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This is a list of historic and current command flags 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 ...
. Command rank flags to denote the commander-in-chief of the English fleet and later
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 ...
were used from as early as 1189.
Coloured squadrons of the Royal Navy The Coloured Squadrons of the Royal Navy were first introduced in the Tudor Period during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) The purpose was to separate the English fleet into three squadrons for better command and control, tho ...
were established during the
Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
to subdivide the fleet into three squadrons or more. There were three classes of admirals and later a fourth that were differentiated by using coloured flags red, white and blue.


History

File:Royal Arms of England (1154-1189).svg, Arms of the Kingdom of England to 1198. File:Royal Arms of England.svg, Arms of the Kingdom of England to 1199-1340. File:Arms of the Kingdom of France (Ancien).svg, Arms of the Kingdom of France. The earliest known usage of a command flag being used to denote the Commander-in-Chief of the English Fleet was during the reign of
Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...
in 1189 that depicted a single gold lion on a red background. In 1198 it was changed to include three red lions against a red background which are still part of the royal coat
arms of England The royal arms of England are the arms first adopted in a fixed form at the start of the age of heraldry (circa 1200) as personal arms by the Plantagenet kings who ruled England from 1154. In the popular mind they have come to symbolise the ...
till today. In January 1340
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
proclaimed himself
King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...
and adopted the arms of France then displaying (multiple fleur-de-lis or azure semi-of-fleur-de-lis) in the upper left and the lower right
cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
with the arms of England in the upper right and lower left
cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
to create a new Royal Standard. In 1411 Henry IV altered the French element of the standard to include just three fleur-de-lis. In June 1340 Edward III commanded the English fleet at the
Battle of Sluys The Battle of Sluys (; ), also called the Battle of l'Écluse, was a naval battle fought on 24 June 1340 between England and France. It took place in the roadstead of the port of Sluys (French ''Écluse''), on a since silted-up inlet betwee ...
where the king's standard was flown at top of the main masthead. This positioning of the only command flag used during that battle was later reserved for use by the monarch or his deputy commander the Lord Admiral. In 1495 Henry VII authorized the use of his standard during the expeditions of
John Cabot John Cabot ( it, Giovanni Caboto ; 1450 – 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer. His 1497 voyage to the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England is the earliest-known European exploration of coastal North ...
. In 1530 Henry VIII instructed Sir Thomas Audley to create a set of instructions that made clear which command flags were to be flown onboard ships and by whom (at this time a single command flag was to be used at the top of the masthead). Audley produced the book of instructions called the ''Book of Orders for the War by Sea and by Land''. Between 1545 and 1547 Lord Lisle under instructions from the
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
altered Audley's instructions this time to denote three
squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...
commanders as follows.
The Lord Admiral shall fly the royal standard at the top of the main masthead and the flag of the cross of Saint George at the top of fore (front) masthead displaying two flags every ship in his squadron the captains were to fly a single Saint Georges flag at the top of the main masthead. The Admiral of the Van or (Vice-Admiral) of the front squadron flew two flags of Saint George one at the top of the main masthead center and the other at the top of the front masthead. All captains of ships in his squadron fly a single cross of Saint George at the top of the fore masthead. The Admiral of the Wyng or (Rear-Admiral) of the rear squadron to display two flags of Saint George one at the top of the main masthead center and the other at the top of the mizzenmast or rear mast head. All captains of ships in his squadron fly a single cross of Saint George at the top of the rear masthead.
From 1545, the
Council of the Marine The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...
debated that it was necessary to identify which ship carried an admiral, and this achieved by flying the St. George Cross flag from the mizzen mast. When English fleets became larger, flags started to become used as signals of a squadron to which a particular ship belonged; this was initially done by flying a flag on either the foremast, or the mizzen mast or the top mast. The royal standards were used to identify which senior naval commander was on board. By 1588, only the royal arms, the national flags, and the squadron ensigns (by this time plain red, blue and white flags, for the first, second and third squadrons respectively) were used. The
Navy Royal 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 ...
inaugurated squadron colours during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) to subdivide the English fleet into three squadrons. There were three classes of admirals and differentiated by using coloured flags. In 1620 the official flag ranks of admiral, vice admiral, and rear admiral were legally established that arose directly out of the organisation of the fleet into three parts.


