The Union Jack Flag - Flag of the United Kingdom The Union Jack Is a Combination of the Flags of England, Scotland, and Ireland The Union Jack Flag. Share By Matt Rosenberg The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack has been in existence since 1606, when England and Scotland merged, but changed to its current form in 1801 when Ireland joined the United Kingdom Why the Three Crosses? In 1606, when England and Scotland were both ruled by one monarch (James I), the first Union Jack flag was created by merging the English flag (the red cross of Saint George on a white background) with the Scottish flag (the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew on a blue background). Then, in 1801, the addition of Ireland to the United Kingdom added the Irish flag (the red Saint Patrick's cross) to the Union Jack. The crosses on the flags relate to the patron saints of each entity - St. George is the patron saint of England, St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Why Is It Called the Union Jack?

While no one is quite certain where the term "Union Jack" originated, there are many theories. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World "Union" is thought to come from the union of the three flags into one. As for "Jack," one explanation states that for many centuries a "jack" referred to a small flag flown from a boat or ship and perhaps the Union Jack was used there first. Others believe that "Jack" could come from the name of James I or from a soldier's "jack-et." There are plenty of theories, but, in truth, the answer is that no one knows for sure where "Jack" came from. Also Called the Union Flag The Union Jack, which is most properly called the Union Flag, is the official flag of the United Kingdom and has been in its current form since 1801. The Union Jack on Other Flags The Union Jack is also incorporated into the flags of four independent countries of the British Commonwealth - Australia , Fiji , Tuvalu , and New Zealand .

UNION JACK UNION FLAG OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND OF THE UNION JACK OR UNION FLAG The British Flag: a Symbol of Unity The Union Jack is a transnational flag full of historical significance. It represents the union of different countries and the growth of a family of nations whose influence extends far beyond the British Isles. This far-reaching influence is still seen today in the incorporation of the Union Jack in other national flags such as that of Australia. The British flag is called the "Union Jack", an expression that needs to be explained. The Union Jack is a fine expression of unity as well as diversity. The British flag incorporates the national symbols of three distinct countries, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In fact its name "Union Jack" emphasises the very nature of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a union of nations . The flag is also known by another name, this too, emphasising the idea of union: the "Union flag", perhaps a less common term but a little more precise. The countries comprising the British Isles are not inward-looking or isolated states with an insular mentality; together they constitute a powerful union that has spanned centuries.

Recent devolution that gave Scotland its own Parliament and Wales its own Assembly has also emphasised the importance of individual national identities within the union without affecting the essential unity of Great Britain. On the contrary, it has strengthened it. Recognition of, and respect for national identities are an essential ingredients for effective union. The Union Jack symbolises all this: respect for individuality within a closely knit community. The "Union Jack" or "Union Flag" is a composite design made up of three different national symbols: St. Patrick's Cross, the flag of Ireland The cross represented in each flag is named after the patron saint of each country: St. George, patron saint of England, St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland and St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. The image below renders the idea of the union of the three flags forming one unified, transnational Flag. No mention has been made of the Welsh flag. The Welsh dragon was not incorporated into the Union Flag because Wales had already been united to England when the first version of the Union Flag was designed in 1606.

It is, however, in common use: THE HISTORY OF THE UNION JACK The first step taken in the creation of the flag of Great Britain was on 12th April 1606. When King James VI of Scotland became king of England (King James I) it was decided that the union of the two realms under one king should be represented symbolically by a new flag. Originally It consisted in the red cross of England superimposed on the white cross of Scotland on the blue background of the Scottish flag as in this illustration: Thus we have the first flag of the union called, in fact, the "Union Flag". What was meant to be a symbol of unity actually became a symbol of international controversy. The English resented the fact that the white background of their cross had disappeared and that the new flag had the blue Scottish background. On the other hand the Scottish resented the fact that the English red cross was superimposed on the Scottish white cross!! The old adage says you cannot please everyone but this first version of the Union Flag seemed to please no-one!! Apparently there was an unofficial "Scottish version" that attempted to rectify the sense of injustice that the Scottish felt at this innovatory flag.

A distinct reference was made to this version when the King visited Dumfries in 1618. Here is what it looked like: The controversy was destined to last!! There is conflict in the best of families!! However, the flag was usually restricted to use at sea until the two kingdoms of Scotland and England were united in 1707. It was most probably from this use at sea that it got the name "Jack" ("Union Jack"). It was usually flown at the bow end of the ship, from the jack staff. An attempt was made to modify the flag under Oliver Cromwell. A harp was placed in the centre, representing Ireland. However, the original design was restored along with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The flag continued to be used in its original form until Jan. 1, 1801. At that time, with the union of Ireland and Great Britain, it became necessary to represent Ireland in the Union Flag and so the cross of St. Patrick was include thus creating the flag as we now have it. When the southern part of Ireland gained its independence in 1921 and became the Irish Free State no alteration was made to the Union Jack.

