B.

History and Meaning of the Union Jack

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the Royal Banner commonly known as the Union Jack, or more properly Union Flag as it only becomes a jack when flown at sea. The Union Jack is a transnational flag full of historical significance. It is a fine expression of unity as well as diversity. The flag is actually three flags in one. It is made up from the England flag, the Scotland flag and the patron saint of Irelands flag. The emblems that appear on the Union Flag are the crosses of three patron saints. England is represented by the flag of St. George. In 1194 A.D., Richard I of England introduced the cross of St. George, a red cross on a white ground, as the national flag of England. Scotland is represented by the flag of St. Andrew, a diagonal white cross on a blue background. When King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England, it was decided that the union of the two realms under one king should be represented symbolically by a new flag. On 12th April 1606, the first flag of the union was created. The red cross of England was superimposed on the white cross of Scotland on the blue background of the Scottish Flag. A white border was added around the red cross for the reason of heraldry. This flag, however, was usually restricted to use at sea until the two kingdom of Scotland and England were officially united in 1707. Later another country, Ireland, was represented on the flag. Ireland is represented by the flag of St. Patrick, a diagonal red cross on a white background. The English established control over Ireland since the 12th century; nevertheless, Ireland remained a separate country under the rule of the English and British monarch until the British Parliament passed the Act of Union of 1800. In 1801, King George III added the cross of St. Patrick to the Union Flag, to make the Union Jack we have today. The designer had to make sure that all the crosses could be recognized as individual flags as well as being the same flag together. They did this by making the background of the white Scottish cross broader on one side of the Irish red than on the other. This meant that all the separate crosses could be seen and the Irish Cross had it original white background. When the

southern part of Ireland gained its dependence in 1921 and became the Irish Free State, no alteration was made to the flag. The formation of the Union Jack came about as a result of the progressive merging of the inhabitants of the British Isles under one throne. The Welsh dragon does not appear on the flag because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England. Wales was conquered by England in the 13th century. In 1536, under Henry III, the Act of Union joined England and Wales officially. Therefore, Wales is represented by the English flag instead of Welsh dragon. To sum up, both the name and the design of the British flag emphasize the very nature of the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a union of nations. The countries comprising the UK are not inward-looking or isolated states with an insular mentality; together they constitute a powerful union that has spanned centuries. Recent devolution that gave Scotland its own Parliament and Wales its own Assembly has also highlighted the importance of individual national identities within the nation without affecting the essential unity of Great Britain. Recognition of, and respect for national identities are an essential ingredients for effective union. The Union Jack symbolizes all this: respect for individuality within a closely knit community.