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Flags and Emblems
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"Union Jack"
Union Jack - the flag of the UK since 1801
A composite flag made by the superimposition of the flags of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick
Stitched size on 14-count sky-blue aida:
221mm x 142mm (8.7" x 5.6")
To buy this kit for £11.99 specify reference: FLA301 |
To buy the chart for £1.99 specify reference: FLA301C |
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Flags in the UK are part folded and part rolled before being hoisted up the flagpole, The bundle is held secure by a slip-knot tied using the end from the lower half of the halliard. To "break" the flag (or to unfurl it) the slip-knot is released when a sharp tug is exerted on the halliard.
A Jack Staff is a small mast used to facilitate the flying of the Union Jack from a ship's bow.
The Union Jack is made up of the super- position of the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland, representing the unification of the countries under a single monarchy. First of all Saint George's flag was merged with the flag of St Andrew in 1606 to form the British Flag (later renamed the Union Flag in 1625), then in 1801 the flag of Ireland was added. In 1674 the name Union Jack was adopted after it had become the established practice to fly the flag at the bows of ships [Nowadays the Ensign is used instead]
Wales already shared sovereignty with England from 1536, so the Welsh flag was not separately added when the English and Scottish flags were merged together in 1606.
The word "jack" is a nautical term referring to a small flag (often denoting nationality) flown from a ship's bowsprit. Prior to 1674 "The Jack", used as a proper noun, was a common colloquial term for The Union Flag. Sometimes the name "His Majesty's Jack" or "The King's Jack", was used, where the King was James I of England (James VI of Scotland).
How to fly the Union Jack correctly
There is a right way and a wrong way of flying the Union Jack but, if you look carefully at modern day television footage covering patriotic events, it is evident that a great many people do not know if their flag is the right way up or the wrong way. This was not always the case - prior to the nineteen sixties, when audiences used to stand up for the National Anthem at the end of cinema performances, the vast majority of people were more aware of the existence of a protocol.
- What does it mean when the Union Jack is flown inverted?
Sadly, nowadays it tends to signify that the owner is totally oblivious to the fact that it is upside down in the first place. Customarily the inverted flag is used as a distress signal, and deliberately flaunting this protocol is against an old established law which decrees the action to be an insult to the Sovereign. The law, known as lese-majesty, has never been rescinded and flying a Union Jack upside down is still technically a treasonable offence.
Clearly the Monarchy has had to become more tolerant in the modern day, as The Tower of London would otherwise be full up to its bursting point with the ever-growing population of unwitting miscreants who, in reality, only wish to covey their endearing support and best wishes to The Queen.
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- How can I tell if a Union Jack is the right way up?
If you look at the red diagonals, you will see that they are not centrally positioned within the white diagonals. Concentrate on the half of the flag that is nearest to the flagpole - the diagonals should have broader bands of white above the red in order to be correct. In the examples shown above, the Union Jack on the left is the right way up, whilst the flag on the right is inverted.
The ropes used to hoist the flags are known as halliards (sometimes spelled halyard). A ceremonial flag has a wooden toggle located at the top corner, and a loop of cord permanently attached at its bottom corner. The toggle is inserted into a loop on the upper part of the halliard, whilst the lower end of the halliard is tied into the loop on the flag using a clove hitch.