The name "Union Jack" became official when it was approved in Parliament in 1908. It was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag". RJW Flags | The Maccabee The Maccabee Sponsored by the Order of the Maccabee Posts Tagged ‘Flags’ The Maccabee – How the Union Jack got its Christian Stripes October 14, 2011 ‘Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’ – Jeremiah 23:29 The Legend of St. Jack, Patron Saint of the United Kingdom (UK) Long before the United Kingdom ever came into being, the Christian Church had certain age-old traditions about different sorts of Christian crosses. The Cross of St. George was a simple square cross with one horizontal line intersecting a vertical line. The Cross of St. Andrew was traditionally seen as two diagonal lines intersecting each other. Likewise, the Cross of St. Patrick was also drawn using two diagonal lines. Not surprisingly, the official flag of England featured the Cross of St. George, who was also their beloved Patron Saint.

Similarly, Scotland’s flag used the Cross of their own long-standing Patron Saint, St. Andrew. Meanwhile, the diagonal Cross of St. Patrick is prominently displayed on the flag of Ireland and, as everyone already knows, St. Patrick has been the Patron Saint of all Ireland for more than 1,000 years. What most people don’t know about is that the literal combination of these three flags (England, Scotland, and Ireland) ends up looking exactly like the flag of Great Britain, the United Kingdom, which is commonly referred to as the Union Jack. The exact relationship between these three Nations, Flags, Crosses and Patron Saints can be seen as follows: ENGLAND: National Flag has a vertical Red Cross on a pure White Background. Patron Saint is St. George SCOTLAND: National Flag has a diagonal White Cross on a pure Blue Background. Patron Saint is St. Andrew IRELAND: National Flag has a diagonal Red Cross on a pure White Background. Patron Saint is St. Patrick. UNITED KINGDOM: Imperial Flag has four White/Red-Colored Lines (one horizontal, one vertical, two diagonal) which are perfectly crossing one another on a pure Blue background, commonly known as the Union Jack.

As can be seen, quite literally, and as history itself has shown, the successful attempt at uniting three Saints. three nations, and three flags has not been easy to say the least. Two major forces have been at work which can be summarized as follows: 1) National Symbolism: Flags of ENGLAND + SCOTLAND + IRELAND = Flag of UNITED KINGDOM (U.K.) 2) Christian Symbolism: St. George of ENGLAND’s Cross + St. Andrew of SCOTLAND’s Cross + St. Patrick of IRELAND’s Cross = The Union Jack Flag of the British Empire As the pictures of the four different flags included here and shown below clearly illustrate, the Union Jack of Great Britain is an exact representation of the symbolic union between 3 Nations, 3 Patron Saints, and 3 Flags. Here are the specific equations. St. George’s Cross + St. Andrew’s Cross + St. Patrick’s Cross = England’s Flag + Scotland’s Flag + Ireland’s Flag = The Union Jack Flag of the United Kingdom (U.K.) This iconographic understanding of Nations, Flags, Saints, and Crosses, uniting into a single entity is no mere coincidence.

Instead, it is a blatantly obvious example of the underlying power of the Judeo-Christian tradition still hard at work in building, protecting, and creating the Earthly Kingdom of God, whose rightful heir is His only Son, Rabbi Joshua ben Joseph (Jesus Christ). He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom will have no end… – The Nicene Creed, 325 A.D. Put bluntly, there are many good reasons why the Sun never sets on the British Empire, the English-speaking Christian Kingdom of God. The Union Jack is just one of them. May the LORD God bless you in the name of St. Judas Maccabaeus 31.307810 34.958710 Historical Flags of Our Ancestors - British Flags A Tudor Ensign using the Tudor livery colors English naval ensigns did not begin to be standardized until shortly before the Civil War. Therefore, Tudor ensigns varied from ship to ship. Each was hand made and thus tended to be made in different materials and styles with no two exactly alike.

They usually had horizontal stripes, in various colors, some with a canton, some without a canton, some with an overall Saint George's Cross, some with the Saint George's Cross in the canton, and some with no cross at all, just the stripes. Muscovy Company Flag Muscovy Trading Company 1555-c1917 This flag of the Muscovy Trading Company, sometimes called the "Russian Company" or simply "Muscovy Company," is one of the oldest and most unusual British Trading Company houseflags. Queen Elizabeth I granted the Muscovy Company a charter in 1555 to trade with Russia, especially for furs and whaling, and allowed the English Company to use the St. George�s Cross and the English arms on their flag. The Muscovy Company had this monopoly on trade between England and Muscovy until 1698, and it survived as a trading company until the Russian Revolution of 1917. Several well-known English explorers were associated with the company including Henry Hudson and William Baffin. Since 1917, a Russian offshoot of the company has operated as a charity within Russia.

The flag is very heraldic in origin and shows the French pattern of the royal standards, with the leopards/lions of England quartered with three fleur de lis of France, the whole is superimposed by the red centred cross of St.George fimbriated white. Rarely would a design featuring a Royal English Standard be defaced in this manner to cover the Royal Lions of England. This very obscure flag had probably gone out of use by the end of the 1600s, even though the Muscovy Trading Company lasted until the Russian Revolution of 1917. EEIC Ensign 1801 Type #1 English East India Company 1600-1874 The English East India Company (EEIC) was originally chartered in London for trading in the East Indies. It was also referred to as either the Honorable East India Company or the British East India Company. It was first granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth in 1600. Shares of the company were owned by wealthy merchants and British noblemen. The Company ruled large areas of India with its own private armies between 1757-1858.

