red background. This is not the equivalent of the ensigns of the other armed services but is used at recruiting and military or sporting events, when the army needs to be identified but the reverence and ceremony due to the regimental flags and the Union Jack would be inappropriate.

Scottish Union Flag edit

 
Slezer's Edinburgh Castle c. 1693 depicting the Scottish Union flag[65]

In objecting to the design of the Union Flag adopted in 1606, whereby the cross of Saint George surmounted that of Saint Andrew, a group of Scots took up the matter with John Erskine, 19th Earl of Mar, and were encouraged by him to send a letter of complaint to James VI, via the Privy Council of Scotland, which stated that the flag's design "will breid some heit and miscontentment betwix your Majesties subjectis, and it is to be feirit that some inconvenientis sail fall oute betwix thame, for our seyfaring men cannot be inducit to resave that flage as it is set down".[66] Although documents accompanying this complaint which contained drafts for alternative designs have been lost, evidence exists, at least on paper, of an unofficial Scottish variant, whereby the Scottish cross was uppermost. There is reason to think that cloth flags of this design were employed during the 17th century for unofficial use on Scottish vessels at sea.[67][68][69] This flag's design is also described in the 1704 edition of The Present State of the Universe by John Beaumont, which contains as an appendix The Ensigns, Colours or Flags of the Ships at Sea: Belonging to The several Princes and States in the World.[70]

On land, evidence confirming the use of this flag appears in the depiction of Edinburgh Castle by John Slezer, in his series of engravings entitled Theatrum Scotiae, c. 1693. Appearing in later editions of Theatrum Scotiae, the North East View of Edinburgh Castle engraving depicts the Scotch (to use the appropriate adjective of that period) version of the Union Flag flying from the Palace block of the Castle.[71] On The North Prospect of the City of Edenburgh engraving, the flag is indistinct.[72]

 
Scottish Union Flag depicted in the 1704 edition of The Present State of the Universe.

On 17 April 1707, just two weeks prior to the Acts of Union coming into effect, and with Sir Henry St George, the younger, the Garter King of Arms, having presented several designs of flag to Queen Anne and her Privy Council for consideration, the flag for the soon to be unified Kingdom of Great Britain was chosen. At the suggestion of the Scots representatives, the designs for consideration included that version of Union Jack showing the Cross of Saint Andrew uppermost; identified as being the "Scotts union flagg as said to be used by the Scotts".[73] However, the Queen and her Council approved Sir Henry's original effort, numbered "one".[73]

A manuscript compiled in 1785 by William Fox and in possession of the Flag Research Center includes a full plate showing "the scoth [sic] union" flag. This could imply that there was still some use of a Scottish variant before the addition of the cross of St Patrick to the Union Flag in 1801.[69]

After 1801 edit

 
A Union Jack flown aboard HMS Spartiate during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, which took place several years after the second Union Jack was adopted.

The current and second Union Jack dates from 1 January 1801 with the Act of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The new design added a red saltire, the cross of Saint Patrick, for Ireland. This is counterchanged with the saltire of St Andrew, such that the red always follows the white clockwise. The arrangement has introduced a requirement to display the flag "the right way up" (see specifications for flag use above). As with the red cross, so too the red saltire is separated by a white fimbriation from the blue field.[34] This fimbriation is repeated for symmetry on the white portion of the saltire, which thereby appears wider than the red portion. The fimbriation of the cross of St George separates its red from the red of the saltire.

Apart from the Union Jack, Saint Patrick's cross has seldom been used to represent Ireland, and with little popular recognition or enthusiasm; it is usually considered to derive from the arms of the powerful FitzGerald family rather than any association with the saint.[74]

Flag speculation after Irish Free State establishment edit

When the Anglo-Irish Treaty was concluded on 6 December 1921 and the creation of the new Irish Free State was an imminent prospect, the question arose as to whether the cross of Saint Patrick should remain in the Union Jack. The New York Times reported that on 22 January 1922:

 
The cross of Saint Patrick was incorporated into the Union Jack in 1801 to represent Ireland. However, the imminent creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 saw some people question the continued placement of the cross on the Union Jack.

At the College of Arms it was stated that certain modifications were under consideration and that if any action were taken it would be done by the King in Council. No parliamentary action would be necessary. Heraldry experts say that alterations in arms are very expensive. Some years ago there was a demand from Irish quarters that the blue ground of the golden harp on the royal standard should be changed to green. It was then estimated that the alteration would cost at least £2,000,000. To remove all reference to Ireland from the present Union Jack and Royal Arms would be vastly more expensive.[75]

There was some speculation on the matter in British dominions also, with one New Zealand paper reporting that:

...the removal of the cross of St. Patrick Cross after 120 years will transform the appearance of the flag. It will certainly become a flag under which great victories were won in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but to most minds the sentimental loss will be great. Probably it will be found that the deletion is not absolutely necessary. Other possible changes include the abolition of the title of the United Kingdom, and the removal of the harp from the Royal Standard and the Coat of Arms, and the substitution of the Ulster emblem.[76]

However, the fact that it was likely that Northern Ireland would remain in the United Kingdom gave better grounds for keeping the cross of St. Patrick in the Union Jack. In this regard, Sir James Craig, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland remarked in December 1921 that he and his government were "glad to think that our decision [to remain part of United Kingdom] will obviate the necessity of mutilating the Union Jack."[77] Though remaining within the United Kingdom, the new government of Northern Ireland dispensed with the St Patrick's Saltire in favour of a new flag derived from the coat-of-arms of the Burkes, Earls of Ulster, and quite similar to England's St George's Cross.

 
A soldier in a military hospital in Harrow, London, with a Union Jack displayed in the right background, 1922

Ultimately, when the British home secretary was asked on 7 December 1922 (the day after the Irish Free State was established) whether the Garter King of Arms was "to issue any Regulations with reference to the national flag consequent to the passing of the Irish Free State Constitution Act", the response was no and the flag has never been changed.[78]

A Dáil question in 1961 mooted raising the removal of the cross of St Patrick with the British government; Frank Aiken, the Irish Minister for External Affairs, declined to "waste time on heraldic disputations".[79]

21st century edit

In 2003, a private individual started a campaign – dubbed "reflag" or "Union Black" – to introduce black stripes in the Union Jack in order to represent the increasing diversity in the United Kingdom. The proposal was universally met with opposition and was denounced by MSP Phil Gallie as "ridiculous tokenism [that] would do nothing to stamp out racism".[80]

 
One suggested redesign of the Union Jack with the red dragon from the flag of Wales added in the centre

The lack of any Welsh symbol or colours in the flag is a result of Wales having been considered an integral part of the Kingdom of England at the time the flag of Great Britain was created in 1606. Since there is no Welsh element in the Union Jack, Wrexham's Labour MP Ian Lucas proposed on 26 November 2007 in a House of Commons debate that the Union Flag be combined with the Welsh flag to reflect Wales's status within the UK, and that the red dragon be added to the Union Flag's red, white, and blue pattern.[81] He said the Union Jack currently only represented the other three UK nations, and Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism Margaret Hodge conceded that Lucas had raised a valid point for debate. She said, "the Government is keen to make the Union Flag a positive symbol of Britishness reflecting the diversity of our country today and encouraging people to take pride in our flag." This development sparked design contests with entries from all over the world.[82]

In the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, various non-official suggestions were made for how the flag could be redesigned without the St Andrew's Cross if Scotland left the Union. However, as Scotland voted against independence, the issue did not arise.[83][84]

Status in the United Kingdom edit

Further information: Flag of the United Kingdom
 
A Union Jack flying from a jackstaff onboard a Royal Navy warship, 2011

The Union Jack is used as a jack by commissioned warships and submarines of the Royal Navy, and by commissioned army and Royal Air Force vessels. When at anchor or alongside, it is flown from the jackstaff at the bow of the ship. When a ship is underway, the Union Jack is only flown from the jackstaff when the ship is dressed for a special occasion, such as the King's official birthday.

The Union Flag is worn at the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of the sovereign or an Admiral of the Fleet.[85][unreliable source?] The Union Flag may also be flown from the yardarm to indicate that a court-martial is in progress, though these are now normally held at shore establishments.

No law has been passed making the Union Jack the national flag of the United Kingdom: it has become one through precedent. Its first recorded recognition as a national flag came in 1908, when it was stated in Parliament that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag".[86] A more categorical statement was made by Home Secretary Sir John Gilmour, in 1933 when he stated that "the Union Flag is the national flag and may properly be flown by any British subject on land."[87]

 
Union Jacks on two flagpoles hanging off of a building in Surrey, 2012

Civilian use is permitted on land, but use of the unmodified flag at sea is restricted to military vessels. Unauthorised use of the flag in the 17th century to avoid paying harbour duties – a privilege restricted to naval ships – caused James's successor, Charles I, to order that use of the flag on naval vessels be restricted to His Majesty's ships "upon pain of Our high displeasure."[28] It remains a criminal offence under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995[88] to display the Union Flag (other than the "pilot jack" – see below) from a British ship. Naval ships will fly the white ensign, merchant and private boats can fly the red ensign, others with special permission such as naval yacht clubs can fly the blue ensign. All of the coloured ensigns contain the union flag as part of the design.

The Court of the Lord Lyon, which has legal jurisdiction in heraldic matters in Scotland, confirms that the Union Jack "is the correct flag for all citizens and corporate bodies of the United Kingdom to fly to demonstrate their loyalty and their nationality."[89]

On 5 February 2008, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Andrew Rosindell introduced the 'Union Flag Bill' as a private member's bill under the 10 Minute Rule in the House of Commons. The Bill sought to formalise the position of the Union Flag as the national flag of the UK in law, to remove legal obstacles to its regular display. The Bill did not receive its second reading by the end of that parliamentary session.[90] The Bill stated "Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack)" in subsection 1(1), but otherwise uses the term "Union Flag".[91]

Flag days edit

 
Vertical displays of the Union Flag during a parade for Elizabeth II's official birthday

In July 2007, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled plans to have the Union Flag flown more often from government buildings.[92] While consultation on new guidelines was under way, the decision to fly the flag could be made by each government department.[needs update] In March 2021, the UK government published new guidance for the Union Flag to be flown all year round on UK government buildings, unless another flag is being flown – such as another national flag of the UK, or a county flag, or other flags to mark civic pride.[93]

Previously, the flag was generally only flown on public buildings on days marking the birthdays of members of the royal family, the wedding anniversary of the monarch, Commonwealth Day, Accession Day, Coronation Day, the monarch's official birthday, Remembrance Sunday, and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation of Parliament. Non-government organisations were (and are) permitted to fly the Union Flag whenever they choose.

The last specified set of flag days where the Union Flag should be flown from government buildings throughout the UK were:[94]

In addition, the Union Flag was to be flown on the following days in specified areas:[94]

 
A Union Jack at half-mast after the death of Elizabeth II in September 2022

The Union Flag is flown at half mast from the announcement of the death of the sovereign (save for Proclamation Day), or upon command of the sovereign.[95]

On 30 November, St Andrew's Day, the Union Flag can be flown in Scotland only where a building has more than one flagpole—on this day the Saltire will not be lowered to make way for the Union Flag if there is only one flagpole.[96] This difference arose after Members of the Scottish Parliament complained that Scotland was the only country in the world that could not fly its national flag on its national day. However, on 23 April, St George's Day, it is the Union Flag of the United Kingdom that is flown over UK government offices in England.[97]

Usage and disposal edit

The Union Flag has no official status in the United Kingdom, and there are no national regulations concerning its use or prohibitions against flag desecration. In Northern Ireland, the Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 provide for the flying of the flag on government buildings on certain occasions, when it is flown half-mast, and how it is displayed with other flags.[98]

 
A folded Union Flag with a tam o' shanter on top of it

The Flags and Heraldry Committee, an all-party parliamentary group lobbying for official standards, cooperated with the Flag Institute in 2010 to publish a set of recommended guidelines for the flag's display and use as a symbol.[99]

There is no specific way in which the Union Flag should be folded as there is with the United States Flag. It is usually folded rectilinearly, with the hoist on the outside, to be easily reattached to the pole.[99][100]

Royal Navy Stores Duties Instructions, article 447, dated 26 February 1914, specified that flags condemned from further service use were to be torn up into small pieces and disposed of as rags (ADM 1/8369/56), not to be used for decoration or sold. The exception was flags that had flown in action: these could be framed and kept on board, or transferred to a "suitable place", such as a museum (ADM 1/8567/245).[34]

Position of Honour edit

 
The Union Jack, with the flags of the European Union and Gibraltar on its sides. The Union Flag is placed in a raised, central position.

According to the UK Flag Protocol, the order of precedence of flags in the United Kingdom is: the Royal Standards, the Union Flag, the flag of the host country (England, Scotland and Wales etc.), the flags of other nations (in English alphabetical order), the Commonwealth Flag, the county flags, the flags of cities or towns, the banners of arms, and the house flags.[101]

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies edit

 
The Union Jack and the flag of Bermuda flown from Fort St. Catherine in Bermuda, 2016

The Union Jack is the national flag of the British Overseas Territories, which are parts of the British realm with varying degrees of local autonomy. Most populated administrative regions and territories of the United Kingdom have been granted a unique flag for the locality, usually the Blue ensign or Red ensign defaced with the distinguishing arms of the territory. All fly the Union Jack in some form, with the exception of Gibraltar (other than the government ensign).

