British Flag-A Long History

The flag was first proclaimed by James I (aka James VI of Scotland) in 1606 when he inherited both the thrones of England and Scotland and sought to create a flag combining the two crosses of the respective nations. Ireland was later added in 1801 when it joined the United Kingdom.

Three Flags in One

The flag is actually made up of the three flags of England, Scotland and Ireland which are the crosses of each country’s patron saint. The lack of any Welsh symbol or colours in the flag is due to Wales already being part of the Kingdom of England when the flag of Great Britain was created in 1606.

It’s Actually Not Called the Union Jack

While pretty much everyone calls it the Union Jack, it’s technically called the Union Flag unless it’s being flown at sea.

Flying the flag

If you look closely at the flag, you’ll notice that it’s actually not symmetrical in its shapes, which means that there is a proper way to display the flag.

State Flag of Hawaii

Despite fighting a war for independence, there is still a US state flag with the Union Jack on it – the Hawaii State flag. It’s a relic of Hawaii’s colonial past when Hawaii was still a monarchy. The King of Hawaii sought to placate both British and American interests by creating a hybrid flag. When America took control of the islands, they opted to stick with the hybrid flag.