The company traded mainly in cotton from the West Indies, and from the East - silk, indigo dye, salt, saltpeter, tea and opium. The company was dissolved in 1874 and its military and governmental functions taken over by the British Crown. The companies failure to control India and need for funding may have led in part to the American Revolution. (See British East India Company Flags c1678-1800 on the &quotFlags of the American Revolution Era" page to learn more of this.) EEIC Jack - Type #3 mid-1860s The flag of the EEIC began very much in the traditional Tudor Naval Ensign format with a red Saint George's Cross on white in the canton, and with red and white alternating strips in the field. These flags came with nine, ten, eleven and even thirteen stripes; with various cantons of varying size, since each was hand-made by the crews of the EEIC ships, and no clear instructions given by the company.

(See examples of the earlier Tutor influenced EEIC flags on the "Early North American Colonies" page.) When the House of Stuart gained the throne in 1603 the Cross of Saint George was replaced with the Union of the King's Colours and the EEIC flags reflected this change. In 1801, the cantons where once again changed to reflect the new Union design (Type #1 and #2), with the Union Jack in the ensign's canton updated with the Cross of St Patrick. Other interesting flags reported in limited use in India and China in the 1860s were the two EEIC Jacks (Types #2 and #3) used prior to 1874 by armed EEIC vessels. Irish Red Saltire flag The Cross of Saint Patrick (Ireland) 1601 The earliest known use of the "Red Saltire" flag was at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, fought against the English who carried the Cross of Saint George. It is interesting to note that the two "warring crosses" were destined to be united on the Union Jack 200 years later in 1801.

English Naval Ensign The First Union Jack 1603-1606 James VI, became King of Scots in 1567, then in 1603 inherited the English and Irish thrones as James I of England, which he ruled until his death in 1625. This was an early version of the Union Jack in the years 1603 to 1606 just after James I became King of both England and Scotland. It probably saw little use before being replaced by the new British Union Flag in 1606. However, there are reports it was temporarily used again in 1623, and also in 1659-1660, probably in short intervals between the fall of the Protectorate and the Restoration. This was the first known English flag to combine together both the Cross of Saint Andrew of Scotland with the Cross of Saint George of England.

Royal Standard 1603, 1660, 1702 The Royal Standard of England 1603-1649, 1660-1689, 1702-1707 This version of the Royal Standard is sometimes called The "Union of the Crowns" Royal Standard because it united both the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland under one royal family. James VI, King of Scots, inherited the English and Irish thrones in 1603, and became James I. In honor of this they quartered the Royal Arms of England with those of Scotland on the Royal Coat of Arms, and for the first time, the Royal Coat of Arms of Ireland is added to represent the Kingdom of Ireland. It was used during three different periods of time as indicated above. Because of the loss of the throne during the Civil Wars this Royal Standard was replaced in 1649, first by the Commonwealth Flag, and then by the Flag of the Protectorate. In 1660, Charles II restored the Royal Standard once he was recognized as the new king.

It was changed once again during William and Mary's reign, but restored a third time in 1702. English People Type #1 English People Type #3 Flags of the English People c1600-c1700 These flags have appeared in a number of continental publications during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, but only in foreign publications, and never in any British publications. Therefore, it has been suggested that these flags were only decorative banners or "processional" parade route flags, perhaps put-up for such national events as the coronation of William and Mary in 1689. English People Type #5 (used on ship White Bear c1564) Whatever the original source of the information used for these various "Flags of the English People," they have been copied from one publication to the next, modified, and re-interpreted by various authors and publishers, based on previous claims. The Dictionary of Vexillology, found on the "Flags of the World" website explains that a flag which is accepted as factual because of repeated usage, but has no real evidence of actual use or existance, is called Suppositious Flag.

It could certainly be argued that such is the case of these so-called Flags of the English People. Red Squadron 1620-1707 White Squadron 1630-1702 Royal Navy Red-Blue-White Squadron Ensigns 1620-1707 The Royal Navy was organized into three squadrons, which flew either red, white or blue ensigns with a Saint George's cross canton. The oldest was the Red Ensign that had been a general flag from about 1620, even before the squadron system was introduced in 1630. In 1674, the Red Ensign was also approved as the merchant ensign. In 1701, an overall St George's cross was added to the white ensign to distinguish it from the French flag, which was mainly white. The "1606 Union Flag" replaced the "Saint George's Cross" in the canton in 1707, only to be replaced by the "Union Jack" in 1801.

To avoid confusion, Nelson used the White Ensign for both the White and Blue Squadrons at Trafalgar in 1805, and in 1864 an Admiralty Order in Council ordered the Royal Navy to discontinue using the Red and Blue Ensigns completely, and made the White Ensign the only official Royal Navy ensign. ( Click here to see text of the Admiralty Order in Council ) Phases of transition of the Royal Navy Squadron Ensign after 1701 The only Royal Navy Ensign after 1864 The "King�s Colours" The British Union Flag 1606-1649, 1660-1801 With King James inheritance of the English throne in 1603, the Cross of Saint George was placed over the Scottish Cross of Saint Andrew to form the British Union Flag. Although the traditional St. George's Cross flag continued to be used as an English flag for some years, all seagoing ships began using the new Union flag (better known today as the Union Jack). It is also important to note here that the St.