The Crown Dependencies, unlike the British Overseas Territories, are legally not part of the United Kingdom, and the Union Jack is not an official flag there. Outside the UK, the Union Jack is usually part of a special ensign in which it is placed in the upper left hand corner of a blue field, with a signifying crest in the bottom right. When the Union Jack and the territorial flag are flown together, the national flag is always arranged to take precedence over the territorial flag.[102]

Status outside the United Kingdom edit

Australia edit

 
The Australian ensign and Union Jack hung vertically from Australia's Parliament House, 1931

The Union Flag was used as a flag of Australia until 1953, although the Australian blue ensign saw use as a governmental flag of Australia, and an informal national flag of the country since the early 20th century.[103] From 1911 to 1956, schools in South Australia were required to fly the Union Jack for the "national salute".[104]

In 1953, the Australian blue ensign was named the national flag of Australia, through the Flags Act 1953.[104] Although the Australian blue ensign replaced the Union Jack as the flag of Australia, Australian prime minister Robert Menzies told Australians that the Union Flag would be flown together with the Australian national flag "on notable occasions".[104] Section 8 of that Flag Act also specified that the formalization of the Australian blue ensign as the national flag did "not affect the right or privilege of a person to fly the Union Jack."[105] The Union Jack continued to see informal use as a flag of Australia for a period thereafter, although by the 1980s, the majority of Australians viewed the Australian blue ensign as the national flag as opposed to the Union Jack.[106]

Canada edit

Further information: List of Canadian flags

The Union Jack was the official national flag of Canada until 1965 when it was replaced in that role by the Maple Leaf flag.[107][108] Since 1965, the Union Jack in Canada is used as an authorised symbol to represent Canada's "membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and its allegiance to the Crown".[109]

 
The Union Flag and the U.S. flag at the Canada-U.S. border, 1899. The Union Flag was the formal flag of Canada until 1965.

History edit

The Union Jack has been used in a variety of colonies in British North America since its official adoption in 1707, In 1867, the British North American colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada were united to form the Canadian Confederation; with the Union Jack being retained as the official flag of the new "confederation".[107]

In addition to the Union Jack, during the late 19th century, a red ensign defaced with the arms of Canada was also used as an informal flag of Canada. The defaced red ensign, later known as the Canadian Red Ensign, was eventually authorised for official use as the country's civil ensign in 1892. Although the Canadian Red Ensign was only formally authorised as a civil ensign, it was also viewed as a de facto national flag, as it was a uniquely Canadian symbol.[107]

In 1964, Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson introduced plans to replace the Union Flag with a new national flag, spurring the Great Canadian flag debate.[107] A new national flag, the Maple Leaf, was approved by the parliament of Canada on 17 December 1964.[107] However, on the following day, the Canadian parliament passed another resolution that designated the Union Flag as the Royal Union Flag and authorised its official use as the symbol of the country's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and its allegiance to the Crown.[109] The move was a concession given to those who preferred to adopt the Canadian Red Ensign as a formal national flag. On 15 February 1965, the maple leaf flag formally replaced the Union Flag as the flag of Canada following an official proclamation by Elizabeth II,[107] with the Royal Union Flag becoming an official ceremonial flag.[109]

 
The Royal Union Flag next to the flag of Canada during a Remembrance Day parade in Stirling, Ontario, 2009

The Union Flag was also the formal flag for the Dominion of Newfoundland, a separate dominion of the British Empire from 1907 to 1949. Newfoundland retained the Union Flag as the province's official flag after it joined the Canadian confederation in 1949. In 1980, the flag of Newfoundland was adopted as the new provincial flag, with the design for the new flag of Newfoundland being derived from the Union Flag.

Protocol edit

The parliamentary resolution passed on 18 December 1964 assigned two purposes for the Royal Union Flag: a flag representing the United Kingdom and an official ceremonial flag of Canada.[108] When used to represent the United Kingdom, the flag takes precedence before the flag of a Canadian province or territory. However, when the flag is used as a ceremonial flag of Canada, the flag of a Canadian province or territory takes precedence before the Royal Union Flag.[108]

 
Hartland Covered Bridge in 2008. The Royal Union Flag on top of the bridge is positioned to the right of the flag of Canada and the provincial flag, in accordance with protocol.

The parliamentary resolution requires the Royal Union Flag to be flown alongside the national flag of Canada (if there are at least two flag poles available) on federal properties on Commonwealth Day, Victoria Day (the monarch's official birthday in Canada), 11 December (the anniversary of the enactment of the Statute of Westminster, 1931), and when otherwise instructed to do so by the National Defence Headquarters.[109][108] The Royal Union Flag may also be formally flown alongside the flag of Canada at federal locations in Canada for ceremonies, anniversaries, and other events relating to the Canadian Armed Forces or other forces in the Commonwealth.[109][108]

Items and properties that the parliamentary resolution applies to includes buildings operated by the federal government, military installations, federally-operated airports, at the masthead of Royal Canadian Navy ships within Canadian waters, and other appropriate establishments. The requirement for federal properties to fly the Royal Union Flag applies only when there are two or more flagpoles on the property, to ensure that the national flag of Canada is not taken down in place of the Royal Union Flag.[109][108][110]

New Zealand edit

 
The 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team pose in front of the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the Union Jack, 1889

The Union Flag became the flag of New Zealand after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in February 1840, replacing the flag used by the United Tribes of New Zealand.[111] The issue of flying the flag of the United Tribes alongside the Union Jack, as a symbol of their equal standing with the colonial government, served as a factor that led to the Flagstaff War, led by Ngāpuhi chief Hōne Heke.[111] British maritime flags were used by New Zealand vessels until 1865.[111] After the passage of the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865, vessels of the New Zealand government used a defaced blue ensign issued by the colonial government.

The current national flag of New Zealand was given official standing under the New Zealand Ensign Act in 1902, replacing the Union Flag.[111][112] However, the Union Flag continued to see tandem use with the national flag of New Zealand into the 1950s.[111]

South Africa edit

The Union Jack was used as the flag of a variety of colonies in South Africa since 1795. The Union Jack was retained as the official flag of the Union of South Africa after its formation in 1910. In addition to the Union Jack, from 1910 to 1928, the South African Red Ensign was also treated as an unofficial flag of the union.

Proposals to adopt a national flag were made during the 1920s. In 1927, the Union Nationality and Flag Act was passed by the Parliament of South Africa, which named both the Union Jack and the Oranje, Blanje, Blou flag of South Africa as the flags of the union, both co-equal in status. The Oranje, Blanje, Blou flag also incorporated the Union Jack in its design, alongside the flag of the Orange Free State and the flag of the South African Republic. The Union Jack was to be flown alongside the Oranje, Blanje, Blou at principal government buildings in the capitals, at Union ports, on government offices abroad, and at such other places as the government might determine.[113][114] The act went into effect on 31 May 1928.

Instructions issued in 1931 confirmed the places where both flags were to be flown. In addition to those already mentioned, they were the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the head offices of the four provincial administrations, the supreme courts, certain magistrates' courts, customs houses, and three buildings in Durban (the general post office, the railway station, and the local military district headquarters).[115][114] Under these arrangements, the Union Jack was subordinate to the Oranje, Blanje, Blou. As the two flags had to be the same size, it meant that the Union Jack was made in the ratio 2:3 rather than the usual 1:2.[115][114]

This dual arrangement continued until 1957, when the Flags Amendment Act was passed naming the Oranje, Blanje, Blou as the sole flag of South Africa.[116] The Oranje, Blanje, Blou was replaced by the flag of South Africa in 1994 as the country's national flag.

Use outside the Commonwealth edit

Several individuals residing in countries not a part of the Commonwealth of Nations have adopted the Union Flag as a flag of protest.

Hong Kong edit

The Union Flag was formerly used in Hong Kong when it was a British Dependent Territory. Official use of the Union Flag and the British colonial Hong Kong flag ceased following the handover of Hong Kong to China in July 1997. In the 2010s, the Union Flag, along with the colonial flag of Hong Kong began to see use by supporters of the pro-democracy camp during the 2014 Hong Kong protests, and the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.[117][118] The flag has been displayed at other pro-democracy events in Hong Kong, including the new year marches and the 1 July marches. Members of the Hong Kong Autonomy Movement, the Hong Kong independence movement and Hong Kong localists have been seen wielding the Union Flag or the colonial flag of Hong Kong.[119]

 
The Union Jack alongside the colonial Hong Kong flag, during the 2014 new year march in Hong Kong

However, the meaning behind the use of the flags by pro-democracy protestors, including the Union Flag, remains disputed with protestors citing a variety of reasons for flying it.[120] Some pro-democracy protestors that flew foreign flags, including the Union Flag, did so in an effort to attract international media attention to the protests, while others did so in an effort to irritate the central government of China.[120][121] The Union Flag, in addition to other foreign flags, were also used by some protestors to illustrate their desire for Hong Kong to be an "international city"; whereas others used the flag simply as a generic symbol of freedom.[120][122][123]

Some specifically flew the Union Flag and the colonial flag of Hong Kong, nostalgic of the "values" of the previous colonial government, namely "personal freedoms, rule of law, [and] clean governance".[117][119] Other pro-democracy protestors choose to use the Union Flag and the colonial flag of Hong Kong in an effort to call upon the British government to declare that China had failed to uphold the Sino-British Joint Declaration.[120] Several Hongkongers that hold British National (Overseas) passports who used the flag during the protests were doing so as a call to the British government to grant British National (Overseas) the right to abode in the United Kingdom.[120] Although a small number of Hongkongers seek direct British intervention into the matter, the majority of those that used the Union Flag or the colonial flag of Hong Kong during the protests do not hold such beliefs.[119]

The use of foreign flags at the protests, including the Union Flag, has been cited multiple times by the central government of China as evidence for their claim that foreign interference is steering the protests in Hong Kong against the central government.[120] Conversely, several protestors in the pro-democracy camp have also been criticized the use of foreign flags, who view their use as reinforcing the claims made by the central government of China.[120]

Italy edit

After the British referendum on membership of the European Union resulted in a vote to leave, the Union Flag had become a symbol of euroscepticism in Italy. In August 2016, many local businesses along the Italian riviera hoisted the flags as a protest against the implementation of the Services in the Internal Market Directive 2006.[124]

Use in other flags edit

Further information: Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories and List of countries and territories with the Union Jack displayed on their flag

National and regional flags edit

 
Map of the British Empire from 1910, with the ensigns and emblems of several British dominions and colonies displayed

As the national flag of the entire British Realm, the Union Flag was found in the canton (upper flagpole-side quarter) of the flags of many colonies of Britain, while the field (background) of their flags was the colour of the naval ensign flown by the particular Royal Navy squadron that patrolled that region of the world. Nations and colonies that have used the Union Flag at some stage have included Aden, Basutoland (now Lesotho), Barbados, Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Borneo, Burma, Canada, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Cyprus, Dominica, British East Africa (Kenya Colony), Gambia, Gold Coast (Ghana), Grenada, Guiana, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Labuan (Malaysia), Lagos, Malta, Mauritius, Nigeria, Palestine, Penang (Malaysia), Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somaliland, South Africa, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Pre-partitioned India (present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar), Tanganyika, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, the United States, and Weihaiwei. As former British Empire nations were granted independence, these and other versions of the Union Flag were decommissioned. The most recent decommissioning of the Union Flag came on 1 July 1997, when the former Dependent Territory of Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China.

 
Flag of Australia
 
Flag of Fiji
 
Flag of New Zealand
 
Flag of Tuvalu
National flags of sovereign states whose design incorporates a Union Jack in their canton

Four former British colonies in Oceania which are now independent countries incorporate the Union Jack as part of their national flags: Australia, New Zealand and Tuvalu, which have retained the monarchy; and Fiji, which abolished the monarchy in 1987.

In former British colonies, the Union Jack was used interchangeably with informal flags of the territory for significant parts of their colonial early history. The Union Flag was used as the flag of Canada until it was re-adopted as a ceremonial flag, and the Maple Leaf flag made the official national flag in 1965. In addition to being an official ceremonial flag, the Union Flag also defaces the flags of a number of Canadian provinces, including British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. Newfoundland and Labrador uses a flag that was derived from the Union Flag, with the Union Jack serving as the flag of Newfoundland until 1980. The Union Flag, and flags defaced with the Union Flag in its canton, like the Canadian Red Ensign, continue to see use in Canada in a private capacity. The pre-1801 Union Flag also sees limited use by private organizations, most notably the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada.[125]

Along with the national flag, many other Australian flags retain the use of the Union Jack, including the Royal Australian Navy Ensign (also known as the Australian White Ensign), the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign, the Australian Red Ensign (for use by merchant and private vessels), and the Australian Civil Aviation Ensign. The flags of all six Australian States retain the Union Jack in the canton, as do some regional flags such as the Upper and Lower Murray River Flags. The Vice-Regal flags of the State Governors also use the Union Jack. While the Flags Act 1953 states that Australians still have the "right or privilege" to fly the Union Jack after the introduction of the Australian National Flag, usage of the Union Jack by itself is unusual.

The Basque Country's flag, the Ikurriña, is also loosely based on the Union Jack, reflecting the significant commercial ties between Bilbao and Britain at the time the Ikurriña was designed in 1894. The Miskito people sometimes use a similar flag that also incorporates the Union Jack in its canton, due to long periods of contact in the Mosquito Coast.

 
Flag of the United States from 1775 to 1777
 
Flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii, used from 1816 to 1845
 
Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom, used from 1826 to 1828
 
Flag of South Africa, used from 1928 to 1994
Former national flags that incorporated the Union Jack in their design

The Union Jack was used by the United States in its first flag, the Grand Union Flag. This flag was of a similar design to the one used by the British East India Company. Hawaii, a state of the United States but located in the central Pacific, incorporates the Union Jack in its state flag. According to one story, the King of Hawaii asked the British mariner, George Vancouver, during a stop in Lahaina, what the piece of cloth flying from his ship was. Vancouver replied that it represented his king's authority. The Hawaiian king then adopted and flew the flag as a symbol of his own royal authority not recognising its national derivation.[citation needed] Hawaii's flag represents the only current use of the Union Jack in any American state flag.

