Union Jack

"Union Flag" redirects here. For other uses, see Union flag (disambiguation) and Union Jack (disambiguation).

Union Jack
The Union Jack: a red cross over combined red and white saltires, all with white borders, over a dark blue background.
UseNational flag
Proportioncommonly 1:2 or 3:5 and other[1]
Adopted
  • 1606 (origin)
  • 1707 (first version officially adopted)
  • 1 January 1801; 223 years ago (1801-01-01) (current version with St Patrick's Cross adopted)
DesignBlue field on which the Cross of Saint Andrew counterchanged with the Cross of Saint Patrick, over all the Cross of Saint George fimbriated.

The Union Jack[2][3] or Union Flag is the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. The flag continues to have official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag.[4] However, it is commonly referred to in Canada as the Union Jack.

It is sometimes asserted that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage, but this assertion was dismissed by the Flag Institute in 2013 after historical investigations.[5][6][7][note 1] The origins of the earlier flag of Great Britain date from 1606. King James VI of Scotland had inherited the English and Irish thrones in 1603 as James I, thereby uniting the crowns of England, Scotland, and Ireland in a personal union, 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, a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross, and the flag of Scotland, a white saltire (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 flag dates from a royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.[9] The flag combines aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of St George for the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for the Kingdom of Scotland and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland. Although the Republic of Ireland is no longer part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is. There are no symbols representing Wales in the flag, making Wales the only home nation with no direct representation, as at the time of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (creating legal union with England) the concept of national flags was in its infancy. The Welsh Dragon was, however, adopted as a supporter in the royal coat of arms of England used by the Tudor dynasty from 1485.[10]

The flags of British Overseas Territories, as well as certain sovereign states and regions that were previously British possessions, incorporate the Union Jack into their own flag designs or have official flags that are derived from the Union Jack. Many of these flags are blue or red ensigns with the Union Jack in the canton and defaced with the distinguishing arms of the territory. The governors of British Overseas Territories and the Australian states, as well as the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia also have personal standards that incorporate the Union Jack in their design.

  1. ^ College of Arms (2023). "Union Flag: approved designs". Retrieved 23 September 2023. For the avoidance of doubt and the sake of convenience, Garter King of Arms, under the authority of the Earl Marshal, has approved two versions of the Union flag as being accurate representations suitable for use. These are of the proportions 5:3, commonly flown on land; and 2:1, commonly flown at sea.
  2. ^ "The Union Jack or The Union Flag?". The Flag Institute. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Union Jack". The British Monarchy. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  4. ^ Canadian Heritage (10 March 2008). "Statement by the Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) on Commonwealth Day". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011.
  5. ^ Nicolls, Bruce. "The Union Jack or The Union Flag?". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Broadcasting House 13th October 2013". BBC. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  7. ^ Marshall, Tim (2017). A flag worth dying for: the power and politics of national symbols. New York, NY: Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN 978-1-5011-6833-8. OCLC 962006347.
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "UNION JACK – discussion on BBC Broadcasting House". YouTube. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  9. ^ Bartram, Graham. "British flags". The Flag Institute. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  10. ^ Namely by King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch of England (see images commons:Category:Coats of arms of King Henry VII of England)


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