George's Cross flag might have been, in effect, the English national flag, but was not called a national flag. As noted flag scholar, W. G. Perrin, said in his British Flags (1922) "By the end of the sixteenth century...the flag of St George had taken the lead as the distinguishing characteristic of English ships, both men-of-war and merchantmen." This would change, however, with the introduction of the King's Colours. In 1634, the Union Jack made the official ensign of the Royal Navy, and its use by merchant ships was forbidden. It's use was restricted to only the King's government and officials However, after 1707, the Union flag also became a de facto British national flag. In 1801, the St. Patrick�s Cross of Ireland was added to the Union Jack. In British English, today the "King's Colours" are specifically colors presented to a regiment during the reign of a king. They were usually defaced with the regimental badge and the battle honors of the regiment.

Union Jack (Scottish Type #1) Union Jack(Scottish Type #2) The Union Flag, Scottish variants 1606-1649, 1660-1801 Shortly after the Union flag was adopted, objections to its design appeared in Scotland and complaints were submitted to the King, requesting a new design, which would not place the English cross over that of Scotland. While no accompanying images of an alternative proposal were saved, there is other contemporary evidence, written reports as well as images, that an unofficial flag was used with the cross of St Andrew placed over that of St George, at sea as well as on land. It was also one of the proposals for the flag of Great Britain which were presented to Queen Anne and her Privy Council in 1707, before the Acts of Union came into effect, to be rejected in favor of already used official flag. Another variant seems to have been in use, with the Scottish saltire in blue superimposed over the red English cross on white field.

It is shown on a ceiling boss from Linlithgow Palace, currently exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland, where it is depicted as being held by a unicorn, the supporter of the Scottish royal arms. The boss is dated c. 1617, not long after the original Union Jack was adopted, and clearly suggests that the Scottish variants of the flag, this one at least, might have had some official use, since this depiction of it comes from a royal palace. The Loyalist Flag and Jack The Loyalist Flag and Jack 1643-1660 In 1604, several proposals for the future Union Flag were submitted, combining English and Scottish charges in different ways. One of these displayed the crosses of England and Scotland "impaled" - side by side. It was recommended by Earl of Nottingham, who wrote that two flags were combined "like husband and wife" - that is, like the arms of a married couple after the wedding. Although the proposal did follow the rules of heraldry, it was rejected in favor of the flag of 1606, which applied the rules in a different way.

The rejected flag was not forgotten, though: in 1643, it appeared on the ships of forces loyal to the exiled King and remained in use until the Restoration in 1660. First Commonwealth Flag The Commonwealth Jack and Command Flag 1649-1658 This flag with the harp of Ireland and the red cross of England replaced the British Union Flag during during the Interregnum (1649 to 1660) when the royal coat of arms, along with monarchy, was removed from the English flag. After the English Civil War the Parliament had declared England to be a Commonwealth on May 19, 1649. The Union Jack was abolished in 1649 after the execution of Charles I, but would be revived as a flag solely for the King's ships in 1660 when the monarchy was restored. The Commonwealth of England had a republican government which ruled first England and Wales (1649-1653), then Ireland and Scotland (1653-1659).

The government during 1653 to 1659 is properly called "The Protectorate," and was ruled by the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, with dictatorial powers until his death. Second Commonwealth Flag The Union Flag and Jack 1649-1660 The use of the Union Jack was abolished in 1649 after the execution of Charles I. This flag replaced it until 1660 and acted as the Union flag and Naval Jack. On April 4, 1660, Charles II accepted of the crown of England, the Commonwealth ceased to be, and the traditional "King's Colours" British Union Flag (see above) was once again used by the King's ships. To clarify, it should be noted here that the Commonwealth, or Commonwealth of England, was the period of time between 1649 and 1653 when a republic was declared after the Second English Civil War and the execution of the English king. The Commonwealth was first ruled by the Rump Parliament, but after 1653 became essentially a dictatorship under Oliver Cromwell, who was declared Lord Protector of a united Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.

This lasted until 1660 and the restoration of the monarchy and Charles II. Cromwell's Personal Standard The Flag of the Protectorate 1653-1659 This flag was used by Oliver Cromwell as his personal standard as Lord Protector. The top two quarters had a red cross on white background to represent England and a white saltire on a blue background to represent Scotland. The first quarter of the bottom two quarters was blue with a gold harp with silver strings to represent Ireland and in the final quarter another red cross on a white background representing Wales. A small shield in the middle of these quarters was black with a silver lion on it � the arms of Oliver Cromwell. After Cromwell's death in 1658, it became officially known as the "Standard for the General of His Highnesse fleet." His son Richard became the new Lord Protector, but only ruled about a year until 1659. Richard Cromwell failed to win the support of the New Model Army and was replaced by a new Rump Parliament which negotiated a return of the monarchy.

