The Story of the Union Jack

The British flag, like the flag of any country, is an instantly recognisable symbol of a nation. All flags tell a story, and the Union Jack tells us about the history of the United Kingdom (the UK). The flag has quite an unusual design. In fact, it is a combination of three flags – the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland. But when and why were these three flags combined?

. After Queen Elizabeth the First (Elizabeth I) of England died in 1603, King James the Sixth of Scotland (James VI), who was Elizabeth’s nearest living relative, also became King James the First (James I) of England. So England and Scotland both had the same king. James called his new kingdom ‘Great Britain’.

. But there was a problem – which flag should they use? All ships carried a national flag, and the English sailors did not want to show the Scottish flag. The Scottish sailors didn’t want the English one. The Scottish flag was the Saint Andrew’s cross, a white diagonal cross on a blue background. The English flag was the Saint George’s Cross, a red cross on a white background. You can see both flags on this page.

. So, in 1606, the problem was solved by combining the two flags. The new flag was called the ‘Union Flag’. You can see the new flag in the picture on this page. In 1707, the Act of Union was passed by Parliament, and this Act of Union officially joined England and Scotland together, creating a single kingdom with a single Parliament called 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain'.

. Then, nearly one hundred years later, in 1801, Ireland was united with Great Britain. A new flag was needed! A flag that included an Irish symbol. The cross of Saint Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, is a red diagonal cross on a white background. You can see it in the picture. This flag was combined with the Union Flag of Saint George and Saint Andrew to create the flag that we know today. Its official name is the Union Flag, though we all call it the Union Jack. That’s what the sailors called it!

. So, we have one flag – but, as you may have seen at the World Cup in South Africa, we English still wave the English flag of St George when we support the England team. And of course, at a Scottish match, you’ll see the flag of St Andrew. Ireland has a new flag now. But that’s another story...

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