Union Jack
The Union Flag (often known as the Union Jack) is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Although the name "Union Jack" is the popular name by which the flag is known to the world, it should strictly, perhaps, only be used for the flag when it is flown as a jack (a small flag flown at the bow of a ship); government documents generally prefer "union flag" as the more universally correct term. In Canada the flag is officially called the Royal Union Flag. Note that the jack flown by ships of the United States Navy is also referred to as the Union Jack.
To fly the flag the correct way up, the broad portion of the white cross of St Andrew should be above the red band of St Patrick (and the thin white portion below) in the upper hoist canton (the corner at the top nearest to the flag-pole). This is expressed by the mnemonic: "wide white top". Traditionally, flying a flag upside down is understood as a distress signal; this distinction would be impossible in the case of the union flag without the slight pinwheeling of St. Patrick's cross. (Note that, as noted in the article on British ensigns, the main flags actually flown by British naval, commercial, and pleasure craft are more obviously asymmetrical than the union flag, making the distress signal far more visible at a distance.)
History
Original Union Flag
The creation of the original Union Flag started in 1603 when James VI of Scotland also became James I of England and on April 12, 1606 the first 'Union Flag' was created. It was a superposition of the red cross of St George of England and the saltire of St Andrew of Scotland. Note however that the ground of the Union Flag is a deep "navy" blue. The blue ground of the Scottish national flag, the saltire, from which the blue ground of the Union Flag is derived, is a lighter "sky" blue. The Welsh flag never became part of the Union Flag, as Wales had been annexed by Edward I of England much earlier on and so was considered part of the kingdom of England.
Current Flag
The current Union Flag dates from January 1, 1801 with the Act of Union with Ireland. The new design added the red saltire cross attributed to St Patrick for Ireland. The saltire is counterchanged to combine it with the saltire of St Andrew. The red cross actually comes from the heraldic device of the Fitzgerald family who were sent by Henry II of England to subjugate Ireland and has never been used as an emblem of Ireland by the Irish.
Status
The Union Flag is a royal flag, rather than a national flag. In fact, no law has ever been passed making it a national flag, but it has become one through usage. Its first 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 the Home Secretary in 1933, when he stated that "the Union Flag is the National Flag". Civilians should use the Union flag with a two-inch (5 cm) white border, but this flag is rarely seen, and successive Home Secretaries have confirmed no action is likely to be taken against loyal citizens using the unbordered Union Flag
At the close of the Great Flag Debate of 1964, which resulted in the adoption of the Maple-Leaf Flag as the Canadian national flag, the Parliament of Canada voted to adopt the Royal Union Flag as the symbol of Canada's membership of the Commonwealth and her allegiance to the Crown. It is commonly flown alongside the Maple-Leaf Flag on Commonwealth Day and other royal occasions and anniversaries.
Use in other flags
The Union Flag was found in the canton (top left-hand corner) of the flags of many colonies of the UK, while the ground (background) of their flags was the colour of the naval ensign flown by the particular Royal Navy squadron that patrolled the region of the World.
All administrative regions and territories of the United Kingdom fly the Union Flag in some form. Usually it is part of a special ensign in which the Jack is placed in the upper left hand corner of a red or blue field, with a signifying crest in the bottom right.
Several former colonies, notably Australia, New Zealand and Fiji continue to retain the Union Flag in their own national flags. In both countries, the Union Flag was used semi-interchangeably with their national flags for significant parts of their early history. This was also the case in Canada until the introduction of the Maple-Leaf flag in 1965, but it is still used in the flags of a number of Canadian provinces. It is also shown in the canton of the state flag of Hawaii.
External links
- British flags during The Protectorate and the Commonwealth of England - see external link
Related flags
Flags of Countries within the United Kingdom
England - Northern Ireland - Scotland - Wales
Flags of the Channel Islands
Alderney - Guernsey - Herm - Jersey - Sark
Naval/Airforce/Army Flags
Other flags
Bermuda, Fiji, Saint Helena, Tuvalu
See also
| National flags | |
|---|---|
| National coats of arms | |