First Regiment of the Royal Foot Guards of Ireland (speculative design) Royal Regiment of the Foot Guards of Ireland 1662 The Royal Regiment of the Foot Guards of Ireland, consisting of twelve companies, was formed in 1662 as one of the regiments of foot guards raised by King Charles II, shortly after the 1660 Restoration. Each company of the Foot Guards regiments had its own colors. When the system of company colors was abolished for the Army as a whole by the Royal Warrant of 1751, the Guards regiments were exempted. Uniquely, the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards also had a Royal Standard: described as crimson, charged with the crowned Royal Cypher, and with crowned royal badges in the corners. How this standard was used or looked is uncertain, but probably it was paraded only in the presence of the sovereign and never taken into battle. Since 1815, Regiments of Foot Guards have been known by such names as Grenadier Guards and Coldstreams.

According to Hayes-McCoy's interpretation the regimental colors of the Foot Guards of Ireland was "the royal colours of England, St George's cross, and the arms of the four kingdoms" as illustrated. It must be pointed out that this Hayes-McCoy's interpretation is rather suspect. All that can be said for sure is that the English Foot Guards all carried regimental colors which were defaced flags of St George. The older style, of Charles II's day, was red with a St. George the length of the hoist and a Royal badge in the fly. Royal Standard 1689 The Royal Standard of England 1689-1701 Between 1689-1702 William III and Mary II added a golden lion rampant on a blue shield to the center of this standard representing the royal house to which William belonged, but in 1702, Queen Anne returned it to the 1603 version.

(see above) Because this version of the Royal Standard was only used during William and Mary's reign, it is sometimes called "William and Mary's Standard." White Squadron Ensign February-May 1702 Royal Navy White Squadron Ensign 1702 This obscure short-lived Naval ensign was the brain-child of the Earl of Pembroke (the Lord High Admiral in 1702) who sent the Navy Board instructions for its use with the fleet then being fitted out at Chatham and Portsmouth to operate against the French. His instructions were that the ships of the Admiral of the White were to wear "Ensignes with the usual Cross in the Canton, with this distinction: that a third part of the said Ensignes for himself and the Flaggs and private Ships of his Squadron are to be White in the middle of the Flye...and this to be in the whole length of the Ensigne." This unusual ensign only saw brief use between February and May of 1702 before being replaced with the better known White Squadron Ensign 1702-1707 .

Royal Standard 1707 The Royal Standard of Great Britain 1707-1714 In 1707 the Acts of Union created the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1800). Queen Anne had the Royal Arms of England and Scotland "impaled" together and moved to the first and fourth quarters, France moved to the second quarter and Ireland to the third quarter. Because this version of the Royal Standard was only used until Queen Anne's death in 1714 it is sometimes called "Queen Anne's Standard." Queen Anne's Flag The British Red Ensign 1707 The British Red Ensign, also called the "Colonial Red Ensign" and the "Meteor" Flag, was adopted by Queen Anne (1702-1714) as the new flag for England and her colonies in 1707.

The term "meteor" seems to imply the color red and originally comes from a poem by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell ("Ye Mariners of England") where he first mentions the "The meteor flag of England." This was the best known of the British Maritime flags, or ensigns, which were formed by placing the Union flag in the canton of another flag having either a field of white, blue or red. This red flag was widely used on ships during the Colonial period. This was the first national flag of the English colonies, and Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown under this flag. It was not intended that the Red Ensign should be used on land, and the extent to which it was used on land is difficult to determine. The Union Jack/Flag was a semi-royal flag that was probably flown only on the very most important military buildings, and it seems that the Red Ensign was used on land overseas by default. British Red Ensign (romanticized variant) Trumbull's Bunker Hill Flag 1775 On the nights of June 16-17, 1775, the American rebels fortified Breeds and Bunker Hills which overlooked Boston Harbor.

Although they had not officially declared their independence, a fight for control of the hills became necessary. When British Marines advanced up the slope the next day, according to American legend they carried a red ensign into battle. John Trumbull, whose paintings of Revolutionary War scenes were produced during the period, talked to eye-witnesses and his subsequent painting included a variant of the Red Ensign. In the painting " The Battle of Bunker Hill ," Trumbull depicts the British forces attacking the defenders at Bunker Hill as American General Warren lies dying. An unusual British Red Ensign is seen being carried by the attacking British Marines. The ensign features a red Saint George's Cross superimposed over a blue Saint Andrew's Cross on the plain white field in the canton. Speculation has suggested that this was a regimental flag, but no such British colors were known to be carried at the battle, and the Trumbull painting must be viewed as a romanticized view of the battle and a good example of artistic license.

Royal Standard 1714 The Royal Standard of Great Britain 1714-1801 George, the Elector of Hanover, inherited the throne following the death of Queen Anne under the provisions of the Act of Settlement 1701, becoming King George I. The fourth quarter of the arms was changed to reflect the new King's domains in Hanover (Brunswick-L�neburg-Westphalia, surmounted by Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire for the Holy Roman office of Archbannerbearer/Archtreasurer). - My thanks to David Prothero and Michael Faul for their invaluable help on this page - Historical Flags of Australia Some of the Significant Historical Flags of Australia Dutch explorers - The first documented European contact with Australia was by Captain Willem Janszoon who, in 1606, captained the Duyfken when it sailed from Java to what is now known as Cape York. In 1616 Dirk Hartog landed on the Western Australian coast, whilst in 1642 Abel Tasman mapped Van Diemen's Land (later renamed Tasmania).

