The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' national
flag of the United Kingdom
The national flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Jack, also known as the Union Flag.
The design of the Union Jack dates back to the Act of Union 1801 which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in pe ...
. 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. It is sometimes asserted that the term ''Union Jack'' properly refers only to naval usage, but this assertion was dismissed by the
Flag Institute
The Flag Institute is a UK membership organisation headquartered in Kingston upon Hull, England, concerned with researching and promoting the use and design of flags. It documents flags in the UK and internationally, maintains a UK Flag Registr ...
in 2013 following historical investigations. The flag has official status in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag.
It is the national flag of all
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
, being localities within the British state, or realm, although local flags have also been authorised for most, usually comprising the blue or red ensign with the Union Flag in the
canton and
defaced with the distinguishing arms of the territory. These may be flown in place of, or along with (but taking precedence after) the national flag. Governors of British Overseas Territories have their own personal flags, which are the Union Flag with the distinguishing arms of the colony at the centre. The Union Flag also appears in the
canton (upper flagpole-side quarter) of the flags of several nations and territories that are former British possessions or
dominion
The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire.
"Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
s, as well as in the flag of the US State of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, which has no such connection.
The origins of the earlier
flag of Great Britain
The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as King's Colours, the first Union Flag, the Union Jack, or the British flag, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801. It was the first flag of Great Britain. It is the precursor ...
date back to 1606.
King James VI of Scotland
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 hi ...
had inherited the English and Irish thrones in 1603 as James I, thereby
uniting the crowns of
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in a
personal union
A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...
, 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
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 ...
, a red cross on a white background, known as
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 ...
, and the
flag of Scotland
The flag of Scotland ( gd, bratach na h-Alba; sco, Banner o Scotland, also known as St Andrew's Cross or the Saltire) is the national flag of Scotland, which consists of a white saltire Defacement (flag), defacing a blue field. The Saltire, r ...
, a white
saltire
A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...
(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
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in 1801.
The flag combines aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of
St George
Saint George (Greek language, Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin language, Latin: Georgius, Arabic language, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christians, Christian who is venerated as a sa ...
for the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of
St Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...
for
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 ...
and the
red saltire of
St Patrick
Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...
to represent
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Although the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
is no longer part of the United Kingdom,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
is.
There are no
symbols representing Wales in the flag, making
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 ...
the only
home nation
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on context. Politically it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). In sport, if a sport is g ...
with no direct representation, as at the time of the
Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 ( cy, Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nghymru 1535 a 1542) were Acts of the Parliament of England, and were the parliamentary measures by which Wales was annexed to the Kingdom of England. Moreover, the legal sys ...
(creating legal union with England) the concept of
national flags
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
was in its infancy. The
Welsh Dragon
The Welsh Dragon ( cy, y Ddraig Goch, meaning 'the red dragon'; ) is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales.
As an emblem, the red dragon of Wales has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of ...
was however adopted as a
supporter
In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up.
Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the coro ...
in the
royal coat of 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 ...
used by the
Tudor dynasty
The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and it ...
from 1485.
Terminology
![HMS Cornwall F99 July 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/HMS_Cornwall_F99_July_2006.jpg)
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
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
flag on a ship is a matter of debate.
According to the
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
: "Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms (Wales had been annexed into
The Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On 12 ...
under the
Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 ( cy, Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nghymru 1535 a 1542) were Acts of the Parliament of England, and were the parliamentary measures by which Wales was annexed to the Kingdom of England. Moreover, the legal sys ...
). This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
. 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."
The etymology of "Jack" in this context reaches back to Middle German. The suffix ''-kin'' was used in Middle Dutch and Middle German as a
diminutive
A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...
.
Examples occur in both
Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
and
Langland though the form is unknown in Old English.
''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.
The two were combined in the Middle Dutch ''Janke'', whence Middle French ''Jakke'' and Middle English ''Jack''.
Jack came to be used to identify all manner of particularly small objects or small versions of larger ones. The
OED
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
has definition 21 "Something insignificant, or smaller than the normal size" and gives examples from 1530 to 2014 of this usage.
Further examples in the compounds section at 2b illustrate this.
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".
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 yo
r Jack at yo
r Boultspritt end and yo
r Pendant and yo
r Ordinance" 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.