Historic command flags


Royal Standard (1189-1627)

File:Flag of Richard I of England as Commander in Chief English Fleet (1189).png, Command flag of Richard I as Commander in Chief English Fleet in 1189. File:Flag of monarchs of England as Commander in Chief English Fleet (1199-1340).png, Command flag of monarchs of England as Commander in Chief English Fleet in 1199-1340. File:Royal Standard of England (1411-1553-1559-1603).svg, Royal Standard of England 1340-1411 it also the command flag of the monarch or their deputy the lord admiral when on board ship at sea. File:Royal Standard of England (1406-1603).svg, Royal Standard of England 1411-1553 and 1559-1603 it also the command flag of the monarch or their deputy the lord admiral when on board ship at sea..


Admiralty flag (1588–1964)

The Admiralty anchor flag first appears as a badge in the early 16th century that was mainly used for decorative purposes. The first time a specific flag was designed and flown was for the Lord Admiral of England Sir
Lord Howard of Effingham Earl of Effingham, in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837 for Kenneth Howard, 11th Baron Howard of Effingham, named after the village of Effingham, Surrey, where heads of thf family owned ...
on HMS ''Ark Royal'' as Commander-in-Chief of the English Fleet against the
Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
in 1588. It would not be flown again until 1623 when the Lord Admiral the
Duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham. ...
was given an
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 ...
depicting the admiralty anchor. However it was rarely used for as a command flag for naval operations instead it became the main flag to signify the
Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Trafa ...
.


Lord Admirals command flags (1545–1558)

Included: File:Royal Standard of England (1406-1603).svg, First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England under Henry VIII, Edward VI (1545-1553) when on board a ship. File:Flag of England.svg, Second command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1547-1553) when on board a ship. File:Royal Standard of England (1554-1558).jpg, First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1554-1558) under Mary I and Philip II when on board a ship. File:Flag of England.svg, Second command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1554-1558) when on board a ship.


Lord Admirals command flags (1559–1625)

Included: File:Royal Standard of England (1406-1603).svg, First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England under Elizabeth I (1559-1596) when on board a ship. File:Flag of England.svg, Second command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1545-1596) when on board a ship. File:Royal Standard of England (1603-1649).svg, First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1603-1625) under James VI and I when on board a ship. File:Flag of England.svg, Second command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1545-1625) when on board a ship.


Vice and Rear Admirals of England command flags (1545–1596)

Included: File:Flag of England.svg, Vice Admiral of England command flag (1545-1596) when on board a ship. File:Flag of England.svg, Rear Admiral of England command flag (1545-1596) when on board a ship. *Note:The Vice Admiral flies two flags of Saint George flown at the top of the main center mast head the other at the top of the fore mast head. *Note:The Rear Admiral flies two flags of Saint George flown at the top of the main center mast head the other at the top of the mizzen (rear) mast head.


Captains command flag in the Lord Admirals Squadron (1545–1596)

Included: File:Flag of England.svg, Captains command flag in the Lord Admirals squadron(1545-1596) when on board a ship. *Note: A captains ship in the Lord Admirals center squadron has the flag of Saint George flown at the top of the main center masthead. *Note: A captains ship in the Van squadron (front) has the flag of Saint George flown at the top of the main fore masthead. *Note: A captains ship in the Wyng squadron (rear) has the flag of Saint George flown at the top of the mizzen masthead.


Illustration of squadrons flagships and captains ships depicting position of command flags (1545-1596)

Included: Lord Admirals squadron File:Lord Admiral of England flagship (1545-1547).png, Position of command flags on Lord Admirals flagship (1545-1596). File:Captains-Ship-Lord Admirals-Squadron-English Navy (1545-1547).png, Position of captains flag on ship in Lord Admirals squadron (1545-1596) Vice Admirals squadron File:Vice-Admiral of England flagship (1545-1547).png, Position of command flags on Vice Admirals flagship (1545-1596). File:Captains-Ship -Vice Admirals-Squadron-English Navy (1545-1547).png, Position of captains flag on ship in Vice Admirals squadron (1545-1596) Rear Admirals squadron File:Rear-Admiral of England flaship (1545-1547).png, Position of command flags on Rear Admirals flagship (1545-1596). File:Captains-Ship-Rear Admirals -Squadron-English Navy (1545-1547).png, Position of captains flag on ship in Rear Admirals squadron (1545-1596)


Squadron Admirals command flags (1558-1596)

:Command flags for other Vice or Rear Admirals that were not either an Admiral, Vice-Admiral or Rear-Admiral of the Fleet (England) File:Flag Admirals of the Red Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice and Rear Admirals Red Squadron Kingdom of England File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice and Rear Admirals White Squadron Kingdom of England File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice and Rear Admirals Blue Squadron Kingdom of England


Lord Admirals and General of the Army command flags (1596)

Included: Lord Admiral File:Royal Standard of England (1406-1603).svg, First command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England under Elizabeth I (1596) when on board a ship. File:Flag of England.svg, Second command Flag of the Lord Admiral of England (1596) when on board a ship.