These and other Dutch explorers were in the service of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie), whose flag was the Dutch triband with the initials VOC in the centre. Initially the top stripe of the Dutch flag was orange, but by 1660 it had become the red of the current Dutch flag. Red Ensign (1707-1800) - Lieutenant James Cook on HM Bark Endeavour on his first voyage of discovery was the first European to explore the east coast of Australia. He landed at Kurnell on Botany Bay on 29 April 1770. The Endeavour was in the service of the Royal Navy, but as it was not attached to any fleet, it flew the British Red Ensign (one of three flags then used by the Royal Navy). Union Jack (1606-1800) - At Possession Island in the Torres Strait, Lieutenant James Cook raised the British flag on 22 August 1770, claiming the entire eastern coastline of Australia as British territory. On 26 January 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip established the first European settlement in Australia at Sydney Cove.

The location of the landing and first flag raising is today commemorated with a flagpole in Loftus Street, Sydney. The Union Jack was created on 12 April 1606, three years after King James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as King James I. The flag combined the traditional English St. George's Cross with the Scottish St. Andrew's Cross. It is correct to describe the flag as the Union Jack, but it can more formally be called the Union Flag. The name Queen Anne flag is erroneous. Union Jack 1801 - The Act of Union 1801 merged Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britain (which was formally created by the union of England and Scotland in 1707) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland with effect from 1 January 1801. The Union Jack was modified to reflect this constitutional change by adding a Cross of St. Patrick to represent Ireland. A red diagonal cross on a white field has never been the traditional flag of Ireland nor even associated with St Patrick prior to 1801. Its use seems to have been only a heraldic convenience.

The emblem had been used on some Irish coats of arms, including those of the FitzGerald family, early Royal representatives in Ireland. The traditional emblem of Ireland is a golden harp on a blue or green background; when a female figure is added to the fore-pillar of the harp it is called the Maid of Erin. In Australia, the Union Jack was the sole official flag for use on land until Federation. After the creation of the Australian flag, the Union Jack continued to be regarded as the national flag of Australia, though gradually such usage was shared with the Australian red ensign, and later with the Australian blue ensign. The Flags Act 1953 has a clause that authorises the continued use of the Union Jack in Australia, though its usage has declined from the 1970s. Red Ensign 1801 - The British red ensign was altered in 1801 to include the change to the design of the Union Jack. British legislation required, with a few exceptions, that all merchant shipping throughout the British Empire fly the British Red Ensign, without any defacement or modification. The ensign is sometimes referred to as the red duster.

The Royal Navy stopped using the Red Ensign in 1864. Bowman Flag - The oldest known locally designed flag in Australia was created by John and Honor Bowman in 1806. It was flown from their home near Richmond, NSW to celebrate news of the victory of Lord Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. As the Royal Navy fleet moved towards engagement with a combined French and Spanish fleet, he hoisted signal flags that spelled out England expects that every man will do his duty. This famous phrase was embroidered onto a silk flag that included a shield featuring a rose, thistle and shamrocks. The use of the kangaroo and emu as supporters for the shield is the first known use of these animals as symbols of Australia. The original of the Bowman flag is in the collection of the State Library of NSW. National Colonial Flag - Captain John Bingle, a former mariner, wrote his memoirs in 1881 in which he stated that Captain John Nicholson and he had designed a flag for use as a national colonial flag for Australia.

He claimed that the flag had been approved by NSW Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane in 1823, though no other record of the flag or any approval has been found. The flag has been promoted as the earliest Australian flag and the first use of the Southern Cross on a flag. The image is of a reconstruction of the flag by Sydney vexillologist, John Vaughan, based on an interpretation of Bingle's written description. NSW Ensign / Australian Ensign - A flag chart contained in an 1832 book, New South Wales Calendar and General Post Office Directory included a flag that was captioned N.S.W. Ensign. It shows a white British ensign with a blue cross overall upon which are five 8-pointed stars. This flag is believed to have been widely used as a local merchant shipping flag in Sydney and on the east coast of Australia, becoming known as the Australian Ensign. The flag however was unofficial and in 1883, the British Admiralty prohibited its continued use by vessels due to its claimed similarity to the Royal Navy's White Ensign.

Anti-transportation League - Formed in Launceston to oppose the transportation of convicts to Australia, the Australasian League for the Abolition of Transportation had established branches in several colonies by 1851. At a meeting in Melbourne a large flag was unfurled - it was a British blue ensign upon which were four golden stars forming the Southern Cross. This is the first known flag using the Southern Cross in a natural arrangement and it is considered to be a significant antecedent to the current Australian National Flag. The original flag is in the collection of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston. The League was dissolved when transportation to Tasmania ended in 1853. Murray River Flag - The first paddle-steamer went into service on the Murray River in 1853 and a flag called the Murray Flag was flown in its honour. Though the flag was used by many of the paddle steamers, no example has survived and there are no contemporary illustrations. The flag was described by a 1854 journalist's report as "it bears a red cross with four horizontal bars of blue, the cross being charged with five stars as emblems of the different Australian colonies".

