Flag of United Kingdom
The flag of United Kingdom has a blue background with a white cross running diagonally across it. The white cross is superimposed by another red cross running diagonally across the flag with less thickness compared to the white cross. The red cross is slightly offset so that the thickness of white varies on either side. The red cross is superimposed by another red cross which runs across the flag. The cross is edged in white on both sides.
The first white cross on blue represents Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland), the red cross superimposed on white cross represents Cross of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) and the uppermost red cross edged in white represents Saint George (patron saint of England).
The flag was adopted on January 1, 1801. The flag is sometimes also called as 'Union Flag' and is nicknamed 'Union Jack'.
Specifications
The width of the flag should be twice as its height. It consists of intersecting and overlaid red and white vertical and diagonal crosses on a blue background.
The original design adopted in 1606 had the St. George’s cross outlined in white superimposed on top of St. Andrew’s flag. This had a white diagonal cross on a blue field. When Ireland became part of the Union in 1801, St. Patrick’s cross was added to the flag to represent the new state. It was added in such a way that neither St. Andrew’s cross or St. Patrick’s cross appear to be superior than the other. Thus, on the hoist quarters, the white St. Andrew’s cross is superior; while on the fly quarters, the red St. Patrick’s cross is superior.
Colors
Scheme |
Red |
Blue |
White |
Pantone |
186 |
280 |
Safe |
CMYK |
C0 M91 Y76 K6 |
C100 M72 Y0 K18.5 |
Safe |
RGB |
204-0-0 |
0-0-102 |
255-255-255 |
History
1606 – 1801
When King James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I of England in 1603, England and Scotland were united to become one kingdom. On April 12, 1606, a royal decree was issued to create a flag representing this regal union of the two crowns. It specified that the flags of England and Scotland would be joined together. At that time, England was represented by the St. George's Cross, a red cross with a white background. Scotland was represented by Saint Andrew's Cross that featured a white saltire on a blue background.
The ensuing flag from the combination was originally used only at sea for civilian and naval ships. Its use was later restricted to the monarch’s ships by King Charles I in 1634. The flag was abandoned in 1649 when England became a commonwealth. It was later restored to be used in the King’s ships after the restoration in 1660. The flag finally gained recognition as “the ensign armorial of the United Kingdom of Great Britain” as specified in the Act of Union in 1707.
The flag also forms the basic design of the current British flag.
Other Proposed Versions
Other designs for a common flag were proposed after the union of England and Scotland as both states found something disagreeable with the design. However, these proposed flags were rarely or never used. Some of the proposed versions were:
- Saint George’s cross with Saint Andrew’s cross in the canton;
- Saint George’s cross with a Saint Andrew’s cross in each quarter; and
- Saint George’s cross with a Saint Andrew’s cross at the center.
The 1801 Flag
The current design of the Union Flag was adopted on January 1, 1801. The need for a new flag was the result of the Act of Union of 1800 which united the Kingdom of Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britain. The unification resulted in the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The new flag design had Ireland’s Saint Patrick’s cross laid on top of the Saint George’s cross with the saltire of Saint Andrew placed beneath the two.
Status
The Union Flag has become the national Flag of the United Kingdom through usage as no law has been passed to legalize its status. The first recalled acknowledgment as a national flag came from Parliament in 1908. An additional categorical statement was made by the Home Secretary in 1933, stating that the Union Jack is the national flag. However, the Union Flag is still officially the flag of the monarch, and not of the country.
The Union Flag is used as a jack by commissioned Royal Navy warships and certain Army and Royal Air force vessels. The flag is worn underway if the ship is dressed for a particular occasion or flown masthead to signify the presence of an Admiral of the Fleet and the British monarch onboard. Civilian use of the flag is permitted, but non-naval or non-military use at sea is forbidden.
Other Nations and Colonies
The Union Flag was often found in the upper left-hand corner of the flags of many UK colonies. The background or fields of these flags were often the color of the naval ensign flown by the navy squadron that patrolled those regions. Some of the nations and colonies that had featured the Union Flag for some time or stage of their history included the following:
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Nations and regions that have incorporated the Union Flag into their national and official flags were the following:
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