Also later a short flagpole was placed in the bows of a ship to fly the jack, this became known as the ''jackstaff''.
According to the
Flag Institute
The Flag Institute is a UK membership organisation headquartered in Kingston upon Hull, England, concerned with researching and promoting the use and design of flags. It documents flags in the UK and internationally, maintains a UK Flag Registr ...
, a membership-run
vexillological
Vexillology ( ) is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.Smith, Whitney. ''Flags Through the Ages and Across the World'' New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print. The word is a synth ...
charity, "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."
The institute has also stated: 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'.
However, the authoritative ''A Complete Guide to Heraldry'' published in 1909 by
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (28 February 1871 – 19 May 1928) was a British expert on heraldry. His ''Complete Guide to Heraldry'', published in 1909, has become a standard work on heraldry in England. A barrister by profession, Fox-Davies worke ...
uses the term "Union Jack".
The term "Union Flag" is used in
King Charles I's 1634 proclamation:
and in
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
's proclamation of 1 January 1801 concerning the arms and flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland:
![Development of The Union Jack](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Development_of_The_Union_Jack.gif)
When the first flag representing Britain was introduced on the
proclamation
A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...
of
King James 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 ...
in 1606, it became known simply as the "British flag" or the "flag of Britain". The royal proclamation gave no distinctive name to the new flag. The word "jack" was in use before 1600 to describe the
maritime bow flag.
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.
A proclamation issued by King George III at the time of the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
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.
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".
The size and power 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 ...
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
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...
, 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.
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
,
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...
from 1940 to 1945, referred to the flag of the United Kingdom as the Union Jack. In March 1899, Churchill wrote to
his mother
''His Mother'' is a 1912 American silent film produced by Kalem Company. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Gene Gauntier and Jack J. Clark in the leading roles. It was one of more than a dozen films produced by the Kalem Company filmed in Ir ...
from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
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
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
crossed on the cover to be suited to one of
Harmsworth's cheap Imperialist productions."
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". 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
The jack of the United States, known as the Union Jack, is a maritime flag representing U.S. nationality, flown on the jackstaff in the bow of U.S. vessels that are moored or anchored. The U.S. Navy is a prime user of jacks for its warships an ...
specifically refers to the flag flown from the jackstaff of a warship, auxiliary or other U.S. governmental entity.
The ''Butcher's Apron'' is a
pejorative
A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
term for the flag, common among
Irish republicans
Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate.
The developm ...
, citing the blood-streaked appearance of the flag and referring to atrocities committed in Ireland and other countries under British colonial rule. In 2006,
Sandra White
Sandra White (born 17 August 1951) is a retired Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. She was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow electoral region from 1999 until 2011, and then the MSP for the Glasgow Kelvin constitue ...
, a
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The ad ...
, 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.
In the
Chinese language
Chinese (, especially when referring to written Chinese) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and many minority ethnic groups in Greater China. About 1.3 billion people (or approximately 16% of the wor ...
, the flag has the nickname ''Rice-Character Flag'' (米字旗;
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...
: ''mǐzìqí'',
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
Jyutping
Jyutping is a romanisation system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK), an academic group, in 1993. Its formal name is the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme. The LSHK advocates for ...
: ''mai5zi6kei4''), since the pattern looks like the Chinese character for "rice" (米).
Design
![UnionJack Construction Per 1801 Blazon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/UnionJack_Construction_Per_1801_Blazon.svg)
The current flag's design has been in use since 1801. Its original
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
, as decreed by
George III of the United Kingdom
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until Acts of Union 1800, the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was ...
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 iz., argent surmounted by the cross of St. George of the third iz., gules fimbriated as the saltire iz., argent"
Specification
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 1:2 is for most purposes. In 2008, MP
Andrew Rosindell
Andrew Richard Rosindell MP (; born 17 March 1966) is a British Conservative politician. He became the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Romford constituency in Greater London in 2001.
He has been the international director of the European ...
proposed a
Ten Minute Rule
The Ten Minute Rule, also known as Standing Order No. 23, is a procedure in the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the introduction of Private Member's Bills in addition to the 20 per session normally permissible. It is one of the ways in whi ...
bill to standardise the design of the flag at 3:5, but the bill did not proceed past the first reading.
