British Flag / United Kingdom Flag

British Flag / United Kingdom Flag

British Flag

Although popularly called the 'Union Jack', the correct name of the British flag is the Union Flag. Despite being flown by such a small country, the British flag is one of the world's most familiar, largely due to the seminal role that Britain has played in world history and perhaps also on account of its unusual design. The British flag consists of a blue field, a counterchanged red-and-white saltire cross (note how the red arms of the diagonal cross change position), on which is superimposed a vertical, red cross.

The first version of the Union Flag appeared in 1603, when the Scottish and English crowns were united on the accession to the English throne of King James VI of Scotland as King James I of England. Although both countries retained their own flags (and continue to do so to this day), James decided that a new flag was needed to confirm the union, ordering the red St George's Cross of England (which included Wales) to be combined with the white (on a blue field) St Andrew's cross of Scotland. When Ireland (whose flag was the red saltire cross of St Patrick on a white field) joined the newly created United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, it was decided to counterchange the colors of the saltire crosses so that it did not appear that the St Andrew's cross was a mere fimbriation for the St Patrick's cross, thus making them equal. Perhaps surprisingly, the Union Flag has never officially been adopted by law. Correctly a royal flag, it has become the national flag only by usage.