Flag of the United Kingdom

Flag of the United Kingdom
Name	Union Flag
Use	Civil and state flag.
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	1 January 1801
Design	A white-fimbriated symmetric red cross on a blue field with a white-fimbriated counterchanged saltire of red and white.
Variant flag of the United Kingdom
Use	War flag.
Proportion	3:5
Design	Same as above.
Variant flag of the United Kingdom
Use	Civil ensign.
Proportion	1:2
Design	A red field with the Union Flag in the canton. See Red ensign.
Variant flag of the United Kingdom
Use	State ensign.
Proportion	1:2
Design	A blue field with the Union Flag in the canton. See Blue ensign.
Variant flag of the United Kingdom
Use	Naval ensign.
Proportion	1:2
Design	A symmetric red cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the canton. See White ensign.

The history, current status, and nomenclature of the Union Flag, and its use other than as a flag for the United Kingdom (for example, in Australia), are treated more fully under the article Union Flag.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner commonly known as the Union Flag or, popularly, Union Jack (although officially this title should only be given to the flag when it is flown at sea). The current design of the Union Flag dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801. It consists of the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which are superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland).

Its correct proportions are 1:2. However, the version officially used by the British Army modifies the proportions to 3:5.

Flying the flag

The Union Flag can be flown by any individual or organisation in England, Scotland or Wales on any day of their choice. Legal regulations restrict the use of the Union Flag on Government buildings in Northern Ireland. Long-standing restrictions on Government use of the flag elsewhere were abolished in July 2007.

Upside-down

While appearing symmetric, the flag is slightly different if flipped, as a mirror image. The flag can be placed upside down, if it is mirrored, but rotating it 180 degrees will have no change. Placing the flag upside down is considered to be lèse majesté and is offensive to some,^[1] however, it can be deliberately flown upside down by the military as a distress signal. While this is currently rarely done, it was used by groups under siege during the Boer War and during campaigns in India in the late 18th century.

Flag Days (United Kingdom Government)

Until July 2007, the Union Flag was only flown on Government buildings on a limited number of special days each year. The choice of days was managed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).^[2] Government buildings are those used by civil servants, the Crown, or the armed forces. They were not applicable to private citizens, corporations, or local authorities.<ref name="dcms" />

On 3 July 2007, the Justice Secretary Jack Straw laid a green paper before Parliament entitled The Governance of Britain.^[3] Alongside a range of proposed changes to the constitutional arrangements of the UK was a specific announcement that there would be consultation on whether the rules on flag-flying on Government buildings should be relaxed.

Two days later, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that with immediate effect that the Union Flag would fly from the flag pole above the front entrance of 10 Downing Street on every day of the year. The intention was to increase feelings of 'Britishness'. Other Government departments were asked to follow this lead, and all Government buildings in Whitehall did so.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Scotland Yard however stated that they would follow the previous rules until they are formally abolished by DCMS.^[11]

James Purnell, the Culture Secretary has since concurred with the abolition of the restrictions – pending consultation on longer term arrangements.

Flag days

The Union Flag was only flown on days marking the birthdays of members of the Royal Family, the wedding anniversary of the Monarch, Commonwealth Day, Accession Day, Coronation Day, The Queen's official birthday, Remembrance Sunday and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation of Parliament. The flag days when the Union Flag should be flown from government buildings all over the UK are:

• 20 January: birthday of Sophie, The Countess of Wessex
• 6 February: anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II
• 19 February: birthday of Prince Andrew, Duke of York
• Second Sunday in March: Commonwealth Day
• 10 March: birthday of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
• 21 April: birthday of Queen Elizabeth II
• 9 May: Europe Day
• 2 June: anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
• 10 June: birthday of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• A Saturday in June: Official Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II
• 17 July: birthday of Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall
• 15 August: birthday of Anne, Princess Royal
• Second Sunday in November: Remembrance Sunday
• 14 November: birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales
• 20 November: anniversary of the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

In addition, the flag should be flown in the following areas on the specified days:

• Wales – 1 March: Saint David's Day
• Northern Ireland – 17 March: Saint Patrick's Day
• England – 23 April: Saint George's Day
• Scotland – 30 November: Saint Andrew's Day
• Greater London: The day of the opening or proroguing of Parliament

On the national days of England, Scotland and Wales, the respective National Flag may also be flown if there is a second flagpole only. The National Flag cannot take precedence over the Union Flag, except in Scotland on Saint Andrew's Day.

Flag Days (Scottish Executive)

In Scotland, the Scottish Executive has decreed that the Flag of Scotland ("the Saltire") will fly on all its buildings everyday from 8am until sunset, but there is no specific policy on flying the Union Flag and as such it is sometimes flown alongside the saltire and sometimes omitted. An exception is made for "national days". On these days, the Saltire shall be lowered and replaced with the Union Flag. These are the same as the flag days noted above with the exception of:

• 3 September: Merchant Navy Day

Another difference is that on Saint Andrew's Day, the Union Flag can only be flown if the building has more than one flagpole – the Saltire will not be lowered to makeway for the Union Flag if there is only one flagpole.^[12]

Flag Days (Northern Ireland)

In Northern Ireland, the Union Flag is flown from buildings of the Northern Ireland Office as decreed by Regulations published in 2000.^[13] The Regulations were amended in 2002 to remove the requirement to fly the flag on the birthdays of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon who both died that year.^[14] The current flag days are now the same as the United Kingdom government days noted above with the exception of the Duchess of Cornwall's birthday, which was only added to the UK flag days after her wedding to the Prince of Wales in 2005, and has not yet been extended to Northern Ireland.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the only body in the United Kingdom that is not permitted to fly the Union Flag, and is only permitted to fly its service flag or the Royal Standard in the event of a visit by the Sovereign.^[15]

Half-staff

The Union Flag is flown from Government buildings at half-staff in the following situations:^[16]

• from the announcement of the death of the Sovereign (an exception is made for Proclamation Day – the day the new Sovereign is proclaimed, when the Flag is flown at full staff from 11 am to sunset)
• the day of the funeral of a member of the British Royal Family
• the funeral of a foreign ruler
• the funeral of a former Prime Minister

The Sovereign sometimes declares other days when the Union Flag is to fly at half-staff. Half-staff means the flag is flown two-thirds up between the top and bottom of the flagstaff.^[17]

Other bodies

Individuals, companies, local authorities, hospitals, and schools are free to fly the flag whenever they choose. Planning permission is not required to fly the Union Flag from a flagpole.

See also

• Union Flag
• List of British flags - a list of flags used within the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British overseas territories.
• List of English flags - a list of flags used within England
• List of Scottish flags - a list of flags used within Scotland
• List of Welsh flags - a list of flags used within Wales
• List of Irish flags- a list of flags used within the Republic of Ireland
• Flag Institute
• National colours of the United Kingdom

References

External links

• Court of the Lord Lyon, Flags
• British Monarchy - Union Flag
• The Flag Institute
• Campaign for a new Union Flag

•  • [ e] Flags of the United Kingdom
UK	Flag of the United Kingdom (Union Flag)
Home Nations	England • Wales • Scotland
Historical	Northern Ireland (1953-1972)
Royal	Royal Standard • Royal Standard for use in Scotland • Royal Standard of Scotland
Ensigns	Blue Ensign • Red Ensign • White Ensign • Royal Air Force Ensign • Civil Air Ensign

•  • [ e] Flags of Europe
Sovereign states	Albania Andorra Armenia1 Austria Azerbaijan2 Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus1 Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia2 Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan2 Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Republic of Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia3 San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey3 Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City
Dependencies, autonomies, and other territories	Abkhazia2 Adjara1 Akrotiri and Dhekelia land Azores Basque CountryCataloniaCrimea Faroe Islands Gagauzia Gibraltar Guernsey Jan Mayen Jersey Kosovo Man, Isle of Madeira4 Nagorno-Karabakh1 Nakhchivan1 Northern IrelandScotland South Ossetia2 Svalbard Transnistria Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus1, 5 Wales
1 Entirely in West Asia; included here because of cultural, political and historical association with Europe. 2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia. 3 Partially in Asia. 4 Entirely in the African Plate, included here because of cultural, political and historical association with Europe. 5 Only recognised by Turkey.

•  • [ e] National flags and coats of arms
National flags	Sovereign states Dependent territories Unrecognized states Formerly independent states
National coats of arms	Sovereign states Dependent territories Unrecognized states