Flag of United Kingdom
Union Jack or Union Flag
The flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack, is dark blue with a red cross edged in white over red and white diagonal crosses.
At a glance
- Adopted
- January 1, 1801the first Union Flag of 1606 joined England's and Scotland's crosses; Ireland's cross was added on 1 January 1801
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- London
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- dark blue
- white
- red
What it means
- Red upright cross: Saint George, patron saint of England
- White diagonal cross on blue: Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland
- Red diagonal cross: Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland
Where it came from
The Union Jack is three flags in one. In 1606 King James, who ruled both England and Scotland, combined the red cross of Saint George (England) with the white diagonal cross of Saint Andrew (Scotland) on blue.
When Great Britain and Ireland united on 1 January 1801, the red diagonal cross of Saint Patrick (Ireland) was added. The red and white diagonals were offset so Scotland's white cross keeps the place of honour near the flagpole at the top.
History
At first the 1606 flag was used mainly at sea, and in 1634 it was limited to Royal Navy ships. It became the national flag after England and Scotland united in 1707.
When most of Ireland left the United Kingdom in 1922, the flag did not change, because Northern Ireland stayed. Wales is not shown, because it was already part of the Kingdom of England in 1606. No law makes it the national flag; it is the national flag by long custom.
Fun facts
- The flag is easy to fly upside down by mistake: near the flagpole at the top, the white diagonal stripe should be above the red one.
- The name "Jack" probably comes from a small flag flown at the front of a ship. In 1902 the navy said both "Union Jack" and "Union Flag" are correct.
- In Chinese it is nicknamed the "rice character flag" because its pattern looks like the character for rice.
- It appears in the corner of the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tuvalu and many British territories.
Easy to mix up with
Australia: Australia has the Union Jack in the corner of a blue flag with white stars
New Zealand: New Zealand has the Union Jack in the corner with four red stars
Questions
What does the flag of United Kingdom look like?
The flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack, is dark blue with a red cross edged in white over red and white diagonal crosses.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of United Kingdom mean?
Red upright cross: Saint George, patron saint of England; White diagonal cross on blue: Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland; Red diagonal cross: Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland.
When was the flag of United Kingdom adopted?
The current flag of United Kingdom was adopted on January 1, 1801. (the first Union Flag of 1606 joined England's and Scotland's crosses; Ireland's cross was added on 1 January 1801)
What colours are on the flag of United Kingdom?
The flag of United Kingdom uses dark blue, white and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of United Kingdom?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Australia. Australia has the Union Jack in the corner of a blue flag with white stars
Famous landmarks in United Kingdom
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)