General of the Army's command flag (1596)

Included: File:Flag of England.svg, Flag of the General of the Army's (1596) when on board a ship. In 1596 the expedition for
Capture of Cádiz The Capture of Cádiz in 1596 was an event during the Anglo-Spanish War, when English and Dutch troops under Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and a large Anglo-Dutch fleet under Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, with support from the ...
during the Anglo-Spanish War was led by joint commanders styled as "Generalls of the Armies by land and sea",
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG, PC (; 10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a ...
in command of land forces and
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, 2nd Baron Howard of Effingham, KG (1536 – 14 December 1624), known as Lord Howard of Effingham, was an English statesman and Lord High Admiral under Elizabeth I and James I. He was commander of the Eng ...
in command of naval forces, the English fleet consisted of four squadrons. Their immediate subordinates were
Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, (24 August 156128 May 1626) of Audley End House in the parish of Saffron Walden in Essex, and of Suffolk House near Westminster, a member of the House of Howard, was the second son of Thomas Howard, 4th D ...
as Vice Admiral of the Fleet and
Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
as Rear Admiral of the Fleet. They both commanded a squadron and had a vice admiral (second-in-command) and rear admiral (third-in-command) subordinate to them. The command flags issued for that expedition are described as following.
The Lord Admiral fly's the royal standard at the main masthead and the flag of the cross of Saint George at the fore (front). The Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral in the Lord Admirals squadron fly at the front and rear mastheads a red, white and blue seven stripped horizontal flag with the cross of saint George in the upper left canton. The Earl of Essex fly's only a single flag of the cross of saint George at the main, the Vice and Rear admiral in his squadron fly a saint George flag barred with blue stripes horizontal. The Vice Admiral of the Fleet to fly a green and white striped flag with the cross of saint George in the upper left canton main mast head and flag of saint George front mast head. The Vice and Rear admirals in his squadron flew the same flags in their respective positions (proper masthead). The Rear Admiral of the Fleet to fly a green and white striped flag with the cross of saint George in the upper left canton main mast head and flag of saint George rear mast head. The Vice and Rear admirals in his squadron flew plain white flags in their respective positions (main and front) and (main and Rear) mastheads.
Note: Originally discussions that took place before fleet was sent to Cadiz considered four colours to identify each squadron they were a plain flag tawny orange (orange squadron), a plain crimson flag (red) (crimson squadron), a plain blue flag (blue squadron) and a plain white flag (white squadron).


Vice and Rear Admirals command flags in the Lord Admirals squadron (1596)

Included: File:Vice and Rear Admiral command flag Lord Admirals squadron English Navy (1596).jpg, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals of the Lord Admirals squadron first command flag (1596) are flown in their respective positions on the masthead. File:Flag of England.svg, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals of the Lord Admirals squadron second command flag (1596) are flown in their respective positions on the masthead.


Vice and Rear Admirals command flags in the General of the Army's (1596)

Included: File:Command Flag of Vice and Rear Admirals in the General of the Army's squadron at Cadiz (1596).jpg, Vice and Rear Admirals command flags in the General of the Army's squadron to Cadiz (1596) are flown in their respective positions.


Vice Admiral and Rear Admirals of the Fleet command flags (1596)

Included: File:Tudor Ensign 1485-1603.svg, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals of the Fleet first command flag (1596) that is flown in its respective position on the relevant masthead. File:Flag of England.svg, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals of the Fleet second command flag (1596) that is flown in its respective position on the relevant masthead.


Vice and Rear Admirals command flags in the Rear Admirals of the fleet squadrons (1596)

Included: File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice Admirals in the Rear Admirals of Fleet squadron fly two plain white flags in their respective positions (1596). File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Rear Admirals in the Rear Admirals of the Fleet squadron fly two plain white flags in their respective positions (1596).