Also in the United States, the Union Flag of 1606 is incorporated into the flag of Baton Rouge, the capital city of Louisiana. Baton Rouge was a British colony from the time of the Seven Years' War until the end of the American Revolutionary War, when it was captured by Spanish forces. Symbols from the colonial powers France and Spain are also incorporated into the Baton Rouge flag. Taunton, Massachusetts, uses a flag with the old style Union Flag by a resolution on 19 October 1974. Likewise, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, has been known to fly a flag containing the King's Colours since 1973.[126]

The Union Jack also appeared on both the 1910–1928 and 1928–1994 flags of South Africa. The 1910–1928 flag was a Red Ensign with the Union coat of arms in the fly. The 1928–1994 flag, based on the Prinsenvlag and commonly known as the oranje-blanje-blou (orange-white-blue), contained the Union Jack as part of a central motif at par with the flags of the two Boer republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal. To keep any one of the three flags from having precedence, the Union Jack is spread horizontally from the Orange Free State flag towards the hoist; closest to the hoist, it is in the superior position but since it is reversed it does not precede the other flags.

The flag of the Municipal Council of Shanghai International Settlement in 1869 contained multiple flags to symbolize the countries have participated in the creation and management of this enclave in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The Union Jack was contained as part of top left hand shield and close to the flags of the United States and France, there was also contained the flag of Prussia nearby, but it was removed around 1917.

The flag of the Chilean city of Coquimbo features the Union Jack, owing to its historical commercial links to Britain.

Selected British colonial and overseas territorial flags that incorporate the Union Jack
Selected regional and community flags that incorporate the Union Jack

Ensigns edit

Further information: British ensigns

The Union Flag can be found in the canton of several of the ensigns flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. These are used in cases where it is illegal to fly the Union Flag, such as at sea from a ship other than a British warship. Normal practice for British ships is to fly the White ensign (Royal Navy), the Red ensign (Merchant and private boats) or the Blue ensign (government departments and public corporations). Similar ensigns are used by other countries (such as New Zealand and Australia) with the Union Flag in the canton. Other Commonwealth countries (such as India and Jamaica) may follow similar ensign etiquette as the UK, replacing the Union Flag with their own national flag.

Others edit

 
A Pilot Jack, a flag design that has a Union Jack at its centre, with a white border around it

The flag in a white border occasionally seen on merchant ships was sometimes referred to as the Pilot Jack. It can be traced back to 1823 when it was created as a signal flag, but not intended as a civil jack. A book[clarification needed] issued to British consuls in 1855 states that the white bordered Union Flag is to be hoisted for a pilot. Although there was some ambiguity regarding the legality of it being flown for any other purpose on civilian vessels, its use as an ensign or jack was established well in advance of the 1864 Act that designated the Red Ensign for merchant shipping. In 1970, the white-bordered Union Flag ceased to be the signal for a pilot, but references to it as national colours were not removed from the current Merchant Shipping Act and it was legally interpreted as a flag that could be flown on a merchant ship, as a jack if desired. This status was confirmed to an extent by the Merchant Shipping (Registration, etc.) Act 1993 and the consolidating Merchant Shipping Act 1995 which, in Section 4, Subsection 1, prohibits the use of any distinctive national colours or those used or resembling flags or pendants on Her Majesty's Ships, "except the Red Ensign, the Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack) with a white border", and some other exceptions permitted elsewhere in the Acts. However, Section 2 regards the "British flag", and states that "The flag which every British ship is entitled to fly is the Red Ensign (without any defacement or modification) and, subject to (a warrant from Her Majesty or from the Secretary of State, or an Order of Council from her Majesty regarding a defaced Red Ensign), no other colours."[127] The Flag Institute listed the white bordered Union Flag as "Civil Jack".[24]

 
The former flag of the Hudson's Bay Company, used from 1801 to 1965.

The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was one of a few non-government institutions using the Union Jack in part of the flag. HBC rival North West Company had a similar flag as well. The HBC Red Ensign is no longer in use in 1965 and replaced with a corporate flag featuring the company's coat of arms.

 
The unofficial British Empire flag incorporated dominion symbols

An unofficial flag for the British Empire was created around 1910 due to a belief that the Union Jack itself no longer sufficiently represented dominions such as Canada, which were beginning to adopt their own unique symbols. The flag was similar in design to a White Ensign, which features the Union Jack in the canton. In the other quadrants were the coats of arms of Canada, Australia, and South Africa. The four stars forming the Crux over Saint George's Cross represented New Zealand, and the Star of India was featured prominently in the middle. Civilians often flew Empire flags for patriotic events such as coronations, Empire Day, and the British Empire Exhibition.[128] It is still flown on special occasions at the Dangarsleigh War Memorial.[129]

The Union Jack is the third quarter of the 1939 coat of arms of Alabama, which is used on the flag of the governor of Alabama, representing British sovereignty over the state prior to 1783. The version used is the modern flag, whereas the 1707 flag would have been used in colonial Alabama.

In the former International Settlement of Kulangsu the Kulangsu Municipal Police had a badge contained multiple flags, including the Union Flag. Then the badge is incorporated in their police flag.[130]

In popular culture edit

 
Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls wearing a remake of the Union Jack dress she wore at the 1997 Brit Awards

The Union Jack remains one of the most instantly-recognisable flags in the world.[131][132] This is chiefly due not only to its iconic and unusual design, but the influence of British culture across the globe as a result of the British Empire, and its resulting presence in several Commonwealth nations' flags and heraldry. While most of the former colonies of the British Empire have chosen to omit the Union Jack in their national flags, some countries such as Australia and New Zealand have chosen to keep the Union Jack as a symbol of their British heritage.[133]

The Union Flag has been a prominent symbol in the sphere of fashion since the British Invasion movement of the 1960s, in a similar manner to the American Stars and Stripes flag, and came back into fashion in the mid-1990s 'Cool Britannia' era, notably Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's iconic Union Jack dress of the 1997 Brit Awards.[134][135] A notable increase in popularity was seen in Cuba following the 2012 London Olympics, with clothing, nail decoration, tattoos, and hairstyles in youths being observed featuring the pattern.[136]

Subsumation in corporate branding edit

Commonly the Union Flag is used on computer software and Internet pages as an icon representing a choice of the English language where a choice among multiple languages may be presented to the user, though the American flag is also sometimes used for this purpose. The flag has been embroidered on various Reebok equipment as a mark of the brand's British origin,[137] and the Reebok Union Jack has been referred to as a brand icon.[138] Many music artists have used the Union Jack, ranging from rock artists the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Jam, Sex Pistols, the Stone Roses, David Bowie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Morrissey, Oasis, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard, to the pop girl group the Spice Girls.

 
British Airways aircraft bearing Chatham Dockyard Union Flag tail art
 
Rear of a Mini Hatch, with "Union Jack" tail lights
Branding designs that have incorporated the Union Jack

British Airways painted a cropped Union Flag on their tail fins until 1984, from 1997 on, they started painting a stylised, fluttering Union flag on tail fins, nicknamed Chatham Dockyard Union Flag. The coat of arms of British Airways also features the escutcheon cropped from the Union Flag.[139] British Airways used the coat of arms on their aircraft via the Landor livery between 1984–1997 and added back in 2011, also used as cap badge for pilots or in advertisements.[140][141][142]

The BMW Mini tail lights are shaped after the Union Jack.[143]

Gallery edit

Union Flag variants 1606–1801 edit

Union Flag in folk art edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ It has been claimed that "Union Jack" was the name given to the flag flown on the "jack staff" of ships of the Royal Navy; but the etymology is ultimately uncertain.[2]
  2. ^ Graham Bartram (born 1963), a British vexillologist who is, as of 2013, the secretary-general for congresses of the Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques and the chief vexillologist of the Flag Institute, when interviewed on the BBC Broadcasting House programme on 13 October 2013, stated that either name was perfectly valid whatever the purpose. He stated that the theory that the flag should only be referred to as "Union Jack" when flown at sea was wrong.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ College of Arms (2023). "Union Flag: approved designs". Retrieved 23 September 2023. For the avoidance of doubt and the sake of convenience, Garter King of Arms, under the authority of the Earl Marshal, has approved two versions of the Union flag as being accurate representations suitable for use. These are of the proportions 5:3, commonly flown on land; and 2:1, commonly flown at sea.
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Further reading edit

  • Groom, Nick (2007). The Union Jack: The Story of the British Flag. Atlantic Books. ISBN 978-1-84354-337-4.
  • Kwan, Elizabeth (2006). Flag and Nation: Australians and their national flags since 1901. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 1-7422-4687-7.
  • Lister, Davis (2014). Union Jack or Union Flag? (PDF). London: Flag Institute.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union Jack.
External images
  . 26 September 2009. By cthonus Accessed 2009-12-30.
  . 11 June 2006. By Two Thumbs. Accessed 2009-12-30.
  2 June 2009. By boongiepam. Accessed 2009-12-16.
  . 29 March 2008. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. By dr.nic[dead link]. Accessed 2009-12-31.
  The Cross of Saint Patrick. 17 March 2007. By tim ellis. Accessed 2009-12-30.
  United Kingdom Union Flag. 15 July 2009. By leegibb13. Accessed 2009-12-16.
  • United Kingdom at Flags of the World
  • at the Royal Family website
  • Union Flag: approved designs at the College of Arms website
  • Union Flag protocol at the College of Arms website
  • British flags during The Protectorate and the Commonwealth of England – see external link
  • BBC page for 400th anniversary of flag
  • Monochrome Union Flag not flown to avoid controversy
  • How to draw the Union Jack
  • Union Jack Flag Infographic
  • History of the Union Jack video
  • UK Flag Protocol
  • Poll asks if Welsh element to Union flag idea is a flyer. BBC News. Published 26 September 2014.

