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a b de Burton, Simon (9 November 1999). "How Scots lost battle of the standard". The Scotsman. Johnston Press plc . Retrieved 30 June 2009. [ dead link] from the announcement of the death of the Sovereign (an exception is made for Proclamation Day – the day the new Sovereign is proclaimed, when the Flag is flown at full mast from 11am to sunset) Post Office Blue Ensign (before 1864)". The Collection. National Maritime Museum. AAA3687 . Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Ultimately, when the British home secretary was asked on 7 December 1922 (the day after the Irish Free State was established) whether the Garter King of Arms was "to issue any Regulations with reference to the national flag consequent to the passing of the Irish Free State Constitution Act", the response was no and the flag has never been changed. [76] The Union Flag was also the formal flag for the Dominion of Newfoundland, a separate dominion of the British Empire from 1907 to 1949. Newfoundland retained the Union Flag as the province's official flag after it joined the Canadian confederation in 1949. In 1980, the flag of Newfoundland was adopted as the new provincial flag, with the design for the new flag of Newfoundland being derived from the Union Flag. In objecting to the design of the Union Flag adopted in 1606, whereby the cross of Saint George surmounted that of Saint Andrew, a group of Scots took up the matter with John Erskine, 19th Earl of Mar, and were encouraged by him to send a letter of complaint to James VI, via the Privy Council of Scotland, which stated that the flag's design " will breid some heit and miscontentment betwix your Majesties subjectis, and it is to be feirit that some inconvenientis sail fall oute betwix thame, for our seyfaring men cannot be inducit to resave that flage as it is set down". [64] Although documents accompanying this complaint which contained drafts for alternative designs have been lost, evidence exists, at least on paper, of an unofficial Scottish variant, whereby the Scottish cross was uppermost. There is reason to think that cloth flags of this design were employed during the 17th century for unofficial use on Scottish vessels at sea. [65] [66] [67] This flag's design is also described in the 1704 edition of The Present State of the Universe by John Beaumont, which contains as an appendix The Ensigns, Colours or Flags of the Ships at Sea: Belonging to The several Princes and States in the World. [68]The Union Flag". The Court of the Lord Lyon. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018 . Retrieved 10 June 2008. While the flag appears symmetric, the white lines above and below the diagonal red are different widths. On the side closer to the flagpole (or on the left when depicted on paper), the white lines above the diagonals are wider; on the side farther from the flagpole (or on the right when depicted on paper), the converse is true. Thus, no change will be apparent when rotating the flag 180 degrees, but if mirrored the flag will be upside-down.
Sunday 13 May 1660". The Diary of Samuel Pepys. Phil Gyford. 13 May 1660 . Retrieved 12 January 2017.In July 2007, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled plans to have the Union Flag flown more often from government buildings. [90] While consultation on new guidelines was under way, the decision to fly the flag could be made by each government department. [ needs update] In March 2021, the UK government published new guidance for the Union Flag to be flown all year round on UK government buildings, unless another flag is being flown – such as another national flag of the UK, or a county flag, or other flags to mark civic pride. [91] Moore, Matthew (5 December 2007). "The new face of Britain Flag poll results". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Command flag, Admiral of the Fleet, RN (before 1801)". The Collection. National Maritime Museum. AAA0730 . Retrieved 12 August 2013. Canadian Heritage (10 March 2008). "Statement by the Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) on Commonwealth Day". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011.
However, the meaning behind the use of the flags by pro-democracy protestors, including the Union Flag, remains disputed with protestors citing a variety of reasons for flying it. [119] Some pro-democracy protestors that flew foreign flags, including the Union Flag, did so in an effort to attract international media attention to the protests, while others did so in an effort to irritate the central government of China. [119] [120] The Union Flag, in addition to other foreign flags, were also used by some protestors to illustrate their desire for Hong Kong to be an "international city"; whereas others used the flag simply as a generic symbol of freedom. [119] [121] [122] a b c Marshall, Tim (2017). A flag worth dying for: the power and politics of national symbols. New York, NY: Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN 978-1-5011-6833-8. OCLC 962006347.Some specifically flew the Union Flag and the colonial flag of Hong Kong, nostalgic of the "values" of the previous colonial government, namely "personal freedoms, rule of law, [and] clean governance". [116] [118] Other pro-democracy protestors choose to use the Union Flag and the colonial flag of Hong Kong in an effort to call upon the British government to declare that China had failed to uphold the Sino-British Joint Declaration. [119] Several Hongkongers that hold British National (Overseas) passports who used the flag during the protests were doing so as a call to the British government to grant British National (Overseas) the right to abode in the United Kingdom. [119] Although a small number of Hongkongers seek direct British intervention into the matter, the majority of those that used the Union Flag or the colonial flag of Hong Kong during the protests do not hold such beliefs. [118]
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