The illustration represents a reconstruction by Frank Cayley in 1966. The flag continues to be used by craft on the Murray River, including several historic paddle steamers and more modern tourist boats. A different version of the Murray River Flag is promoted in South Australia, based on an alternate interpretation of the contemporary description. Eureka Flag - Gold miners in Ballarat, Victoria protested about various grievances, which led to the short-lived Eureka rebellion of 1854. At a meeting of 12,000 miners on 29 November 1854 a new flag was raised as a gesture of defiance against the Victorian Government. The Eureka Flag was dark blue with five stars representing the Southern Cross, the stars joined together by a broad white cross. The rebellion ended on 3 December 1854 with colonial troops and police storming the Eureka Stockade and hauling down the flag from the pole erected there as a rallying point. The Eureka Stockade and its flag have become historical symbols of the wider struggle by Australians for democracy and national identity. The original flag was re-discovered in the early 1960s and is now on public display at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.

The Eureka Flag continues to evoke strong feelings and it has been used to support a variety of political and trade union causes. In deference to its authentic Australian heritage, some Australians advocate that the Eureka Flag become the Australian national flag. Queensland Separation Flag - A separate colony of Queensland was established on 10 December 1859. Separation from New South Wales was celebrated by the flying of a new flag - the Queensland Ensign, which has become known as the Queensland Separation Flag. Only a written description exists - "a light blue flag with a red St George's Cross and union in the corner"; the illustration represents a reconstruction. It is unclear for how long the flag was used. The flag continues to be flown at Newstead House in Brisbane. Lambing Flat - Strikes and unemployment on the goldields in southern NSW in the early 1860s were the catalyst for violence and riots directed against immigrant Chinese labourers. One of the worst disturbances was at Lambing Flat (now Young) where, on 30 June 1861 miners attacked the Chinese quarter killing and wounding several labourers. A public meeting of miners had been advertised by a banner painted on the side of a tent.

At its centre was a Scottish St. Andrews Cross with four white stars. It is possible that this emblem was intended to refer to the Eureka Flag with its white cross and stars of the Southern Cross. Despite the harshness of the "No Chinese" slogan, this remains an important historical relic. Painted on canvas, it is not a flag strictly, but is considered significant in showing the early emergence of the Southern Cross as an Australian symbol. The banner is on display at the Lambing Flat Folk Museum, Young. Victorian red ensign - On 1 February 1870 Victoria adopted two flags - a blue flag with the Southern Cross for use by the first Australian colonial warship (HMCS Nelson) and a red version for use by the mercantile marine. The Victorian Red Ensign was approved by the British Board of Trade, even though this was contrary to the normal practice that colonial shipping was required to use the British Red Ensign without a badge. It was used (without any crown) until 1903 and it came to be flown on land, particularly in the lead-up to Federation.

This red ensign was a clear antecedent of the winning design in the 1901 competition for an Australian flag. The Australiian flag design was merely the Victorian Red Ensign with the addition of the six-pointed Federal Star. It should be noted that the arrangement of stars was 9,8,7,6 and 5-pointed and the badge extended over the full area of the fly of the flag - identical to the layout of the winning Australian design (though the stars on the blue Victorian state flag had altered to 8,7,7,6 and 5 points in 1876). Queensland 1870 - The badge for the first flag for Queensland was adopted on 22 March 1870 by Governor Samuel Blackall. It consisted of a portrait of the young Queen Victoria crowned with the Diamond Diadem together with the inscription Queensland. The badge clearly attests that the colony had been named in honour of the Queen. However it was difficult to produce on bunting a fair representation of the head of Her Majesty and the decision was made in 1876 to replace the badge with the current design.

Tasmanian Colonial Flag - On 9 November 1875, the Tasmanian government proclaimed a new Colonial Flag for use by local ships. It was a British red ensign with the addition of a white cross overall and the Southern Cross. However, it was revoked on 23 November - only 14 days later - when it was realised that the flag was contrary to British Admiralty rules for colonial flags. The flag however did have some continued existence - on the label of Cascade Brewery's Sparkling Pale Ale beer during the 1920s through to the 1940s. South Australia 1876 - The British Admiralty rules required that the colonial flags be the British Blue Ensign with a badge consisting of the public seal of the colony or some other drawing to represent the colony. In 1870 Victoria, NSW, New Zealand and South Australia each submitted to London badge designs that featured the Southern Cross. In response to criticism from the British Admiralty, on 24 March 1876 South Australia decided to use its seal on the flag. This was a complex allegorical scene of Britannia meeting an Australian Aboriginal seated on a rock on a beach.

This flag was in use until 1904 when it was replaced by the current design. Federation Flag - In the mid-1880s efforts to join the separate Australasian colonies into an Australian federation increased. The earlier Australian Ensign was revived for use on land and in printed materials to promote federation, particularly in NSW and Queensland. In the absence of an official Australian flag in January 1901, this Federation Flag was widely used. When Prime Minister Edmund Barton submitted the winning design in the Federal flag competition to the British authorities in 1902, he also included the Federation Flag as Design B - an alternative for adoption as the new Australian national flag. It was rejected without any consideration as it did not conform to the style of official British flags. Usage as an unofficial Australian flag continued until Word War I. Herald Federal Flag - With Federation approaching questions arose as to what the flag of a federated Australia should be. In 1900 the Melbourne Evening Herald newspaper conducted a public competition for a Federal Flag. Mr F. Thompson won the £25 prize and the flag has become known as the Herald Federal Flag.