January 19, 2024
union, jack, union, flag, redirects, here, other, uses, union, flag, disambiguation, disambiguation, note, union, flag, facto, national, flag, united, kingdom, although, been, passed, making, union, flag, official, national, flag, united, kingdom, effectively,. Union Flag redirects here For other uses see Union flag disambiguation and Union Jack disambiguation The Union Jack note 1 3 4 or Union Flag is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom it has effectively become such through precedent The Union Flag was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags The flag continues to have official status in Canada by parliamentary resolution where it is known as the Royal Union Flag 5 Union FlagUnion Jack Union FlagRoyal Union Flag Canada UseNational flagProportion5 3 commonly flown on land and 2 1 commonly flown at sea 1 Adopted1606 origin 1707 First version was officially adopted 1 January 1801 223 years ago 1801 01 01 current version with St Patrick s Cross DesignBlue field on which the Cross of Saint Andrew counterchanged with the Cross of Saint Patrick over all the Cross of Saint George fimbriated It is sometimes asserted that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage but this assertion was dismissed by the Flag Institute in 2013 after historical investigations 6 7 8 note 2 The origins of the earlier flag of Great Britain date from 1606 King James VI of Scotland had inherited the English and Irish thrones in 1603 as James I thereby uniting the crowns of England Scotland and Ireland in a personal union although the three kingdoms remained separate states On 12 April 1606 a new flag to represent this regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree according to which the flag of England a red cross on a white background known as St George s Cross and the flag of Scotland a white saltire X shaped cross or St Andrew s Cross on a blue background would be joined forming the flag of England and Scotland for maritime purposes The present design of the Union Flag dates from a royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 10 The flag combines aspects of three older national flags the red cross of St George for the Kingdom of England the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland Although the Republic of Ireland is no longer part of the United Kingdom Northern Ireland is There are no symbols representing Wales in the flag making Wales the only home nation with no direct representation as at the time of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 creating legal union with England the concept of national flags was in its infancy The Welsh Dragon was however adopted as a supporter in the royal coat of arms of England used by the Tudor dynasty from 1485 11 The flags of British Overseas Territories as well as certain sovereign states and regions that were previously British possessions incorporate the Union Flag into their own flag designs or have official flags that are derived from the Union Jack Many of these flags are blue or red ensigns with the Union Flag in the canton and defaced with the distinguishing arms of the territory The governors of British Overseas Territories and the Australian states as well as the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia also have personal standards that incorporate the Union Flag in their design Contents 1 Terminology 2 Design 2 1 Specification 2 1 1 Ratios 2 2 Colours 2 3 Flying 3 History 3 1 1606 1801 3 1 1 Scottish Union Flag 3 2 After 1801 3 2 1 Flag speculation after Irish Free State establishment 3 2 2 21st century 4 Status in the United Kingdom 4 1 Flag days 4 2 Usage and disposal 4 2 1 Position of Honour 4 2 2 British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies 5 Status outside the United Kingdom 5 1 Australia 5 2 Canada 5 2 1 History 5 2 2 Protocol 5 3 New Zealand 5 4 South Africa 5 5 Use outside the Commonwealth 5 5 1 Hong Kong 5 5 2 Italy 6 Use in other flags 6 1 National and regional flags 6 2 Ensigns 6 3 Others 7 In popular culture 7 1 Subsumation in corporate branding 8 Gallery 8 1 Union Flag variants 1606 1801 8 2 Union Flag in folk art 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External linksTerminology editThe terms Union Jack and Union Flag are both used historically for describing the national flag of the United Kingdom Whether the term Union Jack applies only when used as a jack flag on a ship is a matter of debate 12 According to the website of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 13 14 Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms Wales had been annexed into the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I of England Because the Queen died unmarried and childless the English crown passed to the next available heir her cousin James VI King of Scotland England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a union of the crowns 8 Each kingdom had its own national flag for ships but in 1606 James VI and I introduced a combined national flag 15 The UK Parliament website states The result was the Union Jack Jack being a shortening of Jacobus the Latin version of James 14 The etymology of jack in the context of flagstaffs reaches back to Middle German The suffix kin was used in Middle Dutch and Middle German as a diminutive 16 Examples occur in both Chaucer and Langland though the form is unknown in Old English 16 John is a common male forename going back to the Bible appearing in Dutch as Jan Both languages use it as a generic form for a man in general 17 The two were combined in the Middle Dutch Janke whence Middle French Jakke and Middle English Jack 18 Jack came to be used to identify all manner of particularly small objects or small versions of larger ones The OED has definition 21 Something insignificant or smaller than the normal size and gives examples from 1530 to 2014 of this usage 18 Further examples in the compounds section at 2b illustrate this 18 The original maritime flag use of jack was A ship s flag of a smaller size than the ensign used at sea as a signal or as an identifying device 19 The jack was flown in the bows or from the head of the spritsail mast to indicate the vessel s nationality You are alsoe for this present service to keepe in yor Jack at yor Boultspritt end and yor Pendant and yor Ordinance 20 The Union Flag when instantiated as a small jack became known as the Union Jack and this later term transferred to more general usage of the Union Flag 21 nbsp A portrait of a ship with the Union Jack placed on a jackstaff at the ship s bow 1637Also later a short flagpole was placed in the bows of a ship to fly the jack this became known as the jackstaff 22 According to the Flag Institute a membership run vexillological charity 23 the national flag of the United Kingdom the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories is the Union Flag which may also be called the Union Jack 24 The institute has also stated it is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship but this is a relatively recent idea From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack whatever its use and in 1902 an Admiralty circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially In 1908 a government minister stated in response to a parliamentary question that the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag 12 25 Notwithstanding Their Lordships circular of 1902 by 1913 the Admiralty described the Union Flag and added in a footnote that A Jack is a Flag to be flown only on the Jack Staff 26 However the authoritative A Complete Guide to Heraldry published in 1909 by Arthur Charles Fox Davies uses the term Union Jack 27 The term Union Flag is used in King Charles I s 1634 proclamation none of Our Subjects of any of Our Nations and Kingdoms shall from henceforth presume to carry the Union Flag in the Main top or other part of any of their Ships that is St Georges cross and St Andrew s Cross joined together upon pain of Our high displeasure but that the same Union Flag be still reserved as an ornament proper for Our own Ships and Ships in our immediate Service and Pay and none other 28 Proclamation appointing the Flag as well for Our Navy Royal as for the Ships of Our Subjects of South and North Britain 5 May 1634and in King George III s proclamation of 1 January 1801 concerning the arms and flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland And that the Union Flag shall be Azure the Crosses Saltires of St Andrew and St Patrick Quarterly per Saltire counterchanged Argent and Gules the latter fimbriated of the Second surmounted by the Cross of St George of the Third fimbriated as the Saltire 29 A Proclamation Declaring His Majesty s Pleasure concerning the Royal Style and Titles appertaining to the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and its Dependencies and also the Ensigns Armorial Flags and Banners thereof When the first flag representing Britain was introduced on the proclamation of King James I in 1606 30 it became known simply as the British flag or the flag of Britain The royal proclamation gave no distinctive name to the new flag At the funeral of King James in 1625 the flag was called the Banner of the Union of the two Crosses of England and Scotland 31 The word jack was in use before 1600 to describe the maritime bow flag 12 By 1627 a small Union Jack was commonly flown in this position One theory goes that for some years it would have been called just the Jack or Jack flag or the King s Jack but by 1674 while formally referred to as His Majesty s Jack it was commonly called the Union Jack and this was officially acknowledged 10 8 nbsp A portrait of King George III in 1800 A proclamation by George III in 1801 refers to the design as the Union Flag A proclamation issued by King George III at the time of the Union of 1801 concerned flags at sea and repeatedly referred to Ensigns Flags Jacks and Pendants and forbade merchant vessels from wearing Our Jack commonly called the Union Jack nor any pendants or colours used by the King s ships 32 Reinforcing the distinction the King s proclamation of the same day concerning the arms and flag of the United Kingdom not colours at sea called the new flag the Union Flag 33 The size and power of the Royal Navy internationally at the time could also explain why the flag was named the Union Jack considering the navy was so widely utilised and renowned by the United Kingdom and colonies it is possible that the term jack occurred because of its regular use on all British ships using the jackstaff a flag pole attached to the bow of a ship The name may alternatively come from the jack et of the English or Scottish soldiers or from the name of James I who originated the first union in 1603 Even if the term Union Jack does derive from the jack flag after three centuries it is now sanctioned by use and has appeared in official use confirmed as the national flag by Parliament and remains the popular term 34 Winston Churchill British Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 referred to the flag of the United Kingdom as the Union Jack In March 1899 Churchill wrote to his mother from India about her plans to produce a new trans Atlantic magazine to be called The Anglo Saxon Review The drawing at the end of this letter was deliberately facetious teasing her for going down market and in the accompanying letter he wrote Your title The Anglo Saxon with its motto Blood is thicker than water only needs the Union Jack amp the Star Spangled Banner crossed on the cover to be suited to one of Harmsworth s cheap Imperialist productions 35 nbsp Winston Churchill with other delegates of the First Quebec Conference 1943 A Union Jack is pictured in the background More recently Reed s Nautical Almanac 1990 edition unambiguously stated The Union Flag frequently but incorrectly referred to as the Union Jack and later 8 The Jack A small flag worn on a jackstaff on the stem of Naval Vessels The Royal Navy wears the Union Flag This is the only occasion when it correct to describe the flag as the Union Jack 36 However this assertion does not appear in any Reed s Nautical Almanac since 1993 In the 2016 Reed s Nautical Almanac the only entry where this might appear section 5 21 covering Flag Etiquette does not include this statement Within the Almanac neither the Union Flag nor the Union Jack are included pictorially or mentioned by name For comparison with another anglophone country with a large navy the Jack of the United States specifically refers to the flag flown from the jackstaff of a warship auxiliary or other U S governmental entity 37 The Butcher s Apron is a pejorative term for the flag common among Irish republicans citing the blood streaked appearance of the flag and referring to atrocities committed in Ireland and other countries under British colonial rule 38 39 In 2006 Sandra White a Member of the Scottish Parliament caused a furore when the term was used in a press release under her name It was later blamed on the actions of a researcher who resigned yet claimed that the comment had been approved by White 40 The Irish folk band the Wolfe Tones has a song entitled The Butcher s Apron which makes reference to the term 41 In the Chinese language the flag has the nickname Rice Character Flag 米字旗 Mandarin Pinyin mǐziqi Cantonese Jyutping mai5zi6kei4 since the pattern looks like the Chinese character for rice 米 42 Design edit nbsp Diagram showing step by step construction of the Union Jack Flag as described in the blazon as decreed by George III of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801The current flag s design has been in use since 1801 Its original blazon as decreed by George III of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801 reads the Union flag shall be azure the crosses saltires of St Andrew and St Patrick quartered per saltire counter changed argent and gules the latter fimbriated of the second viz argent surmounted by the cross of St George of the third viz gules fimbriated as the saltire viz argent 43 Specification edit The Union Jack is normally twice as long as it is tall a ratio of 1 2 In the United Kingdom land flags are normally a ratio of 3 5 the Union Jack can also be made in this shape but is 1 2 for most purposes In 2008 MP Andrew Rosindell proposed a Ten Minute Rule bill to standardise the design of the flag at 3 5 but the bill did not proceed past the first reading 44 The three component crosses that make up the Union Flag are sized as follows 45 The red St George s Cross width is 1 5 of the flag s height with a 1 15 flag height fimbriation The white diagonal St Andrew s Cross width is 1 5 of the flag s height visible on either side of the St Patrick s Cross in diagonals of 1 10 and 1 30 of the flag s height respectively The red diagonal St Patrick s Cross width is 1 15 of the flag s height It is offset by 1 30 of the flag s height in an anti clockwise direction clarification needed According to the official blazon of 1801 the white diagonal St Andrew s Cross is in fact counterchanged with the red diagonal of St Patrick s Cross In this interpretation the width of both saltires is 1 15 of the flag s height with fimbriations of 1 30 of the flag s height on either side of the red saltire The crosses and fimbriations retain their thickness relative to the flag s height whether they are shown with a ratio of 3 5 or 1 2 Height here is the distance from top to bottom which in vexillology is termed width or breadth Ratios edit nbsp Union Flag with an aspect ratio of 3 5 nbsp Aspect diagram of a 3 5 Union Flag The Admiralty in 1864 settled all official flags at proportions of 1 2 but the relative widths of the crosses remained unspecified with the above conventions becoming standardised in the 20th century 46 In the 19th century the Union flag was defined by the same blazon but could vary in its geometrical proportions 47 Although the most common ratio is 1 2 other ratios exist The Royal Navy s flag code book BR20 Flags of All Nations states that both 1 2 and 3 5 versions are official 48 The 3 5 version In this version the innermost points of the lower left and upper right diagonals of the St Patrick s cross are cut off or truncated The Garter King of Arms also suggests a ratio of 3 5 as the suitable proportion for a Union Flag flown on land 49 The Queen s Harbour Master s flag like the Pilot Jack is a 1 2 flag that contains a white bordered Union Flag that is longer than 1 2 The jacks of ships flying variants of the Blue Ensign are square and have a square Union Flag in the canton 48 The Queen s Colours of Army regiments are 36 by 43 inches 910 mm 1 090 mm on them the bars of the cross and saltire are of equal width so are their respective fimbriations which are very narrow 50 In South Africa the Union Jacks flown alongside the National Flag between 1928 and 1957 were 2 3 flags citation needed Colours edit Although the official design of the flag at the College of Arms does not specify colours beyond azure argent and gules blue white and red respectively according to Graham Bartram chief vexillologist of Flag Institute the colours blue red and white are 34 51 52 Scheme Blue 53 Red 54 WhitePantone paper 280 C 186 C SafeHEX 012169 C8102E FFFFFFMoD 8711D 8711 8711JNSN 8305 99 130 4580 8305 99 130 4584 8305 99 130 4585CMYK 100 85 5 22 2 100 85 6 0 0 0 0RGB 1 33 105 200 16 46 255 255 255All HEX CMYK