The Union Jack – Here are the Answers

Lion John S writes – During our St Georges Day Dinner a discussion about the Union Jack occurred.  Nobody seemed certain just how the flag is made up and which countries are represented.  I have researched the matter via the internet and here are the answers.

The UK flag consists of three elements: the cross of St. George (red on white) for England, the cross of St. Andrew (white diagonal on blue) for Scotland, and the so-called Crosss of St Patrick (red diagonal on white) for Ireland. The original Union Jack/Union Flag adopted in 1606 was symmetrical: the red cross of St. George outlined in white overlaid on top of a St. Andrew’s flag, which was blue with a white X.

In 1801, an Act of Union, which made Ireland a co-equal member of the United Kingdom, made it necessary to add a symbol for Ireland to the flag, but without obliterating any of the existing symbols. If the St. Patrick’s cross had been centred on the diagonal stripes, then St. Andrew’s cross would have been relegated to an inferior position, basically serving only as a border for St. Patrick’s. But Scotland was the senior of the two kingdoms, so this was unsatisfactory. The solution was to divide the diagonal stripes diagonally, so that the red St. Patrick’s cross would take up only half of each stripe, and so that half devoted to St. Andrew would take the place of honour. Thus, in the two hoist quarters, the white St. Andrew’s cross occupies the upper position, and in the two fly quarters, the red St. Patrick’s cross occupies the upper position.