Illustration of squadrons flagships depicting position of command flags (1596)

Included: Lord Admirals squadron File:Lord Admiral of England flagship (1545-1547).png, Position of command flags on Lord Admirals flagship (1596). File:Vice Admirals flagship of Lord Admirals Squadron English Navy (1596).png, Position of command flags of Vice Admirals flagship of Lord Admirals Squadron English Navy (1596) File:Rear Admirals flagship of the Lord Admirals Squadron English Navy (1596).png, Position of command flags of Rear Admirals flagship of Lord Admirals Squadron English Navy (1596) General of the Army's squadron File:Captains-Ship-Lord Admirals-Squadron-English Navy (1545-1547).png, Position of command flags on General of the Army's flagship (1596). File:Vice Admirals flagship General of the Army's squadron (1596).png, Position of command flag of Vice Admirals flagship of General of the Army's squadron English Navy (1596) File:Rear Admirals flagship in the General of the Army's squadron (1596).png, Position of command flag of Rear Admirals flagship of General of the Army's English Navy (1596) Vice Admirals of the Fleet squadron File:Vice Admirals of the Fleet Flagship English Navy (1596).png, Vice Admirals of the Fleet flagship English Navy (1596) and position of his command flags. File:Vice Admirals flagship in the Vice Admirals of the Fleet Squadron English Navy (1596).png, Vice Admirals flagship in the Vice Admirals of the Fleet Squadron English Navy (1596) and position of his command flags. Rear Admirals of the Fleet squadron File:Rear Admirals of the Fleet Flagship English Navy (1596).png, Rear Admirals of the Fleet flagship English Navy (1596) and position of his command flags. File:Rear Admirals Flagship in the Rear Admirals of the Fleet Squadron English Navy (1596).png, Rear Admirals Flagship in the Rear Admirals of the Fleet Squadron English Navy (1596) and position of his command flags.


Admirals command flags expedition to Cadiz (1625)

Included: File:Flag Admirals of the Red Squadron Royal Navy.png, The Admirals flag commanding red squadron for the expedition to Cadiz in (1625). File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, The Admirals command flag commanding white squadron for the expedition to Cadiz in (1625). File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, The Admirals command flag commanding blue squadron for the expedition to Cadiz in (1625). In 1625 there was a second Cádiz expedition in which the English fleet was divided into three coloured squadrons each commanded by an admiral of the red, white and blue. Perrin (1922) does note indicate what flag rank these officers were suffice to say there was no admiral of the red in existence until 1805 so we must assume they were vice-admirals.


Admirals command flags expedition to attack Cadiz October (1625)

Included: Admiral of the Fleet and Commander-in-Chief's squadron File:Royal Standard of England (1603-1649).svg, Admiral and C-in-C attack on Cadiz in October/November (1625) was instructed to fly this command flag at the main mast though he was not Lord Admiral. File:Red Ensign English Navy (1625-1707 ).png, Vice Admirals command flag in the commander in chief's squadron for the expedition to Cadiz in (1625) flown at the top of the main mast. File:Red Ensign English Navy (1625-1707 ).png, Rear Admirals command flag in the commander in chief's squadron for the expedition to Cadiz in (1625) flown at the top of the main mast. Vice Admiral of the Fleets squadron File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain blue command flag at the main mast. File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice and Rear Admirals in this squadron fly the same flag but at the fore and mizzen masts positions. Rear Admiral of the Fleets squadron File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain white command flag at the main mast. File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice and Rear Admirals in this squadron fly the same flag but at the fore and mizzen masts positions.


Admirals command flags at the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré in (1627)

Included: :Admiral of the Fleet and Commander-in-Chief's squadron File:Royal Standard of England (1603-1649).svg, Admiral and C-in-C attack on Cadiz in October/November (1625) was instructed to fly the royal standard as his command flag at the main mast though he was not Lord Admiral. Vice Admiral of the Fleets squadron File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, Vice Admiral of the Fleet to fly union flag at the fore mast. File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, He also flew a plain blue command flag at the main mast. Rear Admiral of the Fleets squadron File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, Vice Admiral of the Fleet to fly union flag at the mizzen or rear mast. File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, He also flew a plain white command flag at the main mast. :Additional squadrons in this expedition Lord Denbigh's squadron File:Flag of England.svg, Flew the flag of England at the main mast. Sir John Pennington's squadron File:Flag of Scotland.svg, Flew the flag of Scotland at the main mast. Of note: A fleet of 100 ships was assembled for the
Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré The siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, or siege of St. Martin's (French: ''siège de Saint-Martin-de-Ré''), was an attempt by English forces under George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, to capture the French fortress-city of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, ...
, France in 1627, this was the only time an English admiral flew the Scottish saltaire as his command flag.