and RGB specifications for the Pantone colours are taken from the official Pantone website on the webpages of the corresponding colours Although these colour specifications are official not all of the colours are completely congruent This is due to different specifications for different types of media for example screen and print Flying edit nbsp Hoist on the left nbsp Hoist on the rightThe correct way to fly the flag If no staff is used and the flag is only seen from one direction the view shown at left is used nbsp Staff from the left nbsp Staff from the rightCorrect vertical displays of the Union Flag The left view is also the vertical display used if there is no staff or a bi supported staff is used and flag is only seen from one direction The flag does not have reflection symmetry due to the slight pinwheeling of the St Patrick s and St Andrew s crosses technically the counterchange of saltires Thus there is a correct side up The flag does have two fold rotational symmetry though The original specification of the Union Flag in the royal proclamation of 1 January 1801 did not contain a drawn pattern or express which way the saltires should lie they were simply counterchanged and the red saltire fimbriated Nevertheless a convention was soon established which accords most closely with the description The flag was deliberately designed with the Irish saltire slightly depressed at the hoist end to reflect the earlier union with Scotland giving as it were seniority to the Saint Andrew s cross When statically displayed the hoist is on the observer s left To fly the flag correctly the white of St Andrew is above the red of St Patrick in the upper hoist canton the quarter at the top nearest to the flag pole This is expressed by the phrases wide white top and broadside up An upside down flag must be turned over to be flown correctly rotating it 180 degrees will still result in an upside down flag The first drawn pattern for the flag was in a parallel proclamation on 1 January 1801 concerning civil naval ensigns which drawing shows the red ensign also to be used as a red jack by privateers As it appears in the London Gazette the broad stripe is where expected for three of the four quarters but the upper left quarter shows the broad stripe below 32 nbsp Wrong way hoist on the left nbsp Wrong way hoist on the rightThe Union Flag viewed upside down The Union Flag is sometimes mistakenly flown upside down It is often stated that a flag upside down is a form of distress signal or even a deliberate insult In the case of the Union Flag the difference is subtle and is easily missed by the uninformed It is often displayed upside down inadvertently even on commercially made hand waving flags 55 On 3 February 2009 the BBC reported that the flag had been inadvertently flown upside down by the UK government at the signing of a trade agreement with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao The error had been spotted by readers of the BBC News website who had contacted the BBC after seeing a photograph of the event 56 History editIn 1603 James VI of Scotland inherited the Kingdom of England and the newly created client state the Kingdom of Ireland as James I thereby uniting the crowns in a personal union With Wales annexed into the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 James now ruled over all of the island of Great Britain which he frequently described as a unified kingdom though the parliaments of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland did not actually unify until the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1707 34 In the wake of the 1603 personal union several designs for a new flag were drawn up juxtaposing the Saint George s Cross and the St Andrew s Saltire but none were acceptable to James 57 Early c 1604 design proposals manuscript in the National Library of Scotland 57 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Other design proposals c early 17th century nbsp One early proposal for the Union Jack consisting of a white St Andrew s saltire with blue fimbriation superimposed over a red St George s cross on a field of white nbsp A reconstruction of the Union Jack displayed on the ceiling boss from Linlithgow Palace nbsp The Linlithgow Palace carving with a proposed flag of the new Union of the Crowns c 1617Various other designs for a common flag were drawn up following the union of the two Crowns in 1603 but were rarely if ever used 58 One version showed St George s cross with St Andrew s cross in the canton and another version placed the two crosses side by side A painted wooden ceiling boss from Linlithgow Palace dated to about 1617 depicts the Scottish royal unicorn holding a flag where a blue Saltire surmounts the red cross of St George 1606 1801 edit Main article Flag of Great Britain nbsp The first Union Flag from 1606On 12 April 1606 a new flag to represent the regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree according to which the flag of England a red cross on a white background known as St George s Cross and the flag of Scotland a white saltire on a blue background known as the saltire or St Andrew s Cross would be joined together 10 forming the flag of Great Britain and first union flag By the King Whereas some differences hath arisen between Our subjects of South and North Britaine travelling by Seas about the bearing of their Flagges For the avoiding of all contentions hereafter We have with the advice of our Council ordered That from henceforth all our Subjects of this Isle and Kingdome of Great Britaine and all our members thereof shall beare in their main toppe the Red Crosse commonly called St George s Crosse and the White Crosse commonly called St Andrew s Crosse joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects and in their fore toppe our Subjects of South Britaine shall weare the Red Crosse onely as they were wont and our Subjects of North Britaine in their fore toppe the White Crosse onely as they were accustomed 59 nbsp Painting of HMS Royal Charles a Royal Navy ship of the line c 1660 The Union Jack is displayed prominently on the jackstaff at the bow and on the ship s mizzenmast This royal flag was at first to be used only at sea on civil and military ships of both England and Scotland whereas land forces continued to use their respective national banners 60 Flying the national flag at the mainmast had signified the Admiral of the Narrow Seas the English Channel and confusion arose In 1634 King Charles I restricted its use to Royal Navy ships 15 28 After the Acts of Union 1707 the flag gained a regularised status as the ensign armorial of the Kingdom of Great Britain the newly created state It was then adopted by land forces as well although the blue field used on land based versions more closely resembled that of the blue of the flag of Scotland Various shades of blue have been used in the saltire over the years The ground of the current Union Flag is a deep navy blue Pantone 280 which can be traced to the colour used for the Blue Ensign of the Royal Navy s historic Blue Squadron Dark shades of colour were used on maritime flags on the basis of durability In 2003 a committee of the Scottish Parliament recommended that the flag of Scotland use a lighter royal blue Pantone 300 the Office of the Lord Lyon does not detail specific shades of colour for use in heraldry A thin white stripe or fimbriation separates the red cross from the blue field in accordance with heraldry s rule of tincture where colours like red and blue must be separated from each other by metals like white i e argent or silver The blazon for the old union flag to be compared with the current flag is azure the cross saltire of St Andrew argent surmounted by the Cross of St George gules fimbriated of the second nbsp The Protectorate Jack flag used by The Protectorate from 1658 to 1660The Kingdom of Ireland which had existed as a personal union with England since 1541 was unrepresented in the original versions of the Union Jack 60 However the flag of the Protectorate from 1658 to 1660 was inescutcheoned with the arms of Ireland These were removed at the Restoration because Charles II disliked them 61 The original flag appears in the canton of the Commissioners Ensign of the Northern Lighthouse Board This is the only contemporary official representation of the pre 1801 Union Jack in the United Kingdom 62 and can be seen flying from their George Street headquarters in Edinburgh This version of the Union Jack is also shown in the canton of the Grand Union Flag also known as the Congress Flag the First Navy Ensign the Cambridge Flag and the Continental Colours the first widely used flag of the United States slowly phased out after 1777 nbsp The Union Jack flown on HMS Queen Charlotte the Royal Navy flagship during the Glorious First of June in 1794 As is common for the period the flag is an approximation of the Union Jack s proper specification Lord Howe s action or the Glorious First of June painted in 1795 shows a Union flying from HMS Queen Charlotte on the Glorious First of June 1794 The actual flag preserved in the National Maritime Museum is a cruder approximation of the proper specifications this was common in 18th and early 19th century flags 63 64 The flag is also flown beside Customs House in Loftus Street Sydney to mark the approximate location at which Captain Phillip first raised the Union Jack and claimed New South Wales in 1788 On the plaque it is referred to as the Jack of Queen Anne The British Army s flag is the Union Jack but in 1938 a British Army Non Ceremonial Flag was devised featuring a lion on crossed blades with the St Edward s Crown on a red background This is not the equivalent of the ensigns of the other armed services but is used at recruiting and military or sporting events when the army needs to be identified but the reverence and ceremony due to the regimental flags and the Union Jack would be inappropriate Scottish Union Flag edit nbsp Slezer s Edinburgh Castle c 1693 depicting the Scottish Union flag 65 In objecting to the design of the Union Flag adopted in 1606 whereby the cross of Saint George surmounted that of Saint Andrew a group of Scots took up the matter with John Erskine 19th Earl of Mar and were encouraged by him to send a letter of complaint to James VI via the Privy Council of Scotland which stated that the flag s design will breid some heit and miscontentment betwix your Majesties subjectis and it is to be feirit that some inconvenientis sail fall oute betwix thame for our seyfaring men cannot be inducit to resave that flage as it is set down 66 Although documents accompanying this complaint which contained drafts for alternative designs have been lost evidence exists at least on paper of an unofficial Scottish variant whereby the Scottish cross was uppermost There is reason to think that cloth flags of this design were employed during the 17th century for unofficial use on Scottish vessels at sea 67 68 69 This flag s design is also described in the 1704 edition of The Present State of the Universe by John Beaumont which contains as an appendix The Ensigns Colours or Flags of the Ships at Sea Belonging to The several Princes and States in the World 70 On land evidence confirming the use of this flag appears in the depiction of Edinburgh Castle by John Slezer in his series of engravings entitled Theatrum Scotiae c 1693 Appearing in later editions of Theatrum Scotiae the North East View of Edinburgh Castle engraving depicts the Scotch to use the appropriate adjective of that period version of the Union Flag flying from the Palace block of the Castle 71 On The North Prospect of the City of Edenburgh engraving the flag is indistinct 72 nbsp Scottish Union Flag depicted in the 1704 edition of The Present State of the Universe On 17 April 1707 just two weeks prior to the Acts of Union coming into effect and with Sir Henry St George the younger the Garter King of Arms having presented several designs of flag to Queen Anne and her Privy Council for consideration the flag for the soon to be unified Kingdom of Great Britain was chosen At the suggestion of the Scots representatives the designs for consideration included that version of Union Jack showing the Cross of Saint Andrew uppermost identified as being the Scotts union flagg as said to be used by the Scotts 73 However the Queen and her Council approved Sir Henry s original effort numbered one 73 A manuscript compiled in 1785 by William Fox and in possession of the Flag Research Center includes a full plate showing the scoth sic union flag This could imply that there was still some use of a Scottish variant before the addition of the cross of St Patrick to the Union Flag in 1801 69 After 1801 edit nbsp A Union Jack flown aboard HMS Spartiate during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 which took place several years after the second Union Jack was adopted The current and second Union Jack dates from 1 January 1801 with the Act of Union 1800 which merged the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The new design added a red saltire the cross of Saint Patrick for Ireland This is counterchanged with the saltire of St Andrew such that the red always follows the white clockwise The arrangement has introduced a requirement to display the flag the right way up see specifications for flag use above As with the red cross so too the red saltire is separated by a white fimbriation from the blue field 34 This fimbriation is repeated for symmetry on the white portion of the saltire which thereby appears wider than the red portion The fimbriation of the cross of St George separates its red from the red of the saltire Apart from the Union Jack Saint Patrick s cross has seldom been used to represent Ireland and with little popular recognition or enthusiasm it is usually considered to derive from the arms of the powerful FitzGerald family rather than any association with the saint 74 Flag speculation after Irish Free State establishment edit When the Anglo Irish Treaty was concluded on 6 December 1921 and the creation of the new Irish Free State was an imminent prospect the question arose as to whether the cross of Saint Patrick should remain in the Union Jack The New York Times reported that on 22 January 1922 nbsp The cross of Saint Patrick was incorporated into the Union Jack in 1801 to represent Ireland However the imminent creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 saw some people question the continued placement of the cross on the Union Jack At the College of Arms it was stated that certain modifications were under consideration and that if any action were taken it would be done by the King in Council No parliamentary action would be necessary Heraldry experts say that alterations in arms are very expensive Some years ago there was a demand from Irish quarters that the blue ground of the golden harp on the royal standard should be changed to green It was then estimated that the alteration would cost at least 2 000 000 To remove all reference to Ireland from the present Union Jack and Royal Arms would be vastly more expensive 75 There was some speculation on the matter in British dominions also with one New Zealand paper reporting that the removal of the cross of St Patrick Cross after 120 years will transform the appearance of the flag It will certainly become a flag under which great victories were won in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries but to most minds the sentimental loss will be great Probably it will be found that the deletion is not absolutely necessary Other possible changes include the abolition of the title of the United Kingdom and the removal of the harp from the Royal Standard and the Coat of Arms and the substitution of the Ulster emblem 76 However the fact that it was likely that Northern Ireland would remain in the United Kingdom gave better grounds for keeping the cross of St Patrick in the Union Jack In this regard Sir James Craig the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland remarked in December 1921 that he and his government were glad to think that our decision to remain part of United Kingdom will obviate the necessity of mutilating the Union Jack 77 Though remaining within the United Kingdom the new government of Northern Ireland dispensed with the St Patrick s Saltire in favour of a new flag derived from the coat of arms of the Burkes Earls of Ulster and quite similar to England s St George s Cross nbsp A soldier in a military hospital in Harrow London with a Union Jack displayed in the right background 1922Ultimately when the British home secretary was asked on 7 December 1922 the day after the Irish Free State was established whether the Garter King of Arms was to issue any Regulations with reference to the national flag consequent to the passing of the Irish Free State Constitution Act the response was no and the flag has never been changed 78 A Dail question in 1961 mooted raising the removal of the cross of St Patrick with the British government Frank Aiken the Irish Minister for External Affairs declined to waste time on heraldic disputations 79 21st century edit In 2003 a private individual started a campaign dubbed reflag or Union Black to introduce black stripes in the Union Jack in order to represent the increasing diversity in the United Kingdom The proposal was universally