![Flag of the United Kingdom (construction sheet)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_%281-2%29_%28construction_sheet%29.svg)
The three-component crosses that make up the Union Flag are sized as follows:
* The red
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 ...
width is of the flag's height with a flag height
fimbriation
In heraldry and vexillology, fimbriation is the placement of small stripes of contrasting colour around common charges or ordinaries, usually in order for them to stand out from the background, but often simply due to the designer's subjective ...
* The white diagonal
St Andrew's Cross width is of the flag's height, visible on either side of the St Patrick's Cross in diagonals of and of the flag's height, respectively.
* The red diagonal
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 ...
width is of the flag's height. It is offset by of the flag's height in an anti-clockwise direction. 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
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 ...
. In this interpretation, the width of both saltires is of the flag's height, with fimbriations of 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.
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. In the 19th century, the Union flag was defined by the same blazon but could vary in its geometrical proportions.
Colours
The colour specifications for the colours blue, red, and white are:
All
HEX,
CMYK
The CMYK color model (also known as process color, or four color) is a subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. The abbreviation ''CMYK'' refers ...
and
RGB
The RGB color model is an additive color model in which the red, green and blue primary colors of light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three addi ...
specifications for the
Pantone
Pantone LLC (stylized as PANTONE) is a limited liability company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, notably graphic ...
colours are taken from the official Pantone website on the webpages of the corresponding colours. Although the colour schemes 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
![Vertical_Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Vertical_Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg)
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''. Note that 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
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
s). As it appears in the ''
London Gazette
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
'', the broad stripe is where expected for three of the four quarters, but the upper left quarter shows the broad stripe below.
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.
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
Wen Jiabao (born 15 September 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the Premier of the State Council from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, Wen was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy ...
. The error had been spotted by readers of the BBC News website who had contacted the BBC after seeing a photograph of the event.
Other ratios
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.
The 3:5 version is most commonly used by the British Army and is sometimes known as the
War flag
A war flag, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard, is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countri ...
. 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 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
The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...
are square and have a square Union Flag in the canton.
The
Queen's Colours of Army regiments are ; on them, the bars of the cross and saltire are of equal width; so are their respective fimbriations, which are very narrow.
In South Africa, the Union Jacks flown alongside the National Flag between 1928 and 1957 were 2:3 flags.
History
In 1603,
James VI of Scotland
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 hi ...
inherited the
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On 1 ...
(and the newly created
client state
A client state, in international relations, is a state that is economically, politically, and/or militarily subordinate to another more powerful state (called the "controlling state"). A client state may variously be described as satellite state, ...
, the
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
) as James I, thereby
uniting the crowns in a
personal union
A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...
. With Wales annexed into the
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.
On 1 ...
under the
Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 ( cy, Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nghymru 1535 a 1542) were Acts of the Parliament of England, and were the parliamentary measures by which Wales was annexed to the Kingdom of England. Moreover, the legal sys ...
, James now ruled over all of the island of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, which he frequently described as a unified kingdom though the Kingdom of England and the
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a la ...
would not actually unify until 1707.
In the wake of this personal union, several designs for a new flag were drawn up, juxtaposing the
Saint 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 ...
and the
St Andrew's Saltire, but none were acceptable to James:
[ ]
Graphic
archive of Graphic
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,
forming the flag of Great Britain and first union flag:
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.
In 1634,
King Charles I restricted its use to the royal ships.
After 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 ...
, the flag gained a regularised status as "the ensign armorial of 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 ...
", 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
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
" blue (
Pantone
Pantone LLC (stylized as PANTONE) is a limited liability company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, notably graphic ...
280), which can be traced to the colour used for the
Blue Ensign
The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or Defacement (flag), defaced with a Heraldic badge, ...
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 ...
'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, 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
In heraldry and vexillology, fimbriation is the placement of small stripes of contrasting colour around common charges or ordinaries, usually in order for them to stand out from the background, but often simply due to the designer's subjective ...
, 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
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
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.''
![Flag of the Commonwealth (1658-1660)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Flag_of_the_Commonwealth_%281658-1660%29.svg)
The
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
, which had existed as a personal union with England since 1541, was unrepresented in the original versions of the Union Jack.
