On
This Day…
The
Union Flag is adopted as the flag of Great Britain on this day in 1606.
The
Union Flag, commonly also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the
United Kingdom, as well as a flag with an official or
semi-official status in some Commonwealth realms;
for example, it is known by law in Canada as the Royal Union Flag. It is
also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British
overseas territories. The Union Flag also appears in the canton (upper left-hand
quarter) of the flags of several nations and territories that were former
British colonies.
The
origins of the flag date back to 1603, when James VI of
Scotland inherited the English and Irish thrones (as James I),
thereby uniting the
crowns of England,
Scotland and Ireland in a personal union (which
remained separate states). On 12 April 1606, a new flag to represent this regal
union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according
to which the flag of
England (a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross),
and the flag of
Scotland (a white saltire
on a blue background, known as the Saltire or St Andrew's Cross), would be
joined together, forming the flag of Great Britain and first union flag.
The
current design dates from the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in
1801. The flag combines aspects of three national flags: the red cross of Saint George, the red
saltire of Saint
Patrick's Flag, and the Flag of Scotland.
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