met with opposition and was denounced by MSP Phil Gallie as ridiculous tokenism that would do nothing to stamp out racism 80 nbsp One suggested redesign of the Union Jack with the red dragon from the flag of Wales added in the centreThe lack of any Welsh symbol or colours in the flag is a result of Wales having been considered an integral part of the Kingdom of England at the time the flag of Great Britain was created in 1606 Since there is no Welsh element in the Union Jack Wrexham s Labour MP Ian Lucas proposed on 26 November 2007 in a House of Commons debate that the Union Flag be combined with the Welsh flag to reflect Wales s status within the UK and that the red dragon be added to the Union Flag s red white and blue pattern 81 He said the Union Jack currently only represented the other three UK nations and Minister for Culture Creative Industries and Tourism Margaret Hodge conceded that Lucas had raised a valid point for debate She said the Government is keen to make the Union Flag a positive symbol of Britishness reflecting the diversity of our country today and encouraging people to take pride in our flag This development sparked design contests with entries from all over the world 82 In the run up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum various non official suggestions were made for how the flag could be redesigned without the St Andrew s Cross if Scotland left the Union However as Scotland voted against independence the issue did not arise 83 84 Status in the United Kingdom editFurther information Flag of the United Kingdom nbsp A Union Jack flying from a jackstaff onboard a Royal Navy warship 2011The Union Jack is used as a jack by commissioned warships and submarines of the Royal Navy and by commissioned army and Royal Air Force vessels When at anchor or alongside it is flown from the jackstaff at the bow of the ship When a ship is underway the Union Jack is only flown from the jackstaff when the ship is dressed for a special occasion such as the King s official birthday The Union Flag is worn at the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of the sovereign or an Admiral of the Fleet 85 unreliable source The Union Flag may also be flown from the yardarm to indicate that a court martial is in progress though these are now normally held at shore establishments No law has been passed making the Union Jack the national flag of the United Kingdom it has become one through precedent Its first recorded recognition as a national flag came in 1908 when it was stated in Parliament that the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag 86 A more categorical statement was made by Home Secretary Sir John Gilmour in 1933 when he stated that the Union Flag is the national flag and may properly be flown by any British subject on land 87 nbsp Union Jacks on two flagpoles hanging off of a building in Surrey 2012Civilian use is permitted on land but use of the unmodified flag at sea is restricted to military vessels Unauthorised use of the flag in the 17th century to avoid paying harbour duties a privilege restricted to naval ships caused James s successor Charles I to order that use of the flag on naval vessels be restricted to His Majesty s ships upon pain of Our high displeasure 28 It remains a criminal offence under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 88 to display the Union Flag other than the pilot jack see below from a British ship Naval ships will fly the white ensign merchant and private boats can fly the red ensign others with special permission such as naval yacht clubs can fly the blue ensign All of the coloured ensigns contain the union flag as part of the design The Court of the Lord Lyon which has legal jurisdiction in heraldic matters in Scotland confirms that the Union Jack is the correct flag for all citizens and corporate bodies of the United Kingdom to fly to demonstrate their loyalty and their nationality 89 On 5 February 2008 Conservative Member of Parliament MP Andrew Rosindell introduced the Union Flag Bill as a private member s bill under the 10 Minute Rule in the House of Commons The Bill sought to formalise the position of the Union Flag as the national flag of the UK in law to remove legal obstacles to its regular display The Bill did not receive its second reading by the end of that parliamentary session 90 The Bill stated Union flag commonly known as the Union Jack in subsection 1 1 but otherwise uses the term Union Flag 91 Flag days edit nbsp Vertical displays of the Union Flag during a parade for Elizabeth II s official birthdayIn July 2007 then Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled plans to have the Union Flag flown more often from government buildings 92 While consultation on new guidelines was under way the decision to fly the flag could be made by each government department needs update In March 2021 the UK government published new guidance for the Union Flag to be flown all year round on UK government buildings unless another flag is being flown such as another national flag of the UK or a county flag or other flags to mark civic pride 93 Previously the flag was generally only flown on public buildings on days marking the birthdays of members of the royal family the wedding anniversary of the monarch Commonwealth Day Accession Day Coronation Day the monarch s official birthday Remembrance Sunday and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation of Parliament Non government organisations were and are permitted to fly the Union Flag whenever they choose The last specified set of flag days where the Union Flag should be flown from government buildings throughout the UK were 94 9 January Birthday of The Princess of Wales 20 January Birthday of The Duchess of Edinburgh 19 February Birthday of The Duke of York Second Monday in March Commonwealth Day 10 March Birthday of The Duke of Edinburgh 9 April The King and Queen s Wedding Anniversary 6 May Anniversary of the coronation of the King Second Saturday in June The King s Official Birthday 21 June Birthday of The Prince of Wales 17 July Birthday of The Queen 4 August Birthday of The Duchess of Sussex 15 August Birthday of The Princess Royal 8 September Anniversary of the accession of The King 15 September Birthday of The Duke of Sussex Second Sunday in November Remembrance Sunday 14 November The King s Actual Birthday In addition the Union Flag was to be flown on the following days in specified areas 94 1 March Wales only for St David s Day 17 March Northern Ireland only for St Patrick s Day 23 April England only for St George s Day The Day of the Opening of a Session of the Houses of Parliament Greater London only The day of the prorogation of a Session of the Houses of Parliament Greater London only nbsp A Union Jack at half mast after the death of Elizabeth II in September 2022The Union Flag is flown at half mast from the announcement of the death of the sovereign save for Proclamation Day or upon command of the sovereign 95 On 30 November St Andrew s Day the Union Flag can be flown in Scotland only where a building has more than one flagpole on this day the Saltire will not be lowered to make way for the Union Flag if there is only one flagpole 96 This difference arose after Members of the Scottish Parliament complained that Scotland was the only country in the world that could not fly its national flag on its national day However on 23 April St George s Day it is the Union Flag of the United Kingdom that is flown over UK government offices in England 97 Usage and disposal edit The Union Flag has no official status in the United Kingdom and there are no national regulations concerning its use or prohibitions against flag desecration In Northern Ireland the Flags Regulations Northern Ireland 2000 provide for the flying of the flag on government buildings on certain occasions when it is flown half mast and how it is displayed with other flags 98 nbsp A folded Union Flag with a tam o shanter on top of itThe Flags and Heraldry Committee an all party parliamentary group lobbying for official standards cooperated with the Flag Institute in 2010 to publish a set of recommended guidelines for the flag s display and use as a symbol 99 There is no specific way in which the Union Flag should be folded as there is with the United States Flag It is usually folded rectilinearly with the hoist on the outside to be easily reattached to the pole 99 100 Royal Navy Stores Duties Instructions article 447 dated 26 February 1914 specified that flags condemned from further service use were to be torn up into small pieces and disposed of as rags ADM 1 8369 56 not to be used for decoration or sold The exception was flags that had flown in action these could be framed and kept on board or transferred to a suitable place such as a museum ADM 1 8567 245 34 Position of Honour edit nbsp The Union Jack with the flags of the European Union and Gibraltar on its sides The Union Flag is placed in a raised central position According to the UK Flag Protocol the order of precedence of flags in the United Kingdom is the Royal Standards the Union Flag the flag of the host country England Scotland and Wales etc the flags of other nations in English alphabetical order the Commonwealth Flag the county flags the flags of cities or towns the banners of arms and the house flags 101 British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies edit nbsp The Union Jack and the flag of Bermuda flown from Fort St Catherine in Bermuda 2016The Union Jack is the national flag of the British Overseas Territories which are parts of the British realm with varying degrees of local autonomy Most populated administrative regions and territories of the United Kingdom have been granted a unique flag for the locality usually the Blue ensign or Red ensign defaced with the distinguishing arms of the territory All fly the Union Jack in some form with the exception of Gibraltar other than the government ensign The Crown Dependencies unlike the British Overseas Territories are legally not part of the United Kingdom and the Union Jack is not an official flag there Outside the UK the Union Jack is usually part of a special ensign in which it is placed in the upper left hand corner of a blue field with a signifying crest in the bottom right When the Union Jack and the territorial flag are flown together the national flag is always arranged to take precedence over the territorial flag 102 Status outside the United Kingdom editAustralia edit nbsp The Australian ensign and Union Jack hung vertically from Australia s Parliament House 1931The Union Flag was used as a flag of Australia until 1953 although the Australian blue ensign saw use as a governmental flag of Australia and an informal national flag of the country since the early 20th century 103 From 1911 to 1956 schools in South Australia were required to fly the Union Jack for the national salute 104 In 1953 the Australian blue ensign was named the national flag of Australia through the Flags Act 1953 104 Although the Australian blue ensign replaced the Union Jack as the flag of Australia Australian prime minister Robert Menzies told Australians that the Union Flag would be flown together with the Australian national flag on notable occasions 104 Section 8 of that Flag Act also specified that the formalization of the Australian blue ensign as the national flag did not affect the right or privilege of a person to fly the Union Jack 105 The Union Jack continued to see informal use as a flag of Australia for a period thereafter although by the 1980s the majority of Australians viewed the Australian blue ensign as the national flag as opposed to the Union Jack 106 Canada edit Further information List of Canadian flags The Union Jack was the official national flag of Canada until 1965 when it was replaced in that role by the Maple Leaf flag 107 108 Since 1965 the Union Jack in Canada is used as an authorised symbol to represent Canada s membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and its allegiance to the Crown 109 nbsp The Union Flag and the U S flag at the Canada U S border 1899 The Union Flag was the formal flag of Canada until 1965 History edit The Union Jack has been used in a variety of colonies in British North America since its official adoption in 1707 In 1867 the British North American colonies of New Brunswick Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada were united to form the Canadian Confederation with the Union Jack being retained as the official flag of the new confederation 107 In addition to the Union Jack during the late 19th century a red ensign defaced with the arms of Canada was also used as an informal flag of Canada The defaced red ensign later known as the Canadian Red Ensign was eventually authorised for official use as the country s civil ensign in 1892 Although the Canadian Red Ensign was only formally authorised as a civil ensign it was also viewed as a de facto national flag as it was a uniquely Canadian symbol 107 In 1964 Canadian Prime Minister Lester B Pearson introduced plans to replace the Union Flag with a new national flag spurring the Great Canadian flag debate 107 A new national flag the Maple Leaf was approved by the parliament of Canada on 17 December 1964 107 However on the following day the Canadian parliament passed another resolution that designated the Union Flag as the Royal Union Flag and authorised its official use as the symbol of the country s membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and its allegiance to the Crown 109 The move was a concession given to those who preferred to adopt the Canadian Red Ensign as a formal national flag On 15 February 1965 the maple leaf flag formally replaced the Union Flag as the flag of Canada following an official proclamation by Elizabeth II 107 with the Royal Union Flag becoming an official ceremonial flag 109 nbsp The Royal Union Flag next to the flag of Canada during a Remembrance Day parade in Stirling Ontario 2009The Union Flag was also the formal flag for the Dominion of Newfoundland a separate dominion of the British Empire from 1907 to 1949 Newfoundland retained the Union Flag as the province s official flag after it joined the Canadian confederation in 1949 In 1980 the flag of Newfoundland was adopted as the new provincial flag with the design for the new flag of Newfoundland being derived from the Union Flag Protocol edit The parliamentary resolution passed on 18 December 1964 assigned two purposes for the Royal Union Flag a flag representing the United Kingdom and an official ceremonial flag of Canada 108 When used to represent the United Kingdom the flag takes precedence before the flag of a Canadian province or territory However when the flag is used as a ceremonial flag of Canada the flag of a Canadian province or territory takes precedence before the Royal Union Flag 108 nbsp Hartland Covered Bridge in 2008 The Royal Union Flag on top of the bridge is positioned to the right of the flag of Canada and the provincial flag in accordance with protocol The parliamentary resolution requires the Royal Union Flag to be flown alongside the national flag of Canada if there are at least two flag poles available on federal properties on Commonwealth Day Victoria Day the monarch s official birthday in Canada 11 December the anniversary of the enactment of the Statute of Westminster 1931 and when otherwise instructed to do so by the National Defence Headquarters 109 108 The Royal Union Flag may also be formally flown alongside the flag of Canada at federal locations in Canada for ceremonies anniversaries and other events relating to the Canadian Armed Forces or other forces in the Commonwealth 109 108 Items and properties that the parliamentary resolution applies to includes buildings operated by the federal government military installations federally operated airports at the masthead of Royal Canadian Navy ships within Canadian waters and other appropriate establishments The requirement for federal properties to fly the Royal Union Flag applies only when there are two or more flagpoles on the property to ensure that the national flag of Canada is not taken down in place of the Royal Union Flag 109 108 110 New Zealand edit nbsp The 1888 89 New Zealand Native football team pose in front of the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the Union Jack 1889The Union Flag became the flag of New Zealand after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in February 1840 replacing the flag used by the United Tribes of New Zealand 111 The issue of flying the flag of the United Tribes alongside the Union Jack as a symbol of their equal standing with the colonial government served as a factor that led to the Flagstaff War led by Ngapuhi chief Hōne Heke 111 British maritime flags were used by New Zealand vessels until 1865 111 After the passage of the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865 vessels of the New Zealand government used a defaced blue ensign issued by the colonial government The current national flag of New Zealand was given official standing under the New Zealand Ensign Act in 1902 replacing the Union Flag 111 112 However the Union Flag continued to see tandem use with the national flag of New Zealand into the 1950s 111 South Africa edit The Union Jack was used as the flag of a variety of colonies in South Africa since 1795 The