[ However, the flag of the Protectorate from 1658 to 1660 was escutcheon (heraldry), inescutcheoned with the arms of Ireland. These were removed at English Restoration, the Restoration, because Charles II of England, Charles II disliked them.
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 and can be seen flying from their George Street, Edinburgh, George Street headquarters in Edinburgh.
This version of the Union Jack is also shown in the canton (flag), 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.
''Lord Howe's action, or the Glorious First of June'', painted in 1795, shows a Union flying from 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.
The flag is also flown beside Customs House, Sydney, Customs House in Loftus Street, Sydney, to mark the approximate location at which Arthur Phillip, 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.
]
Other proposed versions
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. 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.
Scottish Union Flag
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, Earl of Mar (1558–1634), 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''". 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. This flag's design is also described in the 1704 edition of ''The Present State of the Universe'' by John Beaumont (geologist), 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''.
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 (adjective), Scotch'' (to use the appropriate adjective of that period) version of the Union Flag flying from the Palace block of the Castle. On the ''North Prospect of the City of Edenburgh'' engraving, the flag is indistinct.
On 17 April 1707, just two weeks prior to the Acts of Union 1707, 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 Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne and her Privy Council of England, Privy Council for consideration, the flag for the soon to be unified 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 ...
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''".[ ] However, the Queen and her Council approved Sir Henry's original effort, numbered "one".
A manuscript compiled in 1785 by William Fox and in possession of the Flag Research Center includes a full plate showing "''the scoth ' 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.
1801–2000
The current and second Union Jack dates from 1 January 1801 with the Act of Union 1800, which merged 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 ...
and the Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The new design added a red saltire
A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...
, the Saint Patrick's Flag, cross of Saint Patrick, for Ireland. This is counterchanging, 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 #Specification, 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. 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.
Flag speculation after Irish Free State establishment
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:
There was some speculation on the matter in British dominions also, with one New Zealand paper reporting that:
However, the fact that it was likely that Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
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." Though remaining within the United Kingdom, the new government of Northern Ireland dispensed with the St Patrick's Saltire in favour of Ulster banner, a new flag derived from the House of Burke, coat-of-arms of the Burkes, Earls of Ulster, and quite similar to England's St George's Cross.
Ultimately, when the British home secretary was asked on 7 December 1922 (the day after the Irish Free State was established) whether the Garter Principal King of Arms, 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.
A Question Time, Dáil question in 1961 mooted raising the removal of the cross of St Patrick with the British government; Frank Aiken, the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Irish Minister for External Affairs, declined to "waste time on heraldic disputations".
21st century
Proposed new Union Flag
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 Member of the Scottish Parliament, MSP Phil Gallie as "ridiculous tokenism [that] would do nothing to stamp out racism". The campaign is now defunct.
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
The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as King's Colours, the first Union Flag, the Union Jack, or the British flag, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801. It was the first flag of Great Britain. It is the precursor ...
was created in 1606. Since there is no Welsh element in the Union Jack, Wrexham's Labour Party (UK), Labour Member of Parliament, MP Ian Lucas proposed on 26 November 2007 in a House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons debate that the Union Flag be combined with the Flag of Wales, Welsh flag to reflect Wales's status within the UK, and that the Welsh Dragon, red dragon be added to the Union Flag's red, white, and blue pattern. He said the Union Jack currently only represented the other three UK nations, and Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 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.
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.
Status in the United Kingdom
The Union Jack is used as a jack
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
by commissioned warships and submarines 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 ...
, and by commissioned British Army, army and Royal Air Force vessels. When at anchor or alongside, it is flown from the jackstaff at the Bow (ship), 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 (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet. 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". A more categorical statement was made by Secretary of State for the Home Department, Home Secretary Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet, 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."
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 of England, 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." It remains a criminal offence under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 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."
On 5 February 2008, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) Andrew Rosindell
Andrew Richard Rosindell MP (; born 17 March 1966) is a British Conservative politician. He became the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Romford constituency in Greater London in 2001.
He has been the international director of the European ...
introduced the 'Union Flag Bill' as a private member's bill under the Ten Minute Rule, 10 Minute Rule in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The Bill sought to formalise the position of the Union Flag as the flag of the United Kingdom, 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. The Bill stated "Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack)" in subsection 1(1), but otherwise uses the term "Union Flag".
