Information AboutUnion Jack |
Note that the Jack flown by ships of the United States Navy is also referred to as the " Union Jack ". Flag Ratio: 1:2]] Union Jack is the common name for the '''Union Flag''' (official name) of the United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland . The flag was also used throughout the former British Empire . It retains an official or semi-official status in many Commonwealth Realms . The current design (which is used as the national Flag Of The United Kingdom ) dates from the Union Of Ireland And Great Britain In 1801 . TERMINOLOGY: "UNION FLAG" OR "UNION JACK"? The issue of whether it is acceptable to use the term "Union Jack" is one that causes considerable controversy. Although it is often asserted that "Union Jack" should only be used for the flag when it is flown as a , but its origin is uncertain. The word Jack may have come from the name of the James VI , King of Scots who inherited the English crown, causing the flag to be designed, that is Jac from Jacobus, Latin for James. Even if the term "Union Jack" does derive from the jack flag (as perhaps seems most likely), after three centuries, it is now HISTORY The Union Flag before 1801 When James VI Of Scotland inherited as James I Of England in 1603 , the crowns of the Kingdom Of England and the Kingdom Of Scotland were united in him, although each remained Independent State s. On 12 April 1606 , a new flag to represent this Personal Union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the Flag Of England (a red cross with a white background, known as St George's Cross ) and the Flag Of Scotland (a white Saltire with a blue background, known as the Saltire or Saint Andrew's Cross ) would be ''"joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds, and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects."'' The original sketches which accompanied this specification are lost. Until the Acts Of Union 1707 it was practice for the flag in Scotland to have the Saltire over the St George's Cross and vice versa when flown in England (see example below right). This royal flag was at first only for use at sea on civil and military ships of both Scotland and England. In 1634 , its use was restricted to the Monarch 's ships. Land forces continued to use their respective national banners. After the Acts Of Union 1707 , the flag gained a regularised status, as "the ensign armorial of the (United) Kingdom Of Great Britain ", the newly created state. It was then adopted by land forces as well. Various shades of blue have been used in the Saltire over the years. The ground of the current Union Flag is a deep "navy" blue ( Pantone 280), while the currently accepted Saltire uses a lighter "royal" blue (Pantone 300), following the Scottish Parliament's recommendation of 2003. Wales had no explicit recognition in the flag because Wales had been Annexed by Edward I Of England in 1282 , and since the Laws In Wales Acts 1535-1542 was considered to be a part of the Kingdom Of England . (The present-day Flag Of Wales and St David's Cross are both 20th Century inventions, the former based on a Royal Badge and the latter on the arms of the Diocese of Saint David's .) The Kingdom Of Ireland , which had existed as a personal union with England since 1541 , was also not represented in the original Union Flag. The pre-1801 Union Flag is also shown in the Canton of the Grand Union Flag (also known as the ''Congress flag, The First Navy Ensign, The Cambridge Flag'', and ''The Continental Colors''), the first widely-used Flag Of The United States . The Blazon for the old 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.'' Since 1801 The current Union Flag dates from , a Celtic Cross , a Shamrock , or (since 1922) an Irish Tricolour have been more common. However, the exact origin of the flag is unknown, with evidence of saltires being present on ancient Irish coins and maps. The St Patrick's saltire flag has been used in more recent times for St Patrick's Day in Northern Ireland , by various organisations wishing to avoid the sectarianism that may be implied by the use of either the Tricolour or symbols of Unionism. The current flag is Blazoned ''Azure, the Crosses Saltire of St Andrew and St Patrick, quarterly per saltire, counterchanged Argent and Gules, the latter fimbriated of the second, surmounted by the Cross of St George of the third, fimbriated as the saltire.'' 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. The two shown here include St George's cross with St Andrew's cross in the canton, and another version where the two crosses are side-by-side. Also, some Scots were upset that the Scottish flag was underneath the English flag in the version finally adopted, and preferred a version where the Scottish cross was on top (the English flag was placed between the cross of St Andrew and its background). Many Welsh People have proposed modifying the Union Flag to include either the Red Dragon or the black and gold colours of the Flag Of Saint David , arguing that the current design fails to represent their principality. STATUS No law has ever been passed making the Union Flag the national flag of the United Kingdom; rather it has become one through usage. 