Union Jack was retained as the official flag of the Union of South Africa after its formation in 1910 In addition to the Union Jack from 1910 to 1928 the South African Red Ensign was also treated as an unofficial flag of the union Proposals to adopt a national flag were made during the 1920s In 1927 the Union Nationality and Flag Act was passed by the Parliament of South Africa which named both the Union Jack and the Oranje Blanje Blou flag of South Africa as the flags of the union both co equal in status The Oranje Blanje Blou flag also incorporated the Union Jack in its design alongside the flag of the Orange Free State and the flag of the South African Republic The Union Jack was to be flown alongside the Oranje Blanje Blou at principal government buildings in the capitals at Union ports on government offices abroad and at such other places as the government might determine 113 114 The act went into effect on 31 May 1928 Instructions issued in 1931 confirmed the places where both flags were to be flown In addition to those already mentioned they were the Union Buildings in Pretoria the head offices of the four provincial administrations the supreme courts certain magistrates courts customs houses and three buildings in Durban the general post office the railway station and the local military district headquarters 115 114 Under these arrangements the Union Jack was subordinate to the Oranje Blanje Blou As the two flags had to be the same size it meant that the Union Jack was made in the ratio 2 3 rather than the usual 1 2 115 114 This dual arrangement continued until 1957 when the Flags Amendment Act was passed naming the Oranje Blanje Blou as the sole flag of South Africa 116 The Oranje Blanje Blou was replaced by the flag of South Africa in 1994 as the country s national flag Use outside the Commonwealth edit Several individuals residing in countries not a part of the Commonwealth of Nations have adopted the Union Flag as a flag of protest Hong Kong edit The Union Flag was formerly used in Hong Kong when it was a British Dependent Territory Official use of the Union Flag and the British colonial Hong Kong flag ceased following the handover of Hong Kong to China in July 1997 In the 2010s the Union Flag along with the colonial flag of Hong Kong began to see use by supporters of the pro democracy camp during the 2014 Hong Kong protests and the 2019 20 Hong Kong protests 117 118 The flag has been displayed at other pro democracy events in Hong Kong including the new year marches and the 1 July marches Members of the Hong Kong Autonomy Movement the Hong Kong independence movement and Hong Kong localists have been seen wielding the Union Flag or the colonial flag of Hong Kong 119 nbsp The Union Jack alongside the colonial Hong Kong flag during the 2014 new year march in Hong KongHowever the meaning behind the use of the flags by pro democracy protestors including the Union Flag remains disputed with protestors citing a variety of reasons for flying it 120 Some pro democracy protestors that flew foreign flags including the Union Flag did so in an effort to attract international media attention to the protests while others did so in an effort to irritate the central government of China 120 121 The Union Flag in addition to other foreign flags were also used by some protestors to illustrate their desire for Hong Kong to be an international city whereas others used the flag simply as a generic symbol of freedom 120 122 123 Some specifically flew the Union Flag and the colonial flag of Hong Kong nostalgic of the values of the previous colonial government namely personal freedoms rule of law and clean governance 117 119 Other pro democracy protestors choose to use the Union Flag and the colonial flag of Hong Kong in an effort to call upon the British government to declare that China had failed to uphold the Sino British Joint Declaration 120 Several Hongkongers that hold British National Overseas passports who used the flag during the protests were doing so as a call to the British government to grant British National Overseas the right to abode in the United Kingdom 120 Although a small number of Hongkongers seek direct British intervention into the matter the majority of those that used the Union Flag or the colonial flag of Hong Kong during the protests do not hold such beliefs 119 The use of foreign flags at the protests including the Union Flag has been cited multiple times by the central government of China as evidence for their claim that foreign interference is steering the protests in Hong Kong against the central government 120 Conversely several protestors in the pro democracy camp have also been criticized the use of foreign flags who view their use as reinforcing the claims made by the central government of China 120 Italy edit After the British referendum on membership of the European Union resulted in a vote to leave the Union Flag had become a symbol of euroscepticism in Italy In August 2016 many local businesses along the Italian riviera hoisted the flags as a protest against the implementation of the Services in the Internal Market Directive 2006 124 Use in other flags editFurther information Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories and List of countries and territories with the Union Jack displayed on their flag National and regional flags edit nbsp Map of the British Empire from 1910 with the ensigns and emblems of several British dominions and colonies displayedAs the national flag of the entire British Realm the Union Flag was found in the canton upper flagpole side quarter of the flags of many colonies of Britain while the field background of their flags was the colour of the naval ensign flown by the particular Royal Navy squadron that patrolled that region of the world Nations and colonies that have used the Union Flag at some stage have included Aden Basutoland now Lesotho Barbados Bechuanaland now Botswana Borneo Burma Canada Ceylon now Sri Lanka Cyprus Dominica British East Africa Kenya Colony Gambia Gold Coast Ghana Grenada Guiana Hong Kong Jamaica Labuan Malaysia Lagos Malta Mauritius Nigeria Palestine Penang Malaysia Rhodesia now Zimbabwe Sierra Leone Singapore Somaliland South Africa Anglo Egyptian Sudan Pre partitioned India present day India Pakistan Bangladesh and Myanmar Tanganyika Trinidad and Tobago Uganda the United States and Weihaiwei As former British Empire nations were granted independence these and other versions of the Union Flag were decommissioned The most recent decommissioning of the Union Flag came on 1 July 1997 when the former Dependent Territory of Hong Kong was handed over to the People s Republic of China nbsp Flag of Australia nbsp Flag of Fiji nbsp Flag of New Zealand nbsp Flag of TuvaluNational flags of sovereign states whose design incorporates a Union Jack in their canton Four former British colonies in Oceania which are now independent countries incorporate the Union Jack as part of their national flags Australia New Zealand and Tuvalu which have retained the monarchy and Fiji which abolished the monarchy in 1987 In former British colonies the Union Jack was used interchangeably with informal flags of the territory for significant parts of their colonial early history The Union Flag was used as the flag of Canada until it was re adopted as a ceremonial flag and the Maple Leaf flag made the official national flag in 1965 In addition to being an official ceremonial flag the Union Flag also defaces the flags of a number of Canadian provinces including British Columbia Manitoba and Ontario Newfoundland and Labrador uses a flag that was derived from the Union Flag with the Union Jack serving as the flag of Newfoundland until 1980 The Union Flag and flags defaced with the Union Flag in its canton like the Canadian Red Ensign continue to see use in Canada in a private capacity The pre 1801 Union Flag also sees limited use by private organizations most notably the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada 125 Along with the national flag many other Australian flags retain the use of the Union Jack including the Royal Australian Navy Ensign also known as the Australian White Ensign the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign the Australian Red Ensign for use by merchant and private vessels and the Australian Civil Aviation Ensign The flags of all six Australian States retain the Union Jack in the canton as do some regional flags such as the Upper and Lower Murray River Flags The Vice Regal flags of the State Governors also use the Union Jack While the Flags Act 1953 states that Australians still have the right or privilege to fly the Union Jack after the introduction of the Australian National Flag usage of the Union Jack by itself is unusual The Basque Country s flag the Ikurrina is also loosely based on the Union Jack reflecting the significant commercial ties between Bilbao and Britain at the time the Ikurrina was designed in 1894 The Miskito people sometimes use a similar flag that also incorporates the Union Jack in its canton due to long periods of contact in the Mosquito Coast nbsp Flag of the United States from 1775 to 1777 nbsp Flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii used from 1816 to 1845 nbsp Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom used from 1826 to 1828 nbsp Flag of South Africa used from 1928 to 1994Former national flags that incorporated the Union Jack in their design The Union Jack was used by the United States in its first flag the Grand Union Flag This flag was of a similar design to the one used by the British East India Company Hawaii a state of the United States but located in the central Pacific incorporates the Union Jack in its state flag According to one story the King of Hawaii asked the British mariner George Vancouver during a stop in Lahaina what the piece of cloth flying from his ship was Vancouver replied that it represented his king s authority The Hawaiian king then adopted and flew the flag as a symbol of his own royal authority not recognising its national derivation citation needed Hawaii s flag represents the only current use of the Union Jack in any American state flag Also in the United States the Union Flag of 1606 is incorporated into the flag of Baton Rouge the capital city of Louisiana Baton Rouge was a British colony from the time of the Seven Years War until the end of the American Revolutionary War when it was captured by Spanish forces Symbols from the colonial powers France and Spain are also incorporated into the Baton Rouge flag Taunton Massachusetts uses a flag with the old style Union Flag by a resolution on 19 October 1974 Likewise Westmoreland County Pennsylvania has been known to fly a flag containing the King s Colours since 1973 126 The Union Jack also appeared on both the 1910 1928 and 1928 1994 flags of South Africa The 1910 1928 flag was a Red Ensign with the Union coat of arms in the fly The 1928 1994 flag based on the Prinsenvlag and commonly known as the oranje blanje blou orange white blue contained the Union Jack as part of a central motif at par with the flags of the two Boer republics of the Orange Free State and Transvaal To keep any one of the three flags from having precedence the Union Jack is spread horizontally from the Orange Free State flag towards the hoist closest to the hoist it is in the superior position but since it is reversed it does not precede the other flags The flag of the Municipal Council of Shanghai International Settlement in 1869 contained multiple flags to symbolize the countries have participated in the creation and management of this enclave in the Chinese city of Shanghai The Union Jack was contained as part of top left hand shield and close to the flags of the United States and France there was also contained the flag of Prussia nearby but it was removed around 1917 The flag of the Chilean city of Coquimbo features the Union Jack owing to its historical commercial links to Britain Selected British colonial and overseas territorial flags that incorporate the Union Jack nbsp The flag of Bermuda a British Overseas Territory nbsp The flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory a British Overseas Territory nbsp The flag of British Virgin Islands a British Overseas Territory nbsp The flag of the Cayman Islands a British Overseas Territory nbsp The flag of the Cook Islands an Overseas territory of New Zealand nbsp The flag of the Falkland Islands a British Overseas Territory nbsp The flag of British Burma 1939 1948 nbsp The flag of British Cyprus 1922 1960 nbsp The flag of British Heligoland 1807 1890 nbsp The flag of India 1885 1947 nbsp The flag of Ceylon 1875 1948 nbsp The flag of the Cook Islands Federation 1893 1901 nbsp The flag of Hong Kong 1959 1997 nbsp The flag of Malta 1943 1964 nbsp The flag of Rhodesia 1964 1968 nbsp The flag of Singapore 1952 1959 nbsp The flag of British Trinidad and Tobago 1958 1962 nbsp The flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands 1815 1864 nbsp The flag of Weihaiwei 1903 1930 Selected regional and community flags that incorporate the Union Jack nbsp The flag of Baton Rouge Louisiana nbsp The flag of British Columbia a Canadian province nbsp The flag of Coquimbo Chile nbsp The flag of Hawaii a U S state nbsp The flag of Manitoba a Canadian province nbsp Combined Murray River Flag Combined nbsp Murray River Flag Lower nbsp Murray River Flag Upper nbsp The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador a Canadian province nbsp The flag of Ontario a Canadian province nbsp The flag of Queensland an Australian state nbsp The flag of Taunton Massachusetts nbsp The Flag of Victoria an Australian state Ensigns edit Further information British ensigns This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2011 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Union Flag can be found in the canton of several of the ensigns flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories These are used in cases where it is illegal to fly the Union Flag such as at sea from a ship other than a British warship Normal practice for British ships is to fly the White ensign Royal Navy the Red ensign Merchant and private boats or the Blue ensign government departments and public corporations Similar ensigns are used by other countries such as New Zealand and Australia with the Union Flag in the canton Other Commonwealth countries such as India and Jamaica may follow similar ensign etiquette as the UK replacing the Union Flag with their own national flag nbsp Royal Navy White Ensign nbsp Merchant Navy Red Ensign nbsp Royal Air Force Ensign nbsp British Civil Air Ensign nbsp Blue Ensign nbsp HM Coastguard Ensign nbsp Ensign of the Northern Lighthouse Board nbsp Blue ensign flown by vessels of the Government of Bermuda s Department of Marine and Ports and Bermuda Police Service Marine Section nbsp Isle of Man Red Ensign nbsp Gibraltar State Ensign nbsp Cayman Islands Red Ensign nbsp Royal Australian Navy Ensign nbsp Royal Australian Air Force Ensign nbsp Australian Civil Ensign nbsp Australian Civil Aviation Ensign nbsp Canadian Civil Ensign 1957 1965 nbsp Canadian Naval Jack 1957 1965 nbsp Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign 1940 1965 nbsp Canadian Air Board Ensign 1922 1923 nbsp Canadian Army Battle flag 1939 1944 nbsp Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Ensign 1953 1976 nbsp Navy League of Canada Ensign 1929 1965 nbsp Dominion of Newfoundland Civil Ensign 1907 1931 nbsp New Zealand Civil Air Ensign nbsp Royal New Zealand Air Force Ensign nbsp Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign nbsp New Zealand Civil Ensign nbsp Fijian Naval Ensign nbsp Fijian Civil Ensign nbsp Fijian Civil Air Ensign nbsp Australian Civil Aviation Ensign 1935 1948 nbsp Unofficial Van Diemen s Land Ensign nbsp Royal Australian Air Force Ensign 1948 1982 nbsp Victorian Red Ensign 1870 1877 nbsp Royal Indian Navy Ensign nbsp Indian Army Ensign nbsp East India Company Ensign nbsp Jersey Red Ensign nbsp Government Service Ensign nbsp Ensign of the Sea Cadet Corps nbsp Ensign of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Others edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2011 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp A Pilot Jack a flag design that has a Union Jack at its centre with a white border around itThe flag in a white border occasionally seen on merchant ships was sometimes referred to as the Pilot Jack It can be traced back to 1823 when it was created as a signal flag but not intended as a civil jack A book clarification needed issued to British consuls in 1855 states that the white bordered Union Flag is to be hoisted for a pilot Although there was some ambiguity regarding the legality of it being flown for any other purpose on civilian vessels its use as an ensign or jack was established well in advance of the 1864 Act that designated the Red Ensign for merchant shipping In 1970 the white bordered Union Flag ceased to be the signal for a pilot but references to it as national colours were not removed from the current Merchant Shipping Act and it was legally interpreted as a flag that could be flown on a merchant ship as a jack if desired This status was confirmed to an extent by the Merchant Shipping Registration etc Act 1993 and the consolidating Merchant Shipping Act 1995 which in Section 4 