Standardisation of command flags after (1627 to 1649)

From 1628 following the creation of the
Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...
and the post of Lord Admiral placed in abeyance the Royal Standard was not used thereafter as the command flag at sea for a Commander-in-Chief of the English Navy. The Lord High Admirals
office An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...
was revived only two more times after this date in 1702 and in 1828 with the office holders functioning in an administrative capacity.


Flag officers small fleets

Included: File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, The senior admiral to fly the union flag main mast unless he was Lord Admiral in which case the royal standard is flown. The second in command vice admiral to fly a union flag at the fore mast and third in command rear admiral a union flag flown at the mizzen mast. Note: Small fleets that consisted of three squadrons the admirals commanding were instructed to fly the above command flags in their correct positions.


Flag officers large fleets

Included: File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1625 to 1649. File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Admiral of the Blue Squadron command flag 1625 to 1649. File:Flag Vice Admiral of the Red 1702 to 1805.png, Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron command flag 1625 to 1649. Order of precedence The squadrons ranked in order red, white, and blue, with admirals ranked according to their squadron with their command flags flown in their respective positions : # Admiral of the Fleet # Admiral of the white #
Admiral of the blue The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
#
Vice-Admiral of the red Vice-admiral of the Red was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank admiral of the Blue (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral ...
(no rank of admiral of the red until 1805) # Vice admiral of the white # Vice admiral of the blue # Rear-admiral of the red #
Rear-Admiral of the White The Rear-Admiral of the White was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-admiral of the red (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, ...
#
Rear-Admiral of the Blue The Rear-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-Admiral of the White. Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral and adm ...
# Commodore of the red #
Commodore of the white Commodore (Cdre) is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain (Royal Navy), captain and below Rear admiral (Royal Navy), rear admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier (United Kingdom), brigadier in the Brit ...
# Commodore of the blue


Changes in command flags commonwealth of England from (1649 to 1660)

Following the execution of
Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of ...
, the royal standard was replaced by the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
standard, with the cross and harp this was used as the main command flag for the General's at Sea together with a designated squadron ensign. :Included: Generals at Sea in command of the red squadron File:Flag of the Commonwealth (1649-1651).svg, Flag of the commonwealth flown at the main mast. File:Red Ensign English Navy (1625-1707 ).png, Red ensign flown at the aft mast. File:Commonwealth Standard RMG L4481.tiff, Flag dating to 1652–54, currently held by the
Royal Museums Greenwich Royal Museums Greenwich is an organisation comprising four museums in Greenwich, east London, illustrated below. The Royal Museums Greenwich Foundation is a Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital use of 'Limited' exemption, co ...
. Generals at Sea in command of the white squadron File:Flag of the Commonwealth (1649-1651).svg, Flag of the commonwealth flown at the main mast. File:English White Ensign 1620.svg, White ensign flown at the aft mast. Generals at Sea in command of the blue squadron File:Flag of the Commonwealth (1649-1651).svg, Flag of the commonwealth flown at the main mast. File:Blue Ensign English navy 1625 to 1707.png, Blue ensign flown at the aft mast. Vice Admiral of the Fleets squadron File:Flag Admirals of the Red Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain red flag flown at the main mast. File:Red Ensign English Navy (1625-1707 ).png, Red ensign flown at the aft mast. Vice Admiral of the Grand squadron File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain white flag flown at the main mast. File:English White Ensign 1620.svg, White ensign flown at the aft mast. Rear Admiral of the Fleet (Blue) acting as Vice Admiral of the Grand squadron File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain white flag flown at the main mast. File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain blue flag flown at the fore mast. File:Blue Ensign English navy 1625 to 1707.png, Blue ensign flown at the aft mast. Note: During this period the rest of the commonwealth fleet was divided into nine formations each assigned red, white and blue colours that included plain flags and the coloured ensigns. At the
Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...


Previous command flags re-established (1660 to 1702)

