Source: tmg110.tripod.com
FCS UB, Malang – Who doesn’t know the United Kingdom? Everyone around the world recognizes the iconic blue, red, and white-colored flag which represents the United Kingdom. Remarkably, the flag itself has a history that is unknown to most people. The Union Flag, or Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
The Union Jack is the royal flag in principle. Because it merges the crosses of three separate nations under one ruler, it is called Union. The kingdoms of England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland constitute up this group (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of this union).
Source: wikipedia.org
Three heraldic crosses make up the flag.
Source: wikipedia.org
St. George’s cross is a red cross on a white background, the saint himself has been England’s patron saint since the 1270s. This cross was joined with the cross of St. Andrew in 1606 after James I ascended to the throne.
Source: wikipedia.org
The cross saltire of St. Andrew, Scotland’s patron saint, is a blue ground with a diagonal white cross.
Source: wikipedia.org
The cross saltire of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, is a white ground with a diagonal red cross. After the Act of Union of Ireland with England (and Wales) and Scotland on January 1st 1801, this cross was merged with the old Union Flag of St. George and St. Andrew to form the Union Flag that has been flown ever since.
The Union Flag does not include the Welsh dragon. Because the Principality of Wales had already been merged with England and was no longer a separate principality when the first Union Flag was designed in 1606, it was no longer an independent principality.
Originally, the Union Flag was a Royal flag. The current design was ordered to be flown on all of the King’s forts and castles when it was declared official in 1801, but not elsewhere.
(30/07/2021-FIBInternship)
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