When James VI of Scotland
inherited as James I of England in 1603, the crowns of
the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland were
united in him, although each remained independent states.
On 12 April 1606, a new flag to represent
the personal union between England and Scotland was specified
in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England
(a red cross with a white background, known as St George's
Cross) and the flag of Scotland (a white saltire with
a blue background, known as the Saltire or Saint Andrew's
Cross) would be "joyned together according to the
forme made by our heralds, and sent by Us to our Admerall
to be published to our Subjects." The original sketches
which accompanied this specification are lost. When deciding
on the order of the flags, James 1 choose to put the
English St George cross over the Scottish saltire flag,
making it clear which country had control. This royal
flag was at first only for use at sea on civil and military
ships of both Scotland and England. In 1634, its use
was restricted to the monarch's ships. Land forces continued
to use their respective national banners.
The current Union Flag dates from 1
January 1801 with the Act of Union 1800, which merged
the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain
to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The new design added the red saltire cross attributed
to St Patrick for Ireland. This saltire is overlaid on
the saltire of St Andrew, but still beneath the cross
of St George. To make it clear Ireland was not superior
to Scotland, the Irish cross was placed off-centre and
made thinner. The red cross is thought to have come from
the heraldic device of the Fitzgerald family who were
sent by Henry II of England to aid Anglo-Norman rule
in Ireland and has rarely been used as an emblem of Ireland
by the Irish: a harp, a Celtic cross, a shamrock, or
(since 1922) an Irish tricolour have been more common.
However, the exact origin of the flag is unknown, with
evidence of saltires being present on ancient Irish coins
and maps. The St Patrick's saltire flag has been used
in more recent times for St Patrick's Day in Northern
Ireland, by various organisations wishing to avoid the
sectarianism that may be implied by the use of either
the tricolour or symbols of Unionism.
The current flag is blazoned Azure,
the Crosses Saltire of St Andrew and St Patrick, quarterly
per saltire, counterchanged Argent and Gules, the latter
fimbriated of the second, surmounted by the Cross of
St George of the third, fimbriated as the saltire.
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The Union Flag is often
flown by unionists and loyalists but is disliked by many
nationalists and republicans. There are various proposals
as to what flag could represent Northern Ireland's various
communities
In 1924, the Government of Northern Ireland was
granted arms by Royal Warrant and had the right to
display these arms on a flag or banner. This right
was exercised for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth
II in 1953 and assent was given for the use of such
a flag, known as the "Ulster Banner," on
festive occasions. The Ulster Banner should not be
confused with the Ulster flag.
Ulster Banner
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Edwardian version
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Tudor version
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The Banner was designed by Sir Gerald Wollaston,
then Norray and Ulster King of Arms; a white flag
carrying the cross of St George, with a white six
pointed star carrying the red hand of Ulster in the
centre of the cross, the star being ensigned by the
imperial crown.
In November 1973 the College of Arms advised that
it would be improper to use the Northern Ireland
Coat of Arms after the Northern Ireland Constitution
Act 1973 had been passed. The effect of this has
now been overtaken by The Flags Regulations (Northern
Ireland) 2000 which prohibits the flying of any flag
on Government buildings, other than the Union Flag,
and in certain circumstances, the Europe Flag, the
Flag of a visiting Head of State, or the Royal Standard.
The Flag of the nine-county Ulster is sometimes flown
by nationalists, especially in GAA contexts, though
it also appears on the coat of arms of the Ulster Unionist
Party. It was the basis for the Government of Northern
Ireland Flag. |