In 1660 the all previous command flags used during the commonwealth period were changed back to what they were from 1627 to 1649. However during this period we see the introduction of the post of
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore, a ...
being initially recognized (though not formally) in November 1674. The
Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...
on the advice of the
Navy Board The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...
approved the use of the first pendant (later known as a pennant) to denote the command flag of senior officer in charge of a small squadron under a captain as a plain red pendant. The use of the flag became known as ''The Distinction Pendant to denote a Commander-in-Chief who did not hold flag rank''. In January 1684 a proposal was put forward to distinguish two senior officers in a small squadron based on their age difference and relevant naval experience it recommended the issuing of two pendants a plain red of distinction with a white cross for the officer of distinction and a smaller plain red for the officer of the ordinary this separating of two types of commodores would evolve into those of the first class and second class. In 1734 the title of commodore was formally approved by an
Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...
. In 1806 the temporary flag rank of Commodore was to be distinguished by a 'Broad Plain Pennant' of either red, white or blue. The ordinary commodore commanding a ship themselves would have the same coloured pennants but with a single large white ball near the staff. Below for illustrative purpose is what they might have looked like. Note: Perrin (1922) in his descriptions of admirals command flags does not mention the commodore ordinary of the white squadrons pendant in relation to the 1805 changes thus we must assume that as the Red and Blue squadrons officers were changed to large white balls; the white squadron had to have a large red ball. File:Flag Commodore Distinction Royal Navy (1674).jpg, Commodore distinction red squadron 1674 . File:Pennant of a Commodore First Class (Royal Navy).svg, Commodore distinction white squadron 1674 File:Flag Commodore Distinction Royal Navy (1684).png , Commodore distinction pendant 1684. File:Flag Commodore Ordinary Royal Navy (1684).png, Commodore ordinary pendant 1684. File:Flag Commodore Ordinary Red Squadron Royal Navy (1805).png , Commodore ordinary red squadron 1805. File:UK-Navy-OF6-Flag.svg, Commodore ordinary white squadron 1805. File:Commodore Ordinary Royal Navy (1805).jpg, Commodore ordinary blue squadron 1805.


Changes in command flags in February (1702)

Included: :In February 1702 the
Senior Naval Lord Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
Sir
George Rooke Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke (1650 – 24 January 1709) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and again at the Battle of Schooneveld during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. As a captain, ...
sent instructions to the
Navy Board The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...
requesting a new structure for command flags to be flown. Lord High Admiral File:Royal Standard of England (1603-1649).svg, Lord Admiral the Royal standard flown at the main mast. File:Red Ensign English Navy (1625-1707 ).png, Red ensign flown at the aft mast. Vice and Rear Admirals in red squadron File:Flag Admirals of the Red Squadron Royal Navy.png, Vice and Rear Admirals of the Lord Admirals squadron fly plain red flags at the main mast . File:Red Ensign English Navy (1625-1707 ).png, Red ensign flown at the aft mast. Admiral of the White File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, Flag of the union at the main mast. File:English White Ensign 1620.svg, White ensign flown at the aft mast. Vice and Rear Admirals in white squadron File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, Vice Admiral fly's union flag at the fore mast and Rear Admiral of the squadron fly's the union flag at the mizzen mast. File:English White Ensign 1620.svg, Both flag officers the white ensign flown at the aft mast. Admiral of the Blue File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Plain blue flag flown at the fore mast File:Blue Ensign English navy 1625 to 1707.png, Blue ensign flown at the aft mast.


Changes in command flags from March (1702 to 1864)

On 24 March 1702 the
First Lord of the Admiralty The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
instructed the Senior Naval Lord Admiral
Sir George Rooke Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke (1650 – 24 January 1709) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and again at the Battle of Schooneveld during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. As a captain, h ...
and
Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...
to have designed new command flags for flag officers. These would remain in place with some minor changes until 1805 when the rank of Admiral of the Red is introduced and included the following:


Admiral of the Fleet

:Flag of the union flown at main topgallant masthead as his proper flag. The Union flag was used as a maritime flag in 1606 during the reign of
James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
(of Scotland 1567-1625, of England and Ireland 1603-1625), the Union of the Crowns taking place in 1603. File:Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg, Admiral of the Fleet to fly the Union Flag of the Union later Great Britain (1606–1801) as his proper flag. File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg, Admiral of the Fleet to fly the Union Flag of the United Kingdom (1801–current) as his proper flag.


Admirals

:Flags flown at main topgallant masthead as his proper flag. File:Flag Admirals of the Red Squadron Royal Navy.png, Admiral of the Red Squadron command flag 1805 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom. File:Flag Admirals of the White Squadron Royal Navy.png, Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1625 to 1702 for use in the Kingdom of England and Great Britain. File:Flag Admiral of the White 1702 to 1864.png, Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1702 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. File:Flag Admirals of the Blue Squadron Royal Navy.png, Admiral of the Blue Squadron command flag 1625 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom.