Federation was symbolised with six red stripes below the Union Jack and Australia was represented by the Southern Cross. Two versions were created, one with the Southern Cross on a blue background for use by the Government and another for general use with a red backgound. The design was both praised and criticised, leading to another competition by the Review of Reviews for Australasia magazine that was later incorporated into the Federal Government's flag design competition in 1901. Royal Standard 1901 - The inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia took place on 1 January 1901, with the formal ceremony in Centennial Park, Sydney. As there was no official Australian flag, this and other celebrations were marked with the use of the Federation Flag, the Victorian Red Ensign and the Union Jack. Above the Swearing-in-Pavilion, the flag flown was the British Royal Standard, marking the presence of the Governor-General, the Earl of Hopetoun. Governor General 1903 - A flag for the Governor-General was adopted in 1903 in the usual form for colonial governors. It was a Union Jack with a central disc containing the badge of Australia - a six pointed star surmounted by a crown.

Initially, the Governor-General was the representative of the British Government in Australia and all major correspondence between the Australian Government and Britain passed through the office of the Governor-General. The Statute of Westminster 1931 changed the relationship between the Dominions and Britain and this was reflected by the appointment of a separate British High Commissioner in 1931 and a change in the flag of the Governor-General in 1936. Australia: People's Flag - The 1901 flag competition winning design was announced on 3 September 1901 and the selected design was subsequently modified and formally adopted from 20 February 1903, with a further change to the current design from 23 February 1908. Initially the blue version of the Australian flag was limited to government use and the red was only intended for use by private shipping. At sea the use of the Union Jack was prohibited except on warships of the Royal Navy and there was uncertainty as to whether ordinary people could use the Union Jack on land. The practice developed during the 19th century in Britain and other parts of the Empire for the British Red Ensign to be used on land when private citizens wanted to fly a flag from a building.

This practice explains why the flag of Canada until 1965 was a red ensign. Accordingly, the Australian Red Ensign was the flag used when businesses and individuals wanted to fly a local flag, either in addition to or in place of the Union Jack. The Australian Red Ensign historically can be considered to be the People's Flag, though there was no contemporary use of this description. British White Ensign - The Royal Australian Navy was formally established in July 1911. The first Australian warships, HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Yarra, were built in Scotland and arrived in Australia in December 1910. A Naval Conference between the British Admiralty and Australia determined in June 1911 that Australian warships would fly the White Ensign of the Royal Navy as their principal flag. When warships are in port, an additional flag is flown on the jackstaff - this was the blue Australian National Flag. The British White Ensign was used by the Royal Australian Navy until 1 March 1967 when the Australian White Ensign came into use. RAF Ensign - The Royal Australian Air Force was established in 1921.

In March 1922 the RAAF's Air Council decided that the flag of the Royal Air Force would be used in Australia. A proposal to use a flag that included the Commonwealth Star and added the Southern Cross to the roundel had been rejected by the British authorities. A distinctive ensign for the RAAF was not adopted until 1949. Boxing Kangaroo - In 1983 the yacht Australia II won the America's Cup in Newport, Rhode Island - a sporting achievement that inspired the nation. The promotional mascot for the challenge was the Boxing Kangaroo - a cartoon of a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves. This irreverent symbol was placed upon a green flag and it become symbolic of national pride and enthusiasm for Australian achievement in many fields of endeavour. Subsequently the copyright to the image was purchased by the Australian Olympic Committee and it continues to be used in sports promotions. An earlier example of a boxing kangaroo image is from World War II when it was painted onto the fuselage of some RAAF aircraft. Bicentennial Flag - The 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia was celebrated on 26 January 1988.

The logo for the Bicentennial celebrations was a stylised map of Australia, consisting of a ribbon with stripes of different widths. The ribbon alluded to the diagonal stripes of the Union Jack and the seven golden stripes signified the six states and the territories. The logo was initially placed on a blue field to create a flag, but this was changed to green in 1984 after green and gold were declared the national colours of Australia. Centenary of Federation Flag - The 100th anniversary of Federation - the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia, was celebrated on 1 January 2001. The logo for the Federation Centenary celebrations was a stylised map of Australia, consisting of a ribbon of various colours. The ribbon colours alluded to the Australian landscape. The use of an eight-pointed Federation star caused some confusion, with the additional point representing the Commonwealth, additional to the six states and the territories. Some versions of the flag added a coloured bar at the top and bottom to relieve the plainness of a white field with a mostly white logo. The use of text to explain the logo highlighted its inadequacies as a graphic design.

Sydney Olympics - The 2000 Summer Oympics were held in Sydney over 16 days from 15 September. The logo of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) was placed on a white background to create a Sydney 2000 flag. The general public however was not allowed to own Olympic flags, so usage was limited to Olympic venues and public sites. The logo was incorporated into a vast array of souvenirs and other merchandise sold over the four years prior to the Games. The logo was described as the Millennium Athlete - a running man made from stylised boomerangs.

Question: The Union Jack, the British flag, is a combination of flags of different saints. Where does the blue come from?
Answer: St Andrew