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The Union Flag

The Union Jack, is the Union Flag flown from the Jackstaff of a Royal Naval vessel.  It is, however, identical in appearance to the Union Flag.  It is only its position which gives it the name.

The Union Flag may only be flown by Royal Navy vessels.  There is, however, a flag which consists of the Union Flag surrounded by a white border.  This is the Pilot Jack and may be flown from the jackstaff of any British registered vessel.  It gains its name as, if flown from the foremast, it is an international day signal to request a Pilot at any port in the world.

Information about and pictures of the various flags (ensigns) flown by (and worn on uniforms by) different military services and civilian entities may be found at The Union Jack (Flag).  Although the Union Flag originated as a Royal flag, it is now also flown by many people and organisations elsewhere in the United Kingdom by long-established custom.  Its use as an emblem has extended beyond the form of a flag and the Union Jack is frequently depicted on other objects.  (Information about royal standards, regalia, and the monarch's flags may be found at United Kingdom - History of the Flag.)

The Jackstaff is the staff at the bows of the vessel.  The staff at the stern is the Ensign staff, from which the ship's ensign is flown.  This flag is considered the most important flag and the Ensign staff is the most important flag position on the vessel.  It is customary for visiting ships to fly the ensign of the country that they are in from the starboard crosstrees.  The Union Flag is sometimes used by foreign ships for this purpose, but the correct flag is the Red Ensign - a red flag with the Union Flag quartered in the upper quadrant closest to the hoist.

The flag is comprised of three crosses, those of Saint George, Saint Patrick, and Saint Andrew, on a blue background (ensign).  The cross of Saint George (the patron saint of England) is red, edged in white, and superimposed upon the diagonal, red cross of Saint Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland) which in turn is superimpoosed upon the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland).  There is an explanation for the displacement of Saint Patrick's cross so that the Union Jack is not fully symmetrical.  The reason for this is that in the early 19th century, following the act of union, when the modern form of the flag was created, it was felt that the Scots might feel insulted if the St. Patrick's cross was placed squarely over the cross of St. Andrew, so the St. Patrick's cross was displaced downwards and to one side.

The story of the United Kingdom and the Union Flag is interesting.  The flag was the result of the union of the English and Scottish monarchies in 1603, under James the 1st (as he was in England) or James VI (as he was in Scotland).  It was a union of crowns, but not of parliaments.  There was a problem with which flag to use on British ships: Scotland's or England's.  In 1606 a royal decree declared that the ships of the Kingdom of Great Britain "shall bear on their maintops the red cross, commonly called St. George's cross, and the white cross, commonly called St. Andrew's cross." Being a royal flag, the union jack was abolished by Oliver Cromwell in 1649, before being restored along with the monarchy, 11 years later.  Its original design was modified by Parliament in 1801 to incorporate the cross of St. Patrick to represent Ireland.  Wales was excluded from the Union Flag.  There is now a move afoot to incorprate black bordering around the crosses to represent the ethnic (i.e., black) diversity of the United Kingdom today.  The year 2007 was the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first English-speaking colony in the Americas, Jamestown, named after King James.

Bibliography:

• Rebranding puts black marks against UK flag
• Why Wales was excluded from the Union Flag
• The Union Jack (Flag)
• nightjar Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic Subject: Re: Union Jack components? Date: 17 Jun 1995
• sean mac cionaoith Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic Subject: re: Union Jack components Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995

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