Vice Admirals

:Flags flown at the fore topgallant masthead as his proper flag. File:Flag Vice Admiral of the Red 1702 to 1805.png, Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron command flag 1702 to 1805 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain. File:Flag Vice Admiral of Red 1805 to 1864.png, Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron command flag 1805 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. File:Flag Vice Admiral of the White 1702 to 1805.png, Vice Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1702 to 1805 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain. File:Flag Vice Admiral of the White 1805 to 1864.png, Vice Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1805 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. File:Flag Vice Admiral of the Blue 1702 to 1864.png, Vice Admiral of the Blue Squadron command flag 1702 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom.


Rear Admirals

:Flags flown at the mizzen topgallant masthead as his proper flag. File:Flag Rear Admiral of the Red 1702 to 1864.png, Rear Admiral of the Red Squadron command flag 1702 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. File:Flag Rear Admiral of the White 1702 to 1805.png, Rear Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1702 to 1805 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. File:Flag Rear Admiral of the White 1805 to 1864.png, Rear Admiral of the White Squadron command flag 1805 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. File:Flag Rear Admiral of the Blue 1702 to 1864.png, Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron command flag 1702 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom.


Commodores

: Broad pennants flown at the mizzen topgallant masthead as his proper flag. Included: File:Flag Commodore of the Red 1702 to 1864.png, Commodore first class Red Squadron command flag 1826 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom. File:Pennant of a Commodore First Class (Royal Navy).svg, Commodore first class White Squadron command flag 1826 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and United Kingdom. File:Flag Commodore of the Blue 1702 to 1864.png, Commodore second class all squadrons a plain blue command flag 1826 to 1864 for use in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. ; Order of precedence from 1805 The squadrons ranked in order red, white, and blue, with admirals ranked according to their squadron with their command flags flown in their respective positions: # Admiral of the Fleet #
Admiral of the red The Admiral of the Red was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the Fleet (see order of precedence below). The rank did not exist prior to 1805, as the admiral commanding the Red ...
# Admiral of the white #
Admiral of the blue The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
# Vice admiral of the red # Vice admiral of the white #
Vice-Admiral of the blue The Vice-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Vice-Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, re ...
# Rear-admiral of the red #
Rear-Admiral of the White The Rear-Admiral of the White was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-admiral of the red (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, ...
#
Rear-Admiral of the Blue The Rear-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-Admiral of the White. Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral and adm ...
# Commodore of the red #
Commodore of the white Commodore (Cdre) is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain (Royal Navy), captain and below Rear admiral (Royal Navy), rear admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier (United Kingdom), brigadier in the Brit ...
# Commodore of the blue


Changes in command flags and standardized from (1864-current)


Admirals of the Fleet

File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg, Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1864.


Admirals

File:Flag of Admiral - Royal Navy.svg, Admiral of the Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1864


Vice Admirals

File:Flag of Vice-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg, Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1864


Rear Admirals

File:Flag of Rear-Admiral - Royal Navy.svg, Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1864


Commodores

Included: File:Pennant of a Commodore First Class (Royal Navy).svg, Commodore first class of the Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1864-1954 File:UK-Navy-OF6-Flag.svg, Commodore second class of the Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1864-1954 File:UK-Navy-OF6-Flag.svg, Commodore of the Royal Navy command flag for use in the United Kingdom from 1954


Current standards and definitions for flying command flags (2015)

The following official instructions issued by the
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, 1 April 2015. ; The Royal Standard # The Royal Standard, being the personal flag of the Sovereign, is to be hoisted on board HM ships and on official buildings and enclosures only when the Sovereign is present. ; Lord High Admiral # The Flag of the Lord High Admiral. The flag of the Lord High Admiral is to be hoisted, on occasions when the Lord High Admiral (office currently vacant), is present with any body of Royal Naval or Royal Marines forces, afloat or ashore, and on such other maritime occasions as The Lord High Admiral may command. Flag Officers # Admirals: Flags. Admirals of the Fleet, former First Sea Lords and Admirals who are or have been Chief of Defence Staff are to fly the Union Flag at the main when embarked in one of HM Ships or visiting one of HM establishments. The incumbent First Sea Lord is to fly the flag of an Admiral. The flag of an Admiral is to be flown at the main whilst other Flag Officers are to fly their flags at the fore. The flag of an Admiral is to take precedence over the flags of Admirals who are former First Sea Lords and former Admirals who have been Chief of Defence Staff when embarked at the same time unless otherwise directed. Commodores # Commodores’ Broad Pennants: Commodores are to fly their broad pennant at the fore. Commodores RNR on the Active List are to fly their broad pennant in the ship or establishment to which they are affiliated.


Standard squadron colours

Coloured squadrons were established as early as the 1580s. In 1864, after approximately 368 years, the designation of coloured squadrons and the promotion path of flag officers under this system were abolished.


