![Commandant Ducuing 061030-N-5555T-017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Commandant_Ducuing_061030-N-5555T-017.jpg)
The Blue Ensign is a
flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
, one of several
British ensign
In British maritime law and custom, an ensign is the identifying flag flown to designate a British ship, either military or civilian. Such flags display the United Kingdom Union Flag in the canton (the upper corner next to the staff), with eit ...
s, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It is used either plain or
defaced with a
badge or other
emblem
An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...
.
The evolution of the Blue Ensign followed that of the
Union Jack
The Union Jack, 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 ensign originated in the 17th century with the
St George's cross
In heraldry, Saint George's Cross, the Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader.
Associated with the cru ...
(the
Flag of England
The flag of England is the national flag of England, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. It is derived from Saint George's Cross (heraldic blazon: ''Argent, a cross gules''). The association of the red cross as an emblem of England ...
) in the
canton, and with a blue field.
The
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the te ...
united
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
with
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
in the
Kingdom of Great Britain
The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a Sovereign state, sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of ...
, thus producing a new Blue Ensign with the new Union Flag in the canton. With the
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a single 'Act of Union 1801') were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Irela ...
,
Ireland became a part of the new
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great B ...
, and
St Patrick's Cross
Saint Patrick's Saltire or Saint Patrick's Cross is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned "''argent, a saltire gules''". The Saint Patrick's Flag (''Bratach Naomh Pádraig'') is a flag compos ...
was incorporated into the Union Flag and, accordingly, into the cantons of all British ensigns from 1 January 1801.
File:Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg, The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom
File:British-Blue-Ensign-1707.svg, The British Blue Ensign (1707–1801)
File:English Blue Ensign 1620.svg, English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century
Plain Blue Ensign
Prior to the reorganisation of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in 1864, the plain blue ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, the
Blue Squadron
The Blue Squadron (Spanish: ''Escuadrilla Azul'', German: ''15. Spanische Staffel'') was a generic name given to the group of volunteer pilots and ground crews recruited from the Spanish Air Force that fought in the side of Germany on the E ...
. This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the
Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
, and the
White Ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on ...
was allocated to the Navy.
Thus, after 1864, the plain blue ensign (i.e., without any defacement or modification) is permitted to be worn, instead of the Red Ensign, by three categories of civilian vessel:
# British merchant vessels whose officers and crew include a certain number of retired
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
personnel or Royal Naval Reservists, or are commanded by an officer of the
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
in possession of a Government warrant. The number and rank of such crew members required has varied over the years, as have the additional conditions required, since the system was first introduced in 1864.
# Royal Research Ships by warrant whether crewed by former Royal Navy personnel or Merchant Navy personnel.
# British-registered
yacht
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
s belonging to members of the following
yacht clubs
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting.
Description
Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mari ...
:
*
Hornet Services Sailing Club
Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to their close relatives yellowjackets. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by the ...
*
Royal Naval Club and Royal Albert Yacht Club
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
*
Royal Brighton Yacht Club
The Royal Brighton Yacht Club (founded in 1875) is located at Brighton, Victoria, Australia at 253 Esplanade Brighton.https://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/community-directory/royal-brighton-yacht-club-inc
History
It is said to have all begun as a re ...
, Victoria
*
Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a ci ...
*
Royal Cruising Club
The Royal Cruising Club (RCC) is a British yacht club founded in London in 1880 to support leisure sailing. It is most widely known for the series of pilotage books produces under the auspices of the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation, a ...
*
Royal Dorset Yacht Club
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a c ...
*
Royal Engineer Yacht Club
*
Royal Geelong Yacht Club
The Royal Geelong Yacht Club is a yacht club founded in 1859 and based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club received its royal patronage in 1924.
The club is based on the shores of Corio Bay
Corio Bay is one of numerous internal bays ...
, Victoria
*
Royal Gourock Yacht Club
*
Royal Highland Yacht Club
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
*
Royal Marines Sailing Club
*
Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron
Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron is a yacht club located at St Kilda Beach, Victoria, St Kilda Beach in the suburb of St Kilda, Victoria, St. Kilda in Melbourne, Australia. The squadron was founded in 1876. It has occupied its grounds on Pier Road ...
, Victoria
*
Royal Motor Yacht Club
*
Royal Naval Sailing Association
The Royal Naval Sailing Association (RNSA) is the governing body that oversees all aspects of sailing, both racing and recreational sailing cruises, throughout the British Royal Navy. The RNSA is also the advisor to the Navy Board on sailing ma ...