Subsection 1 prohibits the use of any distinctive national colours or those used or resembling flags or pendants on Her Majesty s Ships except the Red Ensign the Union flag commonly known as the Union Jack with a white border and some other exceptions permitted elsewhere in the Acts However Section 2 regards the British flag and states that The flag which every British ship is entitled to fly is the Red Ensign without any defacement or modification and subject to a warrant from Her Majesty or from the Secretary of State or an Order of Council from her Majesty regarding a defaced Red Ensign no other colours 127 The Flag Institute listed the white bordered Union Flag as Civil Jack 24 nbsp The former flag of the Hudson s Bay Company used from 1801 to 1965 The Hudson s Bay Company HBC was one of a few non government institutions using the Union Jack in part of the flag HBC rival North West Company had a similar flag as well The HBC Red Ensign is no longer in use in 1965 and replaced with a corporate flag featuring the company s coat of arms nbsp The unofficial British Empire flag incorporated dominion symbolsAn unofficial flag for the British Empire was created around 1910 due to a belief that the Union Jack itself no longer sufficiently represented dominions such as Canada which were beginning to adopt their own unique symbols The flag was similar in design to a White Ensign which features the Union Jack in the canton In the other quadrants were the coats of arms of Canada Australia and South Africa The four stars forming the Crux over Saint George s Cross represented New Zealand and the Star of India was featured prominently in the middle Civilians often flew Empire flags for patriotic events such as coronations Empire Day and the British Empire Exhibition 128 It is still flown on special occasions at the Dangarsleigh War Memorial 129 The Union Jack is the third quarter of the 1939 coat of arms of Alabama which is used on the flag of the governor of Alabama representing British sovereignty over the state prior to 1783 The version used is the modern flag whereas the 1707 flag would have been used in colonial Alabama In the former International Settlement of Kulangsu the Kulangsu Municipal Police had a badge contained multiple flags including the Union Flag Then the badge is incorporated in their police flag 130 In popular culture edit nbsp Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls wearing a remake of the Union Jack dress she wore at the 1997 Brit AwardsThe Union Jack remains one of the most instantly recognisable flags in the world 131 132 This is chiefly due not only to its iconic and unusual design but the influence of British culture across the globe as a result of the British Empire and its resulting presence in several Commonwealth nations flags and heraldry While most of the former colonies of the British Empire have chosen to omit the Union Jack in their national flags some countries such as Australia and New Zealand have chosen to keep the Union Jack as a symbol of their British heritage 133 The Union Flag has been a prominent symbol in the sphere of fashion since the British Invasion movement of the 1960s in a similar manner to the American Stars and Stripes flag and came back into fashion in the mid 1990s Cool Britannia era notably Spice Girl Geri Halliwell s iconic Union Jack dress of the 1997 Brit Awards 134 135 A notable increase in popularity was seen in Cuba following the 2012 London Olympics with clothing nail decoration tattoos and hairstyles in youths being observed featuring the pattern 136 Subsumation in corporate branding edit Commonly the Union Flag is used on computer software and Internet pages as an icon representing a choice of the English language where a choice among multiple languages may be presented to the user though the American flag is also sometimes used for this purpose The flag has been embroidered on various Reebok equipment as a mark of the brand s British origin 137 and the Reebok Union Jack has been referred to as a brand icon 138 Many music artists have used the Union Jack ranging from rock artists the Rolling Stones the Who the Jam Sex Pistols the Stone Roses David Bowie John Lennon Paul McCartney Freddie Mercury Morrissey Oasis Iron Maiden and Def Leppard to the pop girl group the Spice Girls nbsp British Airways aircraft bearing Chatham Dockyard Union Flag tail art nbsp Rear of a Mini Hatch with Union Jack tail lightsBranding designs that have incorporated the Union Jack British Airways painted a cropped Union Flag on their tail fins until 1984 from 1997 on they started painting a stylised fluttering Union flag on tail fins nicknamed Chatham Dockyard Union Flag The coat of arms of British Airways also features the escutcheon cropped from the Union Flag 139 British Airways used the coat of arms on their aircraft via the Landor livery between 1984 1997 and added back in 2011 also used as cap badge for pilots or in advertisements 140 141 142 The BMW Mini tail lights are shaped after the Union Jack 143 Gallery editUnion Flag variants 1606 1801 edit nbsp Coat of arms of Ireland17th c Ireland nbsp St George s Cross16th c England and Wales nbsp St Andrew s Cross16th c Scotland nbsp Flag of theCommonwealth1649 Commonwealthof England nbsp English Naval JackRoyal Navy1643 England nbsp Scottish Union Flag Unofficial 1606 Scotland nbsp Union Flag of 16061606 Union of the Crowns 1660 Restoration 1707 Great Britain nbsp St Patrick s Cross Historical 17th c Ireland nbsp Flag of theCommonwealth andProtectorate Jack1658 Commonwealthof England nbsp Union Flag of 18011801 United Kingdom Union Flag in folk art edit nbsp The pennant flying on Britannia s boat in this 1793 James Gillray cartoon is considerably different from the present flag nbsp A different style of the Union flag appears again in another cartoon by Gillray nbsp Side by side Britannia 1918 lithograph by James Montgomery Flagg showing Uncle Sam and Britannia with a Union Jack shieldSee also edit nbsp United Kingdom portal nbsp Heraldry and vexillology portalCross List of British flags Northern Ireland flags issue Star of India flag Union Jack Club Union mark of Norway and SwedenNotes edit It has been claimed that Union Jack was the name given to the flag flown on the jack staff of ships of the Royal Navy but the etymology is ultimately uncertain 2 Graham Bartram born 1963 a British vexillologist who is as of 2013 update the secretary general for congresses of the Federation internationale des associations vexillologiques and the chief vexillologist of the Flag Institute when interviewed on the BBC Broadcasting House programme on 13 October 2013 stated that either name was perfectly valid whatever the purpose He stated that the theory that the flag should only be referred to as Union Jack when flown at sea was wrong 9 References edit College of Arms 2023 Union Flag approved designs Retrieved 23 September 2023 For the avoidance of doubt and the sake of convenience Garter King of Arms under the authority of the Earl Marshal has approved two versions of the Union flag as being accurate representations suitable for use These are of the proportions 5 3 commonly flown on land and 2 1 commonly flown at sea The official website of The British Monarchy Royal gov uk Archived from the original on 5 November 2015 Retrieved 3 December 2015 The Union Jack or The Union Flag The Flag Institute 20 June 2014 Retrieved 3 December 2015 Union Jack The British Monarchy Archived from the original on 30 June 2013 Retrieved 12 August 2013 Canadian Heritage 10 March 2008 Statement by the Hon Jason Kenney PC MP Secretary of State Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity on Commonwealth Day Queen s Printer for Canada Archived from the original on 11 November 2011 Nicolls Bruce The Union Jack or The Union Flag The Flag Institute Retrieved 19 December 2014 Broadcasting House 13th October 2013 BBC 13 October 2013 Retrieved 14 October 2013 a b c Marshall Tim 2017 A flag worth dying for the power and politics of national symbols New York NY Scribner an imprint of Simon amp Schuster Inc ISBN 978 1 5011 6833 8 OCLC 962006347 Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine UNION JACK discussion on BBC Broadcasting House YouTube 19 October 2013 Retrieved 3 December 2015 a b c Bartram Graham British flags The Flag Institute Retrieved 2 May 2007 Namely by King Henry VII the first Tudor monarch of England see images commons Category Coats of arms of King Henry VII of England a b c Nicolls Bruce The Union Jack or The Union Flag The Flag Institute Retrieved 20 May 2015 UK Parliament UK Parliament Retrieved 6 March 2015 a b Union of the Crowns UK Parliament Retrieved 10 February 2023 a b Journal of the Royal United Service Institution Whitehall Yard W Mitchell 1895 pp 181 185 Retrieved 10 February 2023 a b kin Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required John Oxford English Dictionary a b c Jack Oxford English Dictionary Jack Oxford English Dictionary 1633 quotation cited in Jack Oxford English Dictionary Union flag Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required Compare slightly later Union Jack jackstaff Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required About Us The Flag Institute Retrieved 29 September 2014 a b British Flag Protocol The Flag Institute Retrieved 12 March 2015 The Flying of the Union Jack House of Lords Vol 192 14 July 1908 579 580 Archived from the original on 18 January 2012 Retrieved 18 December 2010 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a website ignored help The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty 1911 1908 Manual of Seamanship vol I London HMSO p 20 Note A Jack is a Flag to be flown only at the Jack Staff i e a staff on the bowsprit or forepart of the ship In 1660 the Duke of York later James II gave an order that the Union Flag should be worn only by the King s ships Crawford JR 1909 Chapter XLI The Union Jack In Fox Davies Arthur Charles ed A Complete Guide to Heraldry New York Dodge Publishing Company pp 611 617 a b c Perrin William Gordon 1922 British flags their early history and their development at sea with an account of the origin of the flag as a national device The University Press p 59 No 15324 The London Gazette 30 December 1800 p 2 Perrin William Gordon 1922 British flags their early history and their development at sea with an account of the origin of the flag as a national device The University Press p 55 John Nichols Progresses of James the First vol 4 London 1828 pp 1043 4 a b No 15325 The London Gazette 3 January 1801 pp 25 27 No 15325 The London Gazette 3 January 1801 pp 23 24 a b c d e United Kingdom at Flags of the World Churchill The Power of Words Archived from the original on 16 August 2016 Retrieved 16 August 2016 Fowler Jean ed 1990 Reed s Nautical Almanac 1990 New Malden Surrey Thomas Reed Publications Limited pp 16 2 16 3 ISBN 0 947637 36 2 Naval Jack U S Crwflags com Retrieved 3 December 2015 Salkie Raphael 1990 Outside the Free World The Chomsky Update Linguistics and Politics Unwin Hyman p 174 ISBN 0 04 445589 5 Groom Nick 2007 Union Jacks and Union Jills In Eriksen Thomas Hylland Jenkins Richard eds Flag Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America Routledge p 81 ISBN 978 0 415 44404 0 SNP Face More Flak Over Flag Attacks Daily Record 21 January 2006 Archived from the original on 30 September 2007 Tracey James D 1997 The Political Economy of Merchant Empires State Power and World Trade 1350 1750 Cambridge University Press p 117 Ouyang Yu 2013 譯心雕蟲 個澳華作家的翻譯筆記 Niang Publishing p 236 ISBN 978 9865871536 The European Magazine And London Review Vol 39 Philological Society of London 1801 p 74 Union Flag Bill 2007 08 UK Parliament Retrieved 9 April 2014 Cite error The named reference Flag Institute was invoked but never defined see the help page by the 1970s its current official dimension of l 30th the width of the flag The Flag Bulletin Volumes 12 14 Flag Research Center 1973 p 85 The World s Most Expensive Union Jack Sells For 384K Archived from the original on 11 August 2016 Retrieved 10 August 2016 a b United Kingdom 3 5 variant at Flags of the World Union Flag approved designs www college of arms gov uk College of Arms 2023 Retrieved 23 February 2023 Grieve Martin Southworth Christopher Prothero David United Kingdom Regimental Colours Flags of the World Retrieved 9 July 2009 Union Flag approved designs www college of arms gov uk College of Arms 2023 Retrieved 23 February 2023 Bartram Graham 2004 British flags amp emblems East Linton Tuckwell Press ISBN 978 1 86232 297 4 PANTONE PANTONE 280 C find a PANTONE Color www pantone com Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 Retrieved 16 November 2017 PANTONE PANTONE 186 C find a PANTONE Color www pantone com Archived from the original on 15 May 2021 Retrieved 16 November 2017 Perreira Julian 18 February 2020 Union Jack Do You Know The Correct Way Up Forces Network Retrieved 28 May 2020 Flag mistake at UK China ceremony BBC News 3 February 2009 a b Duffy Jonathan 10 April 2006 Union recognition BBC Archived from the original on 30 November 2020 Graphic archive of Graphic Fry Plantagenet Somerset 1990 The Kings and Queens of England and Scotland Grove Press p 127 ISBN 9780802113863 Fox Davies Arthur Charles 1986 1904 The Art of Heraldry An Encyclopaedia of Armory London Bloomsbury Books p 399 ISBN 0 906223 34 2 a b The History and Meaning of the Union Jack or Union Flag Know Britain Archived from the original on 22 January 2016 Retrieved 10 June 2008 Sunday 13 May 1660 The Diary of Samuel Pepys Phil Gyford 13 May 1660 Retrieved 12 January 2017 Northern Lighthouse Commissioner s Flag at Flags of the World Command flag Admiral of the Fleet RN before 1801 The Collection National Maritime Museum AAA0730 Retrieved 12 August 2013 Post Office Blue Ensign before 1864 The Collection National Maritime Museum AAA3687 Retrieved 12 August 2013 The North East View of Edinburgh Castle Slezer s Scotland National Library of Scotland Retrieved 9 January 2012 Hulme Edward F 1897 The flags of the world their history blazonry and associations txt F Warne amp co p 152 Bartram Graham 2005 British Flags amp Emblems Flag Institute Tuckwell p 122 ISBN 9781862322974 Crampton William 1992 Flags of the World a b Smith Whitney 1973 Title unknown The Flag Bulletin Flag Research Center Beaumont John 1704 1701 The Present State of the Universe Benj Motte p 164 Slezer John Sibbald Robert Swall Abel 1693 Theatrum Scotiae John Leake p 114 The North Prospect of the City of Edenburgh Slezer s Scotland National Library of Scotland Retrieved 9 January 2012 a b de Burton Simon 9 November 1999 How Scots lost battle of the standard The Scotsman Johnston Press plc Retrieved 30 June 2009 dead link Hayes McCoy Gerard Anthony 1979 o Snodaigh Padraig ed A history of Irish flags from earliest times Dublin Academy Press p 38 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3 February 2015 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Close Up Cuba s new love for the Union flag BBC News Retrieved 3 December 2015 Brabazon Tara 2000 Tracking the Jack a retracing of the Antipodes Sydney University of New South Wales Press p 15 Upshaw Lynn B 1995 Building Brand Identity A Strategy for Success in a Hostile Marketplace John Wiley amp Sons Inc ISBN 0 471 04220X British Airways Coat of arms crest of British Airways Heraldry of the World Archived from the original on 24 February 2022 Retrieved 24 February 2022 BA Uniforms British Airways Retrieved 25 May 2022 Aviators British Airways To Fly To Serve British Airways Retrieved 24 February 2022 via YouTube BA100 41 The British Airways Coat Of Arms London Air Travel 16 August 2019 Retrieved 26 May 2022 MINI Further reading editGroom Nick 2007 The Union Jack The Story of the British Flag Atlantic Books ISBN 978 1 84354 337 4 Kwan Elizabeth 2006 Flag and Nation Australians and their national flags since 1901 University of New South Wales Press ISBN 1 7422 4687 7 Lister Davis 2014 Union Jack or Union Flag PDF London Flag Institute External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union Jack External images nbsp The Cross of Saint Andrew 26 September 2009 By cthonus Accessed 2009 12 30 nbsp The Cross of Saint George 11 June 2006 By Two Thumbs Accessed 2009 12 30 nbsp Scottish Union Flag 2 June 2009 By boongiepam Accessed 2009 12 16 nbsp English British Union Flag 29 March 2008 Archived from the original on 18 February 2010 By dr nic dead link Accessed 2009 12 31 nbsp The Cross of Saint Patrick 17 March 2007 By tim ellis Accessed 2009 12 30 nbsp United Kingdom Union Flag 15 July 2009 By leegibb13 Accessed 2009 12 16 United Kingdom at Flags of the World Union Jack at the Royal Family website Union Flag approved designs at the College of Arms website Union Flag protocol at the College of Arms website British flags during The Protectorate and the Commonwealth of England see external link BBC page for 400th anniversary of flag Monochrome Union Flag not flown to avoid controversy How to draw the Union Jack Union Jack Flag Infographic History of the Union Jack video UK Flag Protocol Poll asks if Welsh element to Union flag idea is a flyer BBC News Published 26 September 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Union Jack amp oldid 1194897757, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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