Descriptions of flags of admirals of the colour

Included: # Lord Admiral and Lord High Admiral of England (royal standard, on three occasions the admiralty anchor flag to 1702) # Admiral of the Fleet (flag of England or union flag or royal standard if instructed to fly it or flag of the commonwealth of England to 1864) # Admiral of the Red (plain red flag 1805 to 1864) # Admiral of the White (plain white flag 1625 to 1705) # Admiral of the White (St George flag 1702 to 1864) # Admiral of the Blue (plain blue flag 1625 to 1864) # Vice-Admiral of the Red (plain red flag 1702 to 1805) # Vice-Admiral of the Red (plain red flag with one white ball in the upper left canton from 1805 to 1864) # Vice-Admiral of the White (St George cross with one blue ball in the upper left canton from 1702 to 1805) # Vice-Admiral of the White (St George cross with one red ball in the upper left canton from 1805 to 1864) # Rear-Admiral of the Blue (plain blue flag with one white ball in the upper left canton from 1702 to 1864) # Rear-Admiral of the Red (plain red flag with two white balls in the upper left canton from 1702 to 1864) # Rear-Admiral of the White (St George cross with two blue balls in the upper left canton from 1702 to 1805) # Rear-Admiral of the White (St George cross with two white balls in the upper left canton from 1805 to 1864) # Rear-Admiral of the Blue (plain blue flag with two white balls in the upper left canton from 1702 to 1864) # Commodore of the Red first class (plain red broad pennant from 1826 to 1864) # Commodore of the White first class (cross of St George on a white broad pennant 1826 to 1864) # Commodore of the White second class (cross of St George with a red ball in the upper left canton on a white broad pennant 1864 to 1954) # Commodore of the Blue second class all squadrons (plain blue broad pennant from 1826 to 1864) Note:''First and second class commodore ranks were introduced in 1826 the first class commodore commanded captains and ships the second class commodore flew a different broad pennant when on board a ship and in command himself.'' Rank flags from 1864 # Admiral of the Fleet (union flag from 1864–present) # Admiral (cross of st George from 1864–present) # Vice-Admiral (cross of st George with a larger single red ball upper left canton) # Rear-Admiral (of cross of st George with two larger red balls upper left canton) # Commodore (cross of st George on a white broad pennant 1954–present) # Commodore first class (cross of St George on a white broad pennant 1864-1954) # Commodore second class (cross of St George with a red ball in the upper left canton on a white broad pennant 1864 to 1954)


See also

*
Maritime flag A maritime flag is a flag designated for use on ships, boats, and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown is related to the country ...
* Glossary of flag terms *
William Gordon Perrin Lieutenant Colonel William Gordon Perrin, OBE (1874–1931) was an RAF and Navy officer, and the Admiralty librarian from 1908 to 1931. He is most well known for his works on flags; particularly ''British Flags: Their Early History, and Their Dev ...


Notes


References


Citations


Sources

* Admiralty, Great Britain (1757). "III". Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea (IX ed.). London, England. . * Admiralty, Great Britain (1862). "XI: Distinguishing Flags". The Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy: Revised ... London, England: H.M.Stationery office. * Childs, David (2014). "Captain and Commanders". The Warship Mary Rose: The Life and Times of King Henry VII's Flagship. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. . * Defence, Ministry of (2015) "Queens Regulations for the Royal Navy: Chapter 91" (PDF). royalnavy.mod.uk. London, England: Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom. * Grieve, Martin; Raeside, Rob; Southworthy, Christopher (2003). "United Kingdom: Royal Navy rank flags". International Federation of Vexillological Associations. * Oppenheim, Michael (1896). "Elizabeth (1558-1603)". A history of the administration of the royal navy and of merchant shipping in relation to the navy, from MDIX to MDCLX, with an introduction treating of the preceding period. London, England and New York, USA: London, New York, J. Lane. * Perrin, W. G. (William Gordon) (1922). "Flags of Command: Admirals Flags". British flags, their early history, and their development at sea; with an account of the origin of the flag as a national device. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. * Squadron Colours" (2014), (PDF).
National Museum of the Royal Navy The National Museum of the Royal Navy was created in early 2009 to act as a single non-departmental public body for the museums of the Royal Navy. With venues across the United Kingdom, the museums detail the history of the Royal Navy operating o ...
. ; Attribution * This article contains a supporting note compiled from copied content in relation to this article
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. ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Command flags of the Royal Navy Royal Navy lists Royal Navy command