*
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Yacht Club
*
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is a New Zealand yacht club, and the club behind New Zealand's America's Cup campaigns, under the guises of New Zealand Challenge and Team New Zealand. It held the America's Cup from 1995 America's Cup, 1995 ...
*
Royal Perth Yacht Club
The Royal Perth Yacht Club (RPYC) is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. It is the third oldest yacht club in Australia after the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. , Western Australia
*
Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club
The Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club is a yacht club founded in Scotland in 1978, by merger of the Royal Northern Yacht Club (founded in 1824) and the Royal Clyde Yacht Club (founded in 1856).
History
The Royal Northern was originally based i ...
*Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, New Zealand
*
Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is a Squadron (not a club which is reflected in its support for all things sailing) in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
History
The Queensland Yacht Squadron was founded in 1885, received royal charter in ...
*Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club
*Royal Solent Yacht Club
*Royal South Australia Yacht Squadron
*
Royal Southern Yacht Club
*
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is a yacht club located in North Sydney, Australia in the suburb of Kirribilli. The squadron was founded in 1862. It has occupied its grounds in East Kirribilli, near Kirribilli House, since 1902.
History
The ...
, New South Wales
*Royal Temple Yacht Club
*
Royal Thames Yacht Club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world, and the oldest yacht club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park. The club ...
*Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club
*
Royal Welsh Yacht Club
The Royal Welsh Yacht Club (RWYC) is one of the oldest yacht clubs still operating in the world today, and the one situated in the oldest premises. It is the fourteenth Royal Yacht Club in Britain and one of the twelve oldest clubs in the world. ...
*Royal Western Yacht Club of England
*Royal Western Yacht Club of Scotland
*
Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, is the largest yacht club in the Australian state of Tasmania, and is best known for its role as the finishing destination for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. The club sports a range of facilities, from ...
*
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria
The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV) is one of Australia's oldest yacht clubs. It is based in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown, not far from where the Yarra River flows into Port Phillip Bay.
History
The club was founded in May 1853 as ...
*
Sussex Motor Yacht Club
Permission for yachts to wear the blue ensign (and other special yachting ensigns) was suspended during both
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Defaced Blue Ensign
Since 1864, the Blue Ensign is
defaced with a badge or emblem, to form the ensign of United Kingdom government departments or public bodies. Current defaced Blue Ensigns (besides yacht clubs listed below) are:
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
marine vessels (such as seaplane tenders) flew a defaced blue ensign with an eagle and anchor.
Yachting Blue Ensigns defaced by the badge of the club were recorded in the Navy List until 1985, and now they are administered by the Royal Yachting Association for the Ministry of Defence. Current defaced Blue Ensigns are:
Flags of the Crown Dependencies using defaced Blue Ensigns
*
Government Ensign of Alderney
*
Government Ensign of Guernsey
*
Government Ensign of Jersey
Flags of British Overseas Territories using defaced Blue Ensigns
Current flags:
*
Flag of Anguilla
The national flag of Anguilla, a British overseas territory, consists of a Blue Ensign with the British flag in the canton, charged with the coat of arms of Anguilla in the fly. The coat of arms consists of three dolphins in a circular form ...
*
Government Ensign of Bermuda (the flag commonly used on land is Bermuda's Red Ensign)
*
Flag of the British Virgin Islands
The flag of the British Virgin Islands was adopted by Royal Warrant on 15 November 1960 after the islands were made into a separate British colony. Previously, the territory was administered as part of the British Leeward Islands.
Description
T ...
*
Flag of the Cayman Islands
The flag of the Cayman Islands consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1959 to supplement the Union Jack and to replace the flag of the Colony of Jamaica, it has been the flag of the C ...
*
Flag of the Falkland Islands
The current flag of the Falkland Islands was adopted on 25 January 1999 and consists of a defaced Blue Ensign, with the Union Flag in the canton and the Falkland Islands coat-of-arms in the fly.
History
The Falkland Islands have been claim ...
*
Government Ensign of Gibraltar (there is another flag, not based on an ensign, that is commonly used on land)
*
Flag of Montserrat
The flag of Montserrat consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1960 to supplement the Union Jack after the dissolution of the British Leeward Islands the year before, it has been the flag ...
*
Flag of Pitcairn Islands
The coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands is an official emblem of the British Overseas Territory of the Pitcairn Islands and was granted by royal warrant on 4 November 1969. The flag of the Pitcairn Islands, also an official emblem, consists o ...
*
Flag of Saint Helena
The flag of Saint Helena consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the shield from the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1984 shortly after the island was granted a new coat of arms, it has been the flag since. Saint Helena' ...
*
Flag of Turks and Caicos Islands
The current flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands was adopted on 7 November 1968, and modified in 1999. Prior to this, the islands had several different flags either proposed or utilised.
Nevertheless, the Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turk ...
Former flags:
The defaced blue ensign was formerly used as:
National flags based on the Blue Ensign
These include:
*
Flag of Australia
The flag of Australia, also known as the Australian Blue Ensign, is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a ...
**
Flag of New South Wales
The current state flag of New South Wales was officially adopted by the government of New South Wales in 1876.
The flag is based on the defaced British Blue Ensign with the state badge located in the fly. The badge, based on the coat of arm ...
**
Flag of Queensland
The state flag of Queensland is a British Blue Ensign with the state badge on a white disc added in the fly. The badge is a light blue Maltese Cross with a Saint Edward's Crown in the centre of the cross. The flag dates from 1876, with minor v ...
**
Flag of South Australia
The current state flag of South Australia, was officially adopted by the government of South Australia in 1904.
The flag is based on the Defacement (flag), defaced British Blue Ensign with the state badge located in the Flag terminology#Descripti ...
**
Flag of Tasmania
The current state flag of Tasmania was officially adopted following a proclamation by Tasmanian colonial Governor Sir Frederick Weld on 25 September 1876, and was first published in the ''Tasmanian Gazette'' the same day. The governor's proclama ...
**
Flag of Victoria
**
Flag of Western Australia
The flag of Western Australia consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the badge of the state. Adopted in 1953 to replace a similar design used from the time when the state was still a British colony, it has been the flag of Western Australia ...
*
Flag of Fiji
The national flag of Fiji ( Fijian: ''kuila ni Viti'') was adopted on 10 October 1970. The state arms have been slightly modified but the flag has remained the same as during Fiji's colonial period. It is a defaced cyan "Blue Ensign" (the actua ...
(light blue)
*
Flag of New Zealand
**
Flag of the Cook Islands
The flag of the Cook Islands, officially known as the Cook Islands Ensign, is based on the traditional design for former British colonies in the Pacific region. It is a blue ensign containing the Union Flag in the upper left, and on the right, ...
*
Flag of Tuvalu
The current flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1976.
Features
Like many former and current British dependencies, the Tuvaluan flag is a blue ensi ...
(light blue)
Other flags based on the Blue Ensign
*
Flag of Ceylon
*
Ensign of The Royal Hospital School
*
George Rex Flag
The George Rex Flag was a protest flag used in the Province of New York at the start of the American Revolutionary War. The flag was adopted following the passage of the Quebec Act 1774 whereby French Canadian Roman Catholics were granted emancipa ...
*
Tanganyika Territory
Tanganyika was a colonial territory in East Africa which was administered by the United Kingdom in various guises from 1916 to 1961. It was initially administered under a military occupation regime. From 20 July 1922, it was formalised into a L ...
blue ensign
*
![Government Ensign of Fiji](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Government_Ensign_of_Fiji.svg)
Fijian government ensign
**
![Customs Ensign of Fiji](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Customs_Ensign_of_Fiji.svg)
Fijian customs ensign
*
![Flag of Australasian team for Olympic games](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Flag_of_Australasian_team_for_Olympic_games.svg)
Flag of
Australasia team at the Olympic games
*
![Flag of the Blood Tribe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Flag_of_the_Blood_Tribe.svg)
Flag of the
Blood 148
Blood 148 is a First Nations reserve in Alberta, Canada. It is inhabited by the Blood (Kainai) First Nation and was established under the provisions of Treaty 7. This reserve is managed from the community of Stand Off on its northwest border and ...
Kainai Nation
The Kainai Nation (or , or Blood Tribe) ( bla, Káínaa) is a First Nations band government in southern Alberta, Canada, with a population of 12,800 members in 2015, up from 11,791 in December 2013.
translates directly to 'many chief' (fro ...
of
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, Canada
See also
*
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
*
Red Ensign
*
White Ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on ...
*
Green Ensign
*
Australian flag debate
The Australian flag debate is a periodic question over whether the Australian flag should be changed, particularly to remove the Union Jack from the canton (flag), canton, but also to possibly introduce a completely new design without the Sou ...
*
New Zealand flag debate
The New Zealand flag debate is a periodic question over whether the national flag should be changed. For several decades, alternative designs have been proposed, with varying degrees of support. There is no consensus among proponents of changi ...
*
References
;Notes
;Footnotes
External links
Blue Ensign page on the "Flags of the World" websiteUKNavalGovernmenton flags.net
{{UKFlags
Flags of the United Kingdom
British Empire