Flag days
In July 2007, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled plans to have the Union Flag flown more often from government buildings. While consultation on new guidelines was under way, the decision to fly the flag could be made by each government department. 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.
Previously, the flag was generally only flown on public buildings on days marking the birthdays of members of the British Royal Family, Royal Family, the wedding anniversary of the monarch, Commonwealth Day, Accession Day, Coronation Day, the King's Official Birthday, monarch's official birthday, Remembrance Sunday, and on the days of the State Opening and Legislative session#Common procedure, 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:
* 9 January (Birthday of Catherine, Princess of Wales, The Princess of Wales)
* 20 January (Birthday of Sophie, Countess of Wessex, The Countess of Wessex and Forfar)
* 19 February (Birthday of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, The Duke of York)
* Second Monday in March (Commonwealth Day)
* 10 March (Birthday of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, The Earl of Wessex and Forfar)
* 9 April (Wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, The King and Queen's Wedding Anniversary)
* Second Saturday in June (The King's Official Birthday)
* 21 June (Birthday of William, Prince of Wales, The Prince of Wales)
* 17 July (Birthday of Camilla, Queen Consort, The Queen Consort)
* 4 August (Birthday of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex)
* 15 August (Birthday of Anne, Princess Royal, The Princess Royal)
* 8 September (Anniversary of the accession of Charles III, The King)
* 15 September (Birthday of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, The Duke of Sussex)
* Second Sunday in November (Remembrance Sunday)
* 14 November (Charles III, The King's Birthday)
it is expected that the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, King's coronation will be on 6 May 2023 which will then become the new coronation flag day.
In addition, the Union Flag was to be flown on the following days in specified areas:
* 1 March (Wales only, for Saint David's Day, St David's Day)
* 17 March (Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
only, for St Patrick's Day)
* 23 April (England only, for Saint George's Day, 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
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.
On 30 November, (Saint Andrew's Day, 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. This difference arose after Member of the Scottish Parliament, 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.
Usage and disposal
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.
The Flags and Heraldry Committee, an all-party parliamentary group lobbying for official standards, cooperated with the Flag Institute
The Flag Institute is a UK membership organisation headquartered in Kingston upon Hull, England, concerned with researching and promoting the use and design of flags. It documents flags in the UK and internationally, maintains a UK Flag Registr ...
in 2010 to publish a set of recommended guidelines for the flag's display and use as a symbol.
There is no specific way in which the Union Flag should be folded Flag of the United States#Folding for storage, 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.
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).
Position of Honour
According to the UK Flag Protocol, the order of precedence of flags in the United Kingdom is: the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, Royal Standards, the Union Flag, the flag of the host country (England, Scotland and Wales etc.), the flags of other nations (in English language, English alphabetical order), the Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth Flag, the county flags, the flags of cities or towns, the banners of arms, and the house flags.
British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
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 Flag of Gibraltar, 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.
Status outside the United Kingdom
Australia
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. From 1911 to 1956, schools in South Australia were required to fly the Union Jack for the "national salute".
In 1953, the Australian blue ensign was named the national flag of Australia, through the ''Flags Act 1953''. 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". 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." 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.
Canada
History
The predecessor to the Union Flag, the flag of Great Britain
The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as King's Colours, the first Union Flag, the Union Jack, or the British flag, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801. It was the first flag of Great Britain. It is the precursor ...
, had been used in British colonies in Canada since its adoption in 1707. The Union Flag served as the formal flag for the various colonies of British North America, and it remained as the formal Flag of Canada#History, flag of Canada after Canadian Confederation, confederation.[ The Union Flag was Canada's formal flag until 1965, although from the late-19th century to 1965, the Canadian Red Ensign was also used as an informal flag of Canada.][
In 1964, the prime minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson, introduced plans to replace the Union Flag with a new national flag, spurring the Great Canadian flag debate.][ The new maple leaf flag was approved by the Parliament of Canada on 17 December 1964.][ However, on the following day, the Canadian parliament passed another resolution that designated the Union Flag as the 'Royal Union Flag', and authorized its official use as the symbol of the country's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and its allegiance to the Crown.] 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,[ with the Royal Union Flag becoming an official ceremonial flag.][
The Union Flag was also the formal flag for the Dominion of Newfoundland, a separate ]dominion
The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire.
"Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
of the British Empire from 1907 to 1949. Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland retained the use of the Union Flag as the official flag of the province after it joined Canadian confederation in 1949. In 1980, the Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador, 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
The parliamentary resolution passed on 18 December 1964 assigned two purposes for the Union Flag in Canada – as a flag representing the United Kingdom, and as an official ceremonial flag of Canada. 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.[
The parliamentary resolution requires the Royal Union Flag to be flown alongside the flag of Canada (if there are at least two flag poles available) at federal government buildings, federally-operated airports, military installations, at the masthead of Royal Canadian Navy ships within Canadian waters, and at other appropriate establishments on Commonwealth Day, Victoria Day (the King's Official Birthday, 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.][
The Royal Union Flag may also be formally flown alongside the flag of Canada at federal locations in Canada in relation to ceremonies, anniversaries, and other events relating to the Canadian Armed Forces, or other forces in the Commonwealth.][ Formal usage of the Royal Union Flag on federal property is permitted only when two or more flag poles are present, to ensure the flag of Canada is not removed.][
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New Zealand
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. 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.[ British maritime flags were used by New Zealand vessels until 1865, with the passage of the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865.][ After which, vessels of the New Zealand government used a defaced blue ensign issued by the colonial government.
The flag of New Zealand, current national flag of New Zealand was given official standing under the New Zealand Ensign Act in 1902, replacing the Union Flag.][ However, the Union Flag continued to see tandem use with the national flag of New Zealand into the 1950s.][
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South Africa
The Union Jack was introduced into South Africa in 1795, and except for the period 1803–06, it was an official flag until 1957.
When the Union of South Africa was established in 1910, the Union Jack was treated as its official flag.
The continued use of the Union Jack as national flag became an issue in the 1920s, when the government proposed to introduce a National Flag of the Union. A compromise was reached in which both flags were flown on official buildings. The Union Nationality and Flags Act 1927 provided that the flags of the Union were (a) the Union Jack, to denote the association with the other members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and (b) the new Flag of South Africa (1928-1994), National Flag. The Union Jack was to be flown alongside the National Flag at the Parliament of South Africa, Houses of Parliament, from the principal government buildings in the capitals, at Union ports, on government offices abroad, and at such other places as the government might determine.[Union Nationality and Flags Act 1927 (renamed 'Flags Act 1927' in 1949).][Radburn, A. 'South Africa's Dual Flag Arrangement, 1928–1957' in]
''SAVA Newsletter''
SN 74/16 (April 2016). This dual arrangement was effective from 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 (Pretoria), the head offices of the four provincial administrations, the Supreme Court of South Africa, supreme courts, certain Magistrate's court (South Africa), magistrates' courts, customs houses, and three buildings in Durban (the general post office, the Durban railway station, railway station, and the local Natal Command, military district headquarters).[''Government Gazette'' 1953 (29 May 1931) : Government Notice 376.]
Under these arrangements, the Union Jack was subordinate to the National Flag. 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.
The flying of the Union Jack alongside the National Flag ended on 6 April 1957.[Flags Amendment Act 1957]
Use outside the Commonwealth
Several individuals residing in countries not a part of the Commonwealth of Nations have adopted the Union Flag as a flag of protest. After the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, British referendum on membership of the European Union resulted in a vote to Brexit, leave, the Union Flag had become a symbol of euroscepticism in Italy. In August 2016, many local businesses along the Italian Riviera, Italian riviera hoisted the flags as a protest against the implementation of the Services in the Internal Market Directive 2006.
Hong Kong
The Union Flag was formerly used in Hong Kong when it was a British Overseas Territory, British Dependent Territory. Official use of the Union Flag and the Flag of Hong Kong (1959–1997), 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 (Hong Kong), pro-democracy camp during the 2014 Hong Kong protests, and the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. The flag has been displayed at other pro-democracy events in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong new year marches, new year marches and the Hong Kong 1 July marches, 1 July marches. Members of the Hong Kong Autonomy Movement, the Hong Kong independence movement and Localism in Hong Kong, Hong Kong localists have been seen wielding the Union Flag or the colonial flag of 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.] 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.[ 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.][
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".] 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.[ 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.][ 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.][
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.][ 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.][
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Use in other flags
Other nations and regions
As the national flag of the entire British Realm, the Union Flag was found in the ''Flag terminology, canton'' (upper flagpole-side quarter) of the Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories, flags of many colonies of Britain, while the ''field (heraldry), field'' (background) of their flags was the colour of the British ensigns#History, naval ensign flown by the particular 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 ...
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 Protectorate, Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Borneo, British rule in Burma, Burma, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, British Ceylon, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), British Cyprus, Cyprus, Dominica, British East Africa, British East Africa (Kenya Colony), Gambia, Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast (Ghana), Grenada, British Guiana, Guiana, British Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Colony of Jamaica, Jamaica, Labuan, Labuan (Malaysia), Lagos, Crown Colony of Malta, Malta, British Mauritius, Mauritius, Colonial Nigeria, Nigeria, Mandatory Palestine, Palestine, Penang, Penang (Malaysia), Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate, Sierra Leone, Singapore, British Somaliland, Somaliland, Union of South Africa, South Africa, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, British Raj, Pre-partitioned India (present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar), Tanganyika (territory), Tanganyika, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda Protectorate, Uganda, the United States, and Weihaiwei under British rule, 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.
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 1987 Fijian coups d'état, 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.
Along with the national flag, many other List of Australian flags, 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 (historical territory), 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.
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 Flag of Hawaii, 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. 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 Flag of Taunton, Massachusetts, 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.
The Union Jack also appeared on both the 1910–1928 and 1928–1994 South African Flag#History, flags of South Africa. The South Africa Red Ensign, 1910–1928 flag was a Red Ensign with the Coat of arms of South Africa (1910–2000), 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 South African Republic, 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 Second French Empire, France, there was also contained the flag of Prussia, 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.
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 List of New Zealand flags#Ensigns, New Zealand and List of Australian flags#Military and naval flags, Australia) with the Union Flag in the canton. Other Commonwealth countries (such as Indian Military Flags, India and List of Jamaican flags#Ensigns, Jamaica) may follow similar ensign etiquette as the UK, replacing the Union Flag with their own national flag.
Other
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 issued to British consul (representative), 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." The Flag Institute listed the white bordered Union Flag as "Civil Jack".
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 Union Jack is the third quartering (heraldry), 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.
In popular culture
The Union Jack remains one of the most instantly-recognisable flags in the world. This is chiefly due not only to its iconic and unusual design, but the influence of Britishness, British Culture of the United Kingdom, culture across the globe as a result of the British Empire, and its resulting presence in several Commonwealth of Nations, 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 Flag of Australia, Australia and Flag of New Zealand, New Zealand have chosen to keep the Union Jack as a symbol of their British heritage.
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 Girls, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's iconic Union Jack dress of the 1997 Brit Awards. 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.
Commonly the Union Flag is used on computer software and Internet pages as an Computer icon, 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, and the Reebok Union Jack has been referred to as a brand icon. Many music artists have used the Union Jack, ranging from rock artists The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Jam, Sex Pistols, David Bowie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Morrissey, Oasis (band), Oasis, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard#Hysteria (1984–1989), Def Leppard, to the pop girl group the Spice Girls#Cool Britannia, Spice Girls.
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 (heraldry), escutcheon cropped from the Union Flag. 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.
The BMW Mini tail lights are shaped after the Union Jack.
Gallery
Union Flag variants 1606–1801
Union Flag in folk art
File:Side by side - Britannia! Britain's Day Dec. 7th 1918 - James Montgomery Flagg 1918 ; American Lithographic Co. N.Y. LCCN2002712329 (cropped).jpg, ''Side by side Britannia!'' 1918 lithograph by James Montgomery Flagg, showing Uncle Sam and Britannia with a Union Jack shield
See also
* Cross
* List of British flags
* Northern Ireland flags issue
* Star of India (flag)
* Union Jack Club, London
* Union mark of Norway and Sweden
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
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External links
*
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 – se
external link
BBC page for 400th anniversary of flag
Monochrome Union Flag not flown to avoid controversy
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.
{{Union Flag, state=collapsed
British Empire
Flags of the United Kingdom,
Flags of Northern Ireland
National symbols of the United Kingdom
Unionism in the United Kingdom
Jacks (flags)
1801 establishments in the United Kingdom
Flags introduced in 1801