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NATIONAL FLAGS
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See also:NATIONAL FLAGS
.—See also:British
.
The royal See also:standard of See also:England was, when it was hoisted on the See also:Tower on the 1st of See also:January 18o1, thus heraldically described:—" Quarterly; first and See also:fourth, gules, three lions passant gardant, in See also:pale, or, for England; second, or, a See also:lion rampant, gules, within a See also:double tressure flory See also:counter flory of the last, for See also:Scotland; third, See also:azure, a See also:harp or, stringed argent, for See also:Ireland." The See also:present standard connects in See also:direct descent from the arms of the Conqueror
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These were two leopards passant on a red See also:
It is worthy of See also:note, however, that in the royal standard of See also: St George had See also:long been a See also:patron See also:saint of England, and his banner, argent, a cross gules, its national See also:ensign . St Andrew in the same way was the patron saint of Scotland, and his banner, azure, a saltire argent, the national ensign of Scotland . On the union of the two crowns James I. issued a See also:proclamation ordaining that " henceforth all our subjects of this Isle and See also:Kingdom of Greater See also:Britain and the members thereof, shall See also:bear in their See also:main-See also:top the red cross commonly called St George's cross, and the white cross commonly called St Andrew's cross, joined together according to a form made by our heralds, and sent by us to our admiral to be published to our said subjects; and in their fore-top our subjects of See also:south Britain shall See also:wear the red cross only, as they were wont, and our subjects of See also:north Britain in their fore-top, the white cross only as they were accustomed." This was the first Union Jack, as it is generally termed, though strictly the name of the flag is the " See also:Great Union," and it is only a " Jack " when flown on the jackstaff of a See also:ship of See also:war . Probably the name of the Stuart king " Jacques," which James I. always signed, gave the name to the flag, and then to the See also:staff at which it was hoisted . At the death of Charles I., the union with Scotland being dissolved, the See also:ships of the See also:parliament reverted to the See also:simple cross of St George, but the union flag was restored when See also:Cromwell became protector, with the Irish harp imposed upon its centre . On the Restoration, Charles II. removed the harp and so the See also:original union flag was restored, and continued as described until the See also:year 18o r, when, on the. legislative union with Ireland, the cross of St Patrick, a saltire gules, on a field argent, was incorporated in the union flag . To so combine these three crosses without losing the distinctive features of each was not easy; each cross must be distinct, and retain equally distinct its fimbriation, or bordering, which denotes the original ground . In the first union flag, the red cross of St George with the white fimbriation that represented the original white field was simply imposed upon the white saltire of St Andrew with its blue field . To place the red saltire of St Patrick on the white saltire of St Andrew would have been to obliterate the latter, nor would the red saltire have its proper bordering denoting its original white field; even were the red saltire narrowed in width the portion of the white saltire that would appear would not be the St Andrew saltire, but only the fimbriation appertaining to the saltire of St Patrick . The difficulty has been got over by making the white broader on one See also:side of the red than the other . In fact, the continuity of direction of the arms of the St Patrick red saltire has been broken by its portions being removed from the centre of the oblique points that form the St Andrew's saltire-Thus both the Irish and Scottish saltires can be easily distinguished from one another, whilst the red saltire has its due white fimbriation . The Union Jack is the most important of all British ensigns, and is flown by representatives of the empire all the See also:world over . It flies from the jackstaff of every See also:man-of-war in the See also:navy . With the Irish harp on a blue shield displayed in the centre, it is flown by the lord-See also:lieutenant of Ireland . When flowp by the See also:governor-See also:general of See also:India the See also:star and See also:device of the order of the Star of India are See also:borne in the centre . Colonial See also:governors fly it with the badge of their See also:colony displayed in the centre . See also:Diplomatic representatives use it with the royal arms in the centre . As a military flag, it is flown over fortresses and headquarters, and on all occasions of military ceremonial . Hoisted at the mainmast of a man-of-war it is the flag of an admiral of the fleet . Military flags in the shape of regimental See also:standards and See also:colours, and flags used for signalling, are described elsewhere, and it will here be only necessary to See also:deal with the navy and See also:admiralty flags . The origin of the three ensigns—the red, white, and blue—had its See also:genesis in the navy . In the days of huge fleets, such as prevailed in the Tudor and Stuart navies, there were, besides the admiral in supreme command, a See also:vice-admiral as second in command, and a See also:rear-admiral as third in command, each See also:con-trolling his own particular See also:group or See also:squadron . These were designated-centre, See also:van, and rear, the centre almost invariably being commanded by the admiral, the vice-admiral taking the van and the rear-admiral the rear squadron . In order that any See also:vessel in any group could distinguish its own admiral's ship, the flagships of centre, van, and rear flew respectively a See also:plain red, white, or blue flag, and so came into being those See also:naval ranks of admiral, vice-admiral, and rear-admiral of the red, white, and blue which continued down to as See also:late as 1864 .
As the admiral in supreme command flew the union at the main, there was no See also:rank of admiral of the red, and it was not until See also:November 1805 that the rank of admiral of the red was added to the navy as a See also:special compliment to See also:reward See also:Trafalgar
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About 1652, so that each individual ship in the squadron should be distinguish-able as well as the flagships, each vessel carried a large red, white, or blue flag according as to whether she belonged to the centre, van, or rear, each flag having in the See also:left-See also:hand upper corner a See also:canton, as it is termed, of white bearing the St George's cross
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These flags were called ensigns, and it is, of course, due to the fact that the union with Scotland was for the time dissolved that they See also:bore only the St George's cross
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Even when the restoration of the Stuarts restored the status quo the cross of St George still remained alone on the ensign, and it was not altered until 1707 when the See also:bill for the Union of England and Scotland passed the English parliament
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In 18oi, when Ireland joined the Union, the flag, of course, became as we know it to-day
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All these three ensigns belonged to the royal navy, and continued to do so until 1864, but as far back as 1707 ships of the See also:mercantile marine were instructed to fly the red ensign
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As ironclads replaced the wooden vessels and fleets became smaller the inconvenience of three naval ensigns was See also:manifest, and in 1864 the grades of flag officer were reduced again to admiral, vice-admiral, and rear-admiral, and the navy abandoned the use of the red and blue ensigns, retaining only the white ensign as its distinctive flag
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The mercantile marine retained the red ensign which they were already using, whilst the blue ensign was allotted to vessels employed on the public service whether See also:home or colonial
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The white ensign is therefore essentially the flag of the royal navy
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It should not be flown anywhere or on any occasion except by a ship (or See also:shore See also:establishment) of the royal navy, with but one exception
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By a See also: Some few other yacht clubs flew it until 1842, when the See also:privilege was withdrawn by an admiralty See also:minute . By some oversight the order was not conveyed to the Royal Western of Ireland, whose ships flew the white ensign until in 1857 the usage was stopped . Since that date the Royal Yacht Squadron has alone had the privilege . Any vessel of any sort flying the white ensign, or See also:pennant, of the navy is committing a See also:grave offence, and the ship can be boarded by any officer of His459 See also:Majesty's service, the colours seized, the vessel reported to the authorities, and a See also:penalty inflicted on the owners or See also:captain or both . The penalty incurred is £500 See also:fine for each offence, as laid down in the 73rd See also:section of the Merchant See also:Shipping See also:Act 1894 . In 1883 Lord Annesley's yacht, belonging to the Royal Yacht Squadron, was detained at the See also:Dardanelles in consequence of her flying the white ensign of the royal navy which brought her under the See also:category of a man-of-war, and no See also:foreign man-of-war is allowed to pass the Dardanelles without first obtaining an imperial irade . Since then owners belonging to the squadron have been warned that they must either See also:sail their ships through the straits under the red ensign See also:common to all ships British owned, or obtain imperial permission if they wish to display the white ensign . Besides the white ensign the ship of war flies a long streamer from the maintopgallant masthead . This, which is called a pennant, is flown only by ships in See also:commission; it is, in fact, the sign of command, and is first hoisted when a captain commissions his ship . The pennant, which was really the old " pennoncell," was of three colours for the whole of its length, and towards the end left See also:separate in two or three tails, and so continued till the end of the great wars in 1816 . Now, however, the pennant is a long white streamer with the St George's cross in the inner portion See also:close to the See also:mast . Pennants have been carried by men-of-war from the earliest times, See also:prior to 1653 at the yard-See also:arm, but since that date at the maintopgallant mast-See also:head . The blue ensign is exclusively the flag of the public service other than the royal navy, and is as well the flag of the royal naval reserve . It is flown also by certain authorized vessels of the British mercantile marine, the conditions governing this privilege being that the captain and a certain specified portion of the See also:officers and See also:crew shall belong to the ranks of the royal naval reserve . When flown by ships belonging to British See also:government offices the See also:seal or badge of the See also:office is displayed in the fly . For example, hired transports fly it with the yellow See also:anchor in the fly; the marine See also:department of the See also:Board of See also:Trade has in the fly the device of a ship under sail; the See also:telegraph See also:branch of the See also:post-office shows in the fly a device representing See also:Father Time with his See also:hour-See also:glass shattered by See also:lightning; the See also:ordnance department displays upon the fly a shield with a See also:cannon and cannon balls upon it . Certain yacht clubs are also authorized by special admiralty See also:warrant to fly the blue ensign . Some of these display it plain; others show in the fly the distinctive badge of the See also:club . Consuls-general, consuls and consular agents also have a right to fly the blue ensign, the distinguishing badge in their See also:case being the royal arms . The red ensign is the distinguishing flag of the British merchant service, and special orders to this effect were issued by Queen Anne in 1707, and again by Queen Victoria in 1864 . The order of Queen Anne directed that merchant vessels should fly a red flag " with a Union Jack described in a canton at the upper corner thereofnext the staff," and this is probably the first time that the See also:term " Union Jack " was officially used . In some cases those yacht clubs which fly the red ensign change it slightly from that flown by the merchant service, for they are allowed to display the badge of the club in the fly . Colonial merchant-men usually display the ordinary red ensign, but, provided they have a warrant of authorization from the admiralty, they can use the ensign with the badge of the colony in the fly . In regard to ensigns it is important to remember that they are purely maritime flags, and though the See also:rule is more honoured in the See also:breach than in the observance, the only flag that a private individual or a See also:corporation has a right to display on shore is the national flag, the Union Jack, in its plain See also:condition and without any emblazonment . There are two other British See also:sea flags which are worthy of brief See also:notice . These are the admiralty flag and the flag of the See also:master of Trinity See also:House . The admiralty flag is a plain red flag with a clear anchor in the centre in yellow . In a sense it is a national flag, for the sovereign hoists it when afloat in See also:conjunction with the royal standard and the Union Jack . It would appear to have been first used by the duke of York as lord high admiral, who flew it when the sovereign was afloat and had the royal standard flying in another ship . When a board of commissioners was appointed to execute the office of lord high admiral this was the flag adopted, and in 1691 we find the admiralty, minuting the navy board, then a subordinate department, requiring and directing it to cause a fitting red See also:silk flag, with the anchor and See also:cable therein, to be provided against Tuesday See also:morning next, for the See also:barge belonging to this board." In 1725, presumably as being more See also:pretty and See also:artistic, the cable in the device was See also:twisted round the stock of the anchor . It was thus made into a " foul anchor," the thing of all others that a sailor most hates, and this despite the fact that the first lord at the time, the See also:earl of See also:Berkeley, was himself a sailor . The anchor retained its unseamanlike See also:appearance, and was not " cleared " till 1815, and even to this day the buttons of the naval See also:uniform bear a " foul anchor." The " anchor " flag is solely the See also:emblem of an administrative board; it does not carry the executive or combatant functions which are vested in the royal standard, the union or an admiral's flag, but on two occasions it has been made use of as an executive flag . In 1719 the earl of Berkeley, who at the time was not only first lord of the admiralty, but vice-admiral of England, obtained the special permission of George I. to hoist it at the main instead of the union flag . Again in 1869, when Mr See also:Childers, then first lord, accompanied by some members of his board, went on board the " See also:Agincourt " he hoisted the admiralty flag and took command of the combined Mediterranean and Channel squadrons, thus superseding the flags of the two distinguished officers who at the time were in command of these squadrons . It is hardly necessary to add that throughout the navy there was a very distinct feeling of dissatisfaction at the innovation . When the admiralty flag is flown by the sovereign it is hoisted at the fore, his own standard being of course at the main, and the union at the mizzen . The flag of the master of the Trinity House is the red cross of St George on its white ground, but with an See also:ancient ship on the waves in each quarter; in the centre is a shield with a precisely similar device and surmounted by a lion . The sign of a British admiral's command afloat is always the same . It is the St George's cross . Of old it was borne on the main, the fore, or the mizzen, according as to whether the officer to whom it pertained was admiral, vice-admiral, or rear-admiral, but, as ironclads superseded wooden ships, and a single See also:pole mast took the place of the old three masts, a different method of indicating rank was necessitated . To-day the flag of an admiral is a square one, the plain St George's cross . When flown by a vice-admiral it bears a red See also:ball on the white ground in the upper canton next to the staff; if flown by a rear-admiral there is a red ball in both the upper and See also:lower cantons . As nowadays most battleships have two masts, the admiral's flag is hoisted at the one which has no masthead See also:semaphore . The admiral's flag is always a square one, but that of a See also:commodore is a broad white pennant with the St George's cross . If the commodore be first class the flag is plain; if of the second class the flag has a red ball in the upper canton next to the staff . The same See also:system of differentiating rank prevails in most navies, though very often a star takes the place of the ball . In some cases, however, the indications of rank are differently shown . For instance, both in the See also:Russian and See also:Japanese navies the distinction is made by a See also:line of See also:colour on the upper or lower edges of the flag .
The flags of the British colonies are the same as those of the See also:mother See also:country, but differentiated by the badge of the colony being placed in the centre of the flag if it is the Union Jack, or in the fly if it be the blue or red ensign
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Examples of these are shown in the See also:Plate, where the blue ensign illustrated is that of New See also:Zealand, the device of the colony being the See also:southern cross in the fly
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Precisely the same flag, with a large six-pointed star, emblematic of the six states immediately under the union, forms the flag of the federated commonwealth of See also:Australia
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The red ensign shown is that of the Dominion of See also:Canada, thedevice in the fly being the armorial See also:bearings of the Dominion
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As the lord-lieutenant of Ireland, as the representative of royalty, flies the Union Jack with a harp in the centre, or the See also:viceroy of India flies the same flag with, in the centre, the badge of the order of the Star of India, so too colonial governors or high commissioners fly the union flag with the arms of the colony they preside over on a white shield in the centre and surrounded by a See also:laurel wreath
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In the case of Canada the wreath, however, is not of laurel but of See also:maple, which is the special emblem of the Dominion
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French.—To come to flags of other countries, nowhere have See also:historical events caused so much change in the standards and national ensigns of a country as in the case of France
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The oriflamme and the See also:Chape de St See also:
Yet again, other authorities assert that the flag is copied from the shield of the See also: |