The Jersey Red Ensign, officially the Jersey Defaced Red Ensign, is the civil ensign used by ships registered in the

Channel Island The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

. It was created in 2010 after approval from

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

and the

States of Jersey The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...

. The flag consists of a British red ensign with the

coat of arms of Jersey The coat of arms of Jersey is the heraldic device consisting of a shield charged with three gold leopards on a red field. Utilised unofficially before the 20th century, its status as the coat of arms of the Bailiwick of Jersey was formalized in ...

surmounted by a

Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in batt ...

crown.

History

Prior to 2010, Jersey had no unique civil ensign for maritime usage. Jersey-registered vessels instead used the plain British red ensign. This lack of a unique civil ensign for Jersey — and the fact that fellow Channel Island

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

had one — led Jersey's maritime authorities to request a unique Jersey red ensign be created, and a proposal was produced after discussions with the

Garter King of Arms The Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

and the British

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

. Because it included the coat of arms of Jersey and the Plantagenet crown on it, as a symbol of Jersey's link with the English (and later British) Crown since

King John King John may refer to: Rulers * John, King of England (1166–1216) * John I of Jerusalem (c. 1170–1237) * John Balliol, King of Scotland (c. 1249–1314) * John I of France (15–20 November 1316) * John II of France (1319–1364) * John I o ...

, the States of Jersey were obliged to ask Queen Elizabeth II's approval for the proposed design. The Queen granted consent for the design in April 2010 and the States of Jersey opened a public consultation for the new ensign. Following the consultation the States of Jersey unanimously agreed to introduce the Jersey red ensign in June 2010. The Economic Development Minister, Alan Maclean, stated that adoption of the new Jersey Red Ensign would be voluntary and Jersey registered vessels could continue to fly the British red ensign if they wished to. Owners of unregistered ships would be obliged to register them should they wish to use the new Jersey Red Ensign.

References

{{Reflist Red Ensigns Jersey 2010 establishments in Jersey Civil ensigns Flags displaying animals

History

See also

References