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 the Home Secretary in 1933 , when he stated that "the Union Flag is the National Flag". Civilian use is permitted, but stricter guidelines apply for use on naval vessels where the flag may not be used as a jack by merchant ships (see below). Interestingly, unauthorised use of the flag in the 17th Century to avoid paying harbour duties - a privilege restricted to naval ships - caused James' successor, 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". Those restrictions remain, and still today it is a criminal offence to fly the union jack from a boat. The Court of the Lord Lyon , which has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters in Scotland, confirms that the Union Flag "is the correct flag for all citizens and corporate bodies of the United Kingdom to fly to demonstrate their loyalty and their nationality." The Union Flag has been in usage in Canada dating back to the British settlement in Nova Scotia in 1621. 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 keep the Royal Union Flag as an official flag of Canada and 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 Other nations and regions incorporates the Union Flag.]] The Union Flag was found in the '' Canton '' (top left-hand corner) of the flags of many colonies of the UK, while the '' Field '' (background) of their flags was the colour of the Naval Ensign flown by the particular Royal Navy squadron that patrolled that region of the World. All administrative regions and territories of the United Kingdom fly the Union Flag in some form. Outside the UK itself, it is usually part of a special Ensign in which the Union Flag is placed in the upper left hand corner of a blue field, with a signifying crest in the bottom right. Four countries currently incorporate the Union Flag as part of their own national flags: Australia , New Zealand , Tuvalu , and Fiji . In former British colonies, the Union Flag was used semi-interchangeably with territorial 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 like British Columbia , Manitoba and Ontario . It is also shown in the canton of the Flag Of Hawaii , for quite different reasons. The Miskito people sometimes use a similar flag that also incorporates the Union Flag in its Canton , due to long periods of contact in the Mosquito Coast . Ensigns of the Royal Navy .]] Main article: British Ensigns . The Union Flag can be found in the canton of several of the Ensign s flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. Pilot Jack 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, never intended as a civil jack. A book issued to British Consul s 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 by the ''Merchant Shipping (Registration, etc.) Act 1993'' and the consolidating ''Merchant Shipping Act 1995'' which 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 with a white border, and some other exceptions permitted elsewhere in the Acts. FLAG DAYS Canada In Canada, the Royal Union Flag is flown on specified days from federal buildings, airports, military bases and other government buildings on the following days:
The flag is only flown where physical arrangements allow (ie there is more than one flag pole). The Flag Of Canada is never moved to make room for the Royal Union Flag. United Kingdom In the UK, the Union Flag is only flown on public buildings as decided by Department For Culture, Media And Sport or on the command of the British Monarch . Currently the flag is flown on days marking the birthdays of members of the Royal Family , the Wedding anniversary of the monarch, Commonwealth Day , Accession Day , Coronation Day , The Queen's Official Birthday , Remembrance Sunday and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation of Parliament. On the news of the death of a member of the Royal family, the flag will be flown at half mast. The current flag days where the Union Flag should be flown all over the UK are:
In addition, the UK should be flown in the following areas on specified days:
There is no specified day for March 17 ( Saint Patrick's Day ) in Northern Ireland . Other organsiations may fly the flag whenever they choose. SPECIFICATIONS FOR FLAG USE A careful examination of the flag shows that it does not have reflectional symmetry, due to the slight pinwheeling of St. Patrick's cross, which is technically called the '' that are actually flown by British naval, commercial, and pleasure craft. The normal dimensions of the flag are 1:2, except in the 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 Flag would be inappropriate. The colour specifications for the colours Union Flag (Royal) Blue, Union Flag Red and White are {Link without Title} : OTHER NAMES
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