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Blue Ensign
Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
Use State ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion 1:2
Adopted British Government
Design Blue with the Union occupying one quarter of the field and placed in the canton.
Commandant Ducuing 061030-N-5555T-017
RFA Brambleleaf flying the square Blue Jack based on the Blue Ensign

The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or defaced with a badge or other emblem.

The evolution of the Blue Ensign followed that of the Union Jack. The ensign originated in the 17th century with the St George's Cross (the Flag of England) in the canton, and with a blue field.

The Acts of Union 1707 united England and Wales with Scotland in the Kingdom of Great Britain, thus producing a new Blue Ensign with the new Union Flag, containing a saltire, in the canton. With the Act of Union 1800, Ireland became a part of the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and St Patrick's Cross was incorporated into the Union Flag and, accordingly, into the cantons of all British ensigns from 1 January 1801.

  • Government Ensign of the United Kingdom

    Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom

  • British-Blue-Ensign-1707

    Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag The British Blue Ensign (1707–1801)

  • English Blue Ensign 1620

    Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century

Plain Blue Ensign

Prior to the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, the plain blue ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, the Blue Squadron. This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, and the White Ensign was allocated to the Navy.

Thus, since 1864, the plain blue ensign (without any defacement or modification) is permitted to be worn, instead of the Red Ensign, by three categories of civilian vessel:

  1. British merchant vessels whose officers and crew include a certain number of retired Royal Navy personnel or Royal Naval Reservists, or are commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve in possession of a Government warrant. The number and rank of such crew members required has varied over the years, as have the additional conditions required, since the system was first introduced in 1864.
  2. Royal Research Ships by warrant whether crewed by former Royal Navy personnel or Merchant Navy personnel.
  3. British-registered yachts belonging to members of the following yacht clubs:
  • Hornet Services Sailing Club
  • Royal Naval Club and Royal Albert Yacht Club
  • Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Victoria
  • Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club
  • Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
  • Royal Cruising Club
  • Royal Dorset Yacht Club
  • Royal Engineer Yacht Club
  • Royal Geelong Yacht Club, Victoria
  • Royal Gourock Yacht Club
  • Royal Highland Yacht Club
  • Royal Marines Sailing Club
  • Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, Victoria
  • Royal Motor Yacht Club
  • Royal Naval Sailing Association
  • Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Yacht Club
  • Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
  • Royal Perth Yacht Club, Western Australia
  • Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club
  • Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, New Zealand
  • Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
  • Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club
  • Royal Solent Yacht Club
  • Royal South Australia Yacht Squadron
  • Royal Southern Yacht Club
  • Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, New South Wales
  • Royal Temple Yacht Club
  • Royal Thames Yacht Club
  • Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club
  • Royal Welsh Yacht Club
  • Royal Western Yacht Club of England
  • Royal Western Yacht Club of Scotland
  • Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
  • Royal Yacht Club of Victoria
  • Sussex Motor Yacht Club
  • The Cruising Association

Permission for yachts to wear the blue ensign (and other special yachting ensigns) was suspended during both World War I and World War II.

Defaced Blue Ensign

Since 1864, the Blue Ensign is defaced with a badge or emblem, to form the ensign of United Kingdom government departments or public bodies. Current defaced Blue Ensigns (besides yacht clubs listed below) are:

Aberdeen Harbour Board Ensign.svg Aberdeen Harbour Board
Border Force
British Antarctic Survey
British Broadcasting Corporation
British Telecom and Cable & Wireless
Naval Section Combined Cadet Force Ensign.jpg Combined Cadet Force (Naval Section)
Department of Trade and Industry
General Post Office
Global Marine Systems's cable-ships
Government Service Ensign.svg Government Service Ensign
British Army Ensign00.svg His Majesty's Army Vessels
Flag of Her Majesty's Coastguard.svg His Majesty's Coastguard
Commissioners of Irish Lights
Lloyd's of London
Marine Society
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
Metropolitan Police Service Ensign.jpg Metropolitan Police
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Ministry Of Defence Police Ensign.svg Ministry of Defence Police
Ministry of War Munitions
Ensign of the British Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses.svg Northern Lighthouse Board
Ocean Weather Service
Ordnance Board
Pacific Cables Board
Port of London Authority
Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Engineers Divers
Royal Engineers Ensign.png Royal Engineers
British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service
Royal Hospital School
British Royal Maritime Auxiliary Ensign.svg Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
Flag of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.svg Royal Ulster Constabulary
Ensign of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.svg Scottish Government
Marine Scotland
Ensign of the Sea Cadet Corps.svg Sea Cadet Corps
Submarine Mining Service
Government Ensign of Wales.svg Welsh Government
Marine and Fisheries Division

Royal Air Force marine vessels (such as seaplane tenders) flew a defaced blue ensign with an eagle and anchor.

Yachting Blue Ensigns defaced by the badge of the club were recorded in the Navy List until 1985, and now they are administered by the Royal Yachting Association for the Ministry of Defence. Current defaced Blue Ensigns are:

Aldeburgh Yacht Club
Army Sailing Association
Ensign of the Bar Yacht Club.svg Bar Yacht Club
City Livery Yacht Club
Ensign of the Conway Club Cruising Association.svg HMS Conway
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Household Division Yacht Club
LSC Ensign.png Little Ship Club
Little Ship Club (Queensland Squadron)
Ensign of Medway Yacht Club.svg Medway Yacht Club
Ensign of Old Worcester Yacht Club.svg Old Worcesters Yacht Club
Parkstone Yacht Club
Rochester Cruising Yacht Club
Royal Air Force Yacht Club
Royal Akarana Yacht Club
Blue Ensign defaced with crown.svg Royal Anglesey Yacht Club
Royal Armoured Corps Yacht Club
Royal Artillery Yacht Club
Royal Australian Navy Sailing Association
Ensign of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.svg Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
Royal Bombay Yacht Club
Royal Burnham Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club.svg Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.svg Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club.svg Royal Cornwall Yacht Club
Royal Dee Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Forth Yacht Club.svg Royal Forth Yacht Club
Royal Fresh Water Bay Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club.svg Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club
Royal Hamilton Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club.svg Royal Harwich Yacht Club
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht Club
Royal Jamaica Yacht Club
Royal London Yacht Club
Royal Malta Yacht Club
Royal Mersey Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Motor Yacht Club of New South Wales.svg Royal Motor Yacht Club of New South Wales
Royal Nassau Sailing Club
Royal Natal Yacht Club
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
Royal Northumberland Yacht Club
Royal Ocean Racing Club
Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club
Blue Ensign defaced with crown.svg Royal Southampton Yacht Club
Royal Suva Yacht Club
Blue Ensign defaced with crown.svg Royal Torbay Yacht Club
Ensign of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club.svg Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Royal Welsh Yacht Club
Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club
Severn Motor Yacht Club
Ensign of the Sussex Yacht Club.svg Sussex Yacht Club
Thames Motor Yacht Club
The Cruising Association
The House of Lords Yacht Club
The Medway Yacht Club
The Poole Harbour Yacht Club
Ensign of the Poole Yacht Club.svg The Poole Yacht Club

Flags of the Crown Dependencies using defaced Blue Ensigns

Flags of British Overseas Territories using defaced Blue Ensigns

Current flags:

Former flags:

The defaced blue ensign was formerly used as:

  • Flag of Bengal Presidency
    • Flag of British Bengal

      Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagBengal Presidency flag, 1612–1947

  • The flag of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1937 to 1976, then the flag of the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979)
  • The jack of the Royal Canadian Navy from its inception until the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag in 1965 The blue ensign was approved by the British Admiralty in 1868 for use by ships owned by the Canadian government.
    • Canadian Blue Ensign 1921-1957

      FIAV historical.svg Blue Ensign worn as a jