The Union Jack: Difference between revisions
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=== An Adopted National Symbol === | === An Adopted National Symbol === | ||
The Union Jack is probably one of the best known national symbols worldwide on a par with the royal family, five-o'clock tea and the royal palace guards [2]. The flag is now over four-hundred years old, supposedly "the world'S oldest national flag"[3]. Although the idea of a national flag is fairly new since the concept of nation did not came up before the 18th and 19th centuries. Beforehand there was no British or English nation but a kingdom. In contrast to other countries there does also not exist any written act of parliament or law about the design of the flag. Far more, the Union Jack derived from long-established customs and practises of a flag that was primarily used by the navy [3] Originally it was a royal flag only hoisted upon ships, castles or fords [does this mean fjords? or forts?] [1].--[[User:Karsten|Karsten]] 20:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC) | The Union Jack is probably one of the best-known national symbols worldwide on a par with the royal family, five-o'clock tea and the royal palace guards [2]. The flag is now over four-hundred years old, supposedly "the world'S oldest national flag"[3]. Although the idea of a national flag is fairly new since the concept of nation did not came up before the 18th and 19th centuries. Beforehand there was no British or English nation but a kingdom. In contrast to other countries there does also not exist any written act of parliament or law about the design of the flag. Far more, the Union Jack derived from long-established customs and practises of a flag that was primarily used by the navy [3] Originally it was a royal flag only hoisted upon ships, castles or fords [does this mean fjords? or forts?] [1].--[[User:Karsten|Karsten]] 20:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC) | ||
===Where does the 'Jack' come from?=== | ===Where does the 'Jack' come from?=== | ||
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===Historical Background: The Union Jack and the Act of Union=== | ===Historical Background: The Union Jack and the Act of Union=== | ||
[[Elizabeth I]] died without direct heir in 1603. Her ministers decided (ignoring a law of [[Henry VIII]]) to pass the crown to James VI of Scotland, whereupon the two separate kingdoms were united under one monarch. The new kingdom of Great Britain was proclaimed. However the countries remained independent and kept their animosities and rivalries strengthened by the fact that James I preferred his distant Scottish residence to the hub of society, culture and economy London. Furthermore, some Scots disliked to see St George's cross on Scottish possessions. Thus the king decided to create a new royal banner out of the crosses of St George and St Andrew [5,6]: | |||
**'' | **''By the King, James I: A Proclamation decaling [really?] what Flags South and North Britains shall bear at Sea | ||
**''Whereas, some differences hath arisen between Our subjects of South and North Britaine travelling by Seas, about the bearing of their Flagges: For the avoiding of all contentions hereafter. We have, with the advice of our Council, ordered: That from henceforth all our Subjects of this Isle and Kingdome of '''Great Britaine, and all our members thereof, shall beare in their main-toppe the Red Crosse, commonly called St. George’s Crosse, and the White Crosse, commonly called St. Andrew’s Crosse, joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds,''' and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects: and in their fore-toppe our Subjects of South Britaine shall weare the Red Crosse onely as they were wont, and our Subjects of North Britaine in their fore-toppe the White Crosse onely as they were accustomed.'' […] | **''Whereas, some differences hath arisen between Our subjects of South and North Britaine travelling by Seas, about the bearing of their Flagges: For the avoiding of all contentions hereafter. We have, with the advice of our Council, ordered: That from henceforth all our Subjects of this Isle and Kingdome of '''Great Britaine, and all our members thereof, shall beare in their main-toppe the Red Crosse, commonly called St. George’s Crosse, and the White Crosse, commonly called St. Andrew’s Crosse, joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds,''' and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects: and in their fore-toppe our Subjects of South Britaine shall weare the Red Crosse onely as they were wont, and our Subjects of North Britaine in their fore-toppe the White Crosse onely as they were accustomed.'' […] | ||
**''Given at our Palace of Westminster the 12th oy of April in the 4th year of our Reign of Great Britain France and | **''Given at our Palace of Westminster the 12th oy [oy?] of April in the 4th year of our Reign of Great Britain France and Ireland Annoq. Domini 1606.'' [4] | ||
Scotland and England were united under the [[Act of Union]], 1707. The first article reiterates the unified kingdom Great-Britain with one flag: | |||
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The latest to join the United Kingdom was Ireland in 1801 along the Act of Union of 1800. The College of Arms redesigned the "Union Jack" to it's current status (only minor changes to its dimensions and | The latest to 'join' the United Kingdom was Ireland in 1801 along the Act of Union of 1800. The College of Arms redesigned the "Union Jack" to it's current status (only minor changes to its dimensions and proportions followed) including the Cross of St Patrick, the red saltire on white (which truly speaking was not St Patrick's cross, since St Patrick was not martyred, instead they used the emblem of the powerful Fitzgerald family) [3].--[[User:Karsten|Karsten]] 20:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC) | ||
===British | ===British Peculiarities=== | ||
[[Image:Flying_the_Flag_Correctly.png|thumb|Correct Way of Flying the Flag:<http://www.flaginstitute.org/pdfs/Flying_Flags_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf>]] | [[Image:Flying_the_Flag_Correctly.png|thumb|Correct Way of Flying the Flag:<http://www.flaginstitute.org/pdfs/Flying_Flags_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf>]]There is no legal regulation concerning "The Union Jack". But the "Flags and Heraldry Comittee" (an all party group of the UK parliament) and the Flag Institute have on eye on it, they keep records, watch the traditions and give out guidelines according to habits and customs. Once, an incident where the "Union Jack" was displayed upside-down along a ceremony involving Gordon Brown, the Chinese premier minister Wen Jiaobao and Trade Secretary Lord Mandelson caused the director of the Flag Institution Mike Kearsley to say: | ||
**''"'My first reaction is 'here we go again'. [...] One part of me is concerned that we don't recognise and understand our own flag but another part of me is amused that it's a terribly British thing to do. [...] You would think people in Downing Street would recognise it because they see the flag so often. Many places in government these days have people working from overseas and maybe they don't understand. [...] If we had flown the Chinese flag upside down it could have been quite a diplomatic problem.'"'' [8] | **''"'My first reaction is 'here we go again'. [...] One part of me is concerned that we don't recognise and understand our own flag but another part of me is amused that it's a terribly British thing to do. [...] You would think people in Downing Street would recognise it because they see the flag so often. Many places in government these days have people working from overseas and maybe they don't understand. [...] If we had flown the Chinese flag upside down it could have been quite a diplomatic problem.'"'' [8] | ||
[[Image:The Royal Standard.png|thumb|The Royal Standard (<http://www.flaginstitute.org/pdfs/Flying_Flags_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf>)]]The correct way to fly the flag is to have the wider diagonal white stripe above the diagonal red Flying because | [[Image:The Royal Standard.png|thumb|The Royal Standard (<http://www.flaginstitute.org/pdfs/Flying_Flags_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf>)]]The correct way to fly the flag is to have the wider diagonal white stripe above the diagonal red Flying because Scotland's St Andrew's cross takes precedence over Ireland's St Patrick's cross. The hierarchy once equaled their political relations: the English cross comes before the Scottish and Irish. On uniforms the flag should be on the left shoulder (if it is on the right it must be reversed). And when the flag is disposed of it must be burned or ripped into such small pieces that it no longer resembles the original.[9].--[[User:Karsten|Karsten]] 20:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC) | ||
==References and Further Reading== | ==References and Further Reading== | ||
Latest revision as of 15:28, 3 May 2010
The Union Jack
The Flag
The Union Jack/Union Flag is the nickname of the national flag of the United Kingdom and symbolizes the union of the Kingdom of England (including Wales), Scotland and Ireland under one sovereign. Today's design combines the three heraldic crosses (leaving out the Welsh dragon since the Principality of Wales had already been part of England before 1606):
The cross of St George(patron saint of England) is a red cross on white ground;
The cross of St Andrews(patron saint of Scotland)is a diagonal white cross on blue ground;
The cross of St Patrick (patron of Ireland) is a diagonal red cross on white ground (Fig.4).
However the design of the first Union Flag looked quite different as the reconstructions show [1].
--Karsten 20:41, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
An Adopted National Symbol
The Union Jack is probably one of the best-known national symbols worldwide on a par with the royal family, five-o'clock tea and the royal palace guards [2]. The flag is now over four-hundred years old, supposedly "the world'S oldest national flag"[3]. Although the idea of a national flag is fairly new since the concept of nation did not came up before the 18th and 19th centuries. Beforehand there was no British or English nation but a kingdom. In contrast to other countries there does also not exist any written act of parliament or law about the design of the flag. Far more, the Union Jack derived from long-established customs and practises of a flag that was primarily used by the navy [3] Originally it was a royal flag only hoisted upon ships, castles or fords [does this mean fjords? or forts?] [1].--Karsten 20:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
Where does the 'Jack' come from?
As the flag was introduced in 1606, it was only called "The British Flag" or "The Flag of Britain" and mainly to be found on ships as a symbol of the United Kingdom of England and Scotland. The term 'union' was mentioned in 1625 for the first time and refers to the Acts of Union after 1606 [explain! especially that the Union was not a real union between the countries, this came only in 1707].
Less obvious is the the origins of the word 'Jack'. Most likely is that it derived from a general naval slang term for a small flag flown from the mast mounted on the bowsprit and did not refer to the "The British Flag" at all. Later on, the sailors began to speak of "The Jack", "Jack flag", "King's Jack" and from 1674 on of "His Majestie's Jack" when they meant the Union Flag hoisted on their ship. In the 18th century, it was commonly addressed as "The Union Jack". 1902 the Admiralty decided to use the name officially and 1908 the Parliament finally approved that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the national flag"[3]. Thus the flag has its name out of maritime daily usage.
Another explanation is that it goes back to James I of England, VI of Scotland and France. According to this theory 'Jack' is the anglicised 'Jacques', the French signature of James I [4].
In the 1800s due to the growing British Empire Britain started to become a world power, some national flag was needed to say to show the rest of the world that wherever the flag is put in is British territory. During the First World War the British soldiers made it even more popular.[2]--Karsten 20:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
Historical Background: The Union Jack and the Act of Union
Elizabeth I died without direct heir in 1603. Her ministers decided (ignoring a law of Henry VIII) to pass the crown to James VI of Scotland, whereupon the two separate kingdoms were united under one monarch. The new kingdom of Great Britain was proclaimed. However the countries remained independent and kept their animosities and rivalries strengthened by the fact that James I preferred his distant Scottish residence to the hub of society, culture and economy London. Furthermore, some Scots disliked to see St George's cross on Scottish possessions. Thus the king decided to create a new royal banner out of the crosses of St George and St Andrew [5,6]:
- By the King, James I: A Proclamation decaling [really?] what Flags South and North Britains shall bear at Sea
- Whereas, some differences hath arisen between Our subjects of South and North Britaine travelling by Seas, about the bearing of their Flagges: For the avoiding of all contentions hereafter. We have, with the advice of our Council, ordered: That from henceforth all our Subjects of this Isle and Kingdome of Great Britaine, and all our members thereof, shall beare in their main-toppe the Red Crosse, commonly called St. George’s Crosse, and the White Crosse, commonly called St. Andrew’s Crosse, joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds, and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects: and in their fore-toppe our Subjects of South Britaine shall weare the Red Crosse onely as they were wont, and our Subjects of North Britaine in their fore-toppe the White Crosse onely as they were accustomed. […]
- Given at our Palace of Westminster the 12th oy [oy?] of April in the 4th year of our Reign of Great Britain France and Ireland Annoq. Domini 1606. [4]
Scotland and England were united under the Act of Union, 1707. The first article reiterates the unified kingdom Great-Britain with one flag:
- Articles of Union
- The Articles of the UNION as they passed with Amendments in the Parliament of Scotland, and ratified by the Touch of the Royal Scepter at Edinburgh, January 16, 1707, by James Duke of Queensbury, her Majesty’s High Commissioner for that Kingdom.
- I. ‘That the two Kingdoms of (fn. 1) Scotland and England, shall, upon the first Day of May next ensuing the Date hereof, and for ever after, be united into one Kingdom by the Name of Great-Britain, and that the Ensigns Armorial of the said united Kingdom, be such as her Majesty shall appoint; and the Crosses of St. Andrew and St. George be conjoined in such a manner as her Majesty shall think fit, and used in all Flags, Banners, Standards, and Ensigns, both at Sea and Land. [...] [7]
The latest to 'join' the United Kingdom was Ireland in 1801 along the Act of Union of 1800. The College of Arms redesigned the "Union Jack" to it's current status (only minor changes to its dimensions and proportions followed) including the Cross of St Patrick, the red saltire on white (which truly speaking was not St Patrick's cross, since St Patrick was not martyred, instead they used the emblem of the powerful Fitzgerald family) [3].--Karsten 20:40, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
British Peculiarities
There is no legal regulation concerning "The Union Jack". But the "Flags and Heraldry Comittee" (an all party group of the UK parliament) and the Flag Institute have on eye on it, they keep records, watch the traditions and give out guidelines according to habits and customs. Once, an incident where the "Union Jack" was displayed upside-down along a ceremony involving Gordon Brown, the Chinese premier minister Wen Jiaobao and Trade Secretary Lord Mandelson caused the director of the Flag Institution Mike Kearsley to say:
- "'My first reaction is 'here we go again'. [...] One part of me is concerned that we don't recognise and understand our own flag but another part of me is amused that it's a terribly British thing to do. [...] You would think people in Downing Street would recognise it because they see the flag so often. Many places in government these days have people working from overseas and maybe they don't understand. [...] If we had flown the Chinese flag upside down it could have been quite a diplomatic problem.'" [8]
The correct way to fly the flag is to have the wider diagonal white stripe above the diagonal red Flying because Scotland's St Andrew's cross takes precedence over Ireland's St Patrick's cross. The hierarchy once equaled their political relations: the English cross comes before the Scottish and Irish. On uniforms the flag should be on the left shoulder (if it is on the right it must be reversed). And when the flag is disposed of it must be burned or ripped into such small pieces that it no longer resembles the original.[9].--Karsten 20:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
References and Further Reading
[1]“Union Jack“. The Official Website of The British Monarchy. 01 May 2010 <http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/UnionJack.aspx>
[2]Duffy, Jonathan. “Union Recognition“. BBC News Magazine. 04 April 2006 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4895076.stm>
[3]"The Union Jack or The Union Flag?". The Flag Institute. 05 My 2010 <http://www.flaginstitute.org/index.php?location=7.2>
[4]Fox-Davies, Arthur C. “The Union Jack.“ A Complete Guide to Heraldry. NY: Skyhorse, 2007: 611-614.
[5]"Act of Union". Parliament UK. 01 May 2010 <http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/> <http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/twokingdoms.html> <http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/tk_01_union.html> <http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/01_background.html> <http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/unitedkingdom.html>
[6]Macinnes, Allan I. “Acts of Union: The Creation of the United Kingdom“. BBC History. 05 November 2009 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/acts_of_union_01.shtml>
[7]Macinnes, Porf. Allan I. "Acts of Union: The Creation of the United Kingdom." BBC History. 05 November 2010 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/acts_of_union_01.shtml>
[8]"Flag mistake at UK-China ceremony." BBC NEWS. 03 February 2010 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7866938.stm>
[9]Flying the Flags in the United Kingdom – A Guide to Britain's Flag Protocol. The Flag Institute, Flags & Heraldry Comitee. 2010. 05 My 2010 <http://www.flaginstitute.org/pdfs/Flying_Flags_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf>--Karsten 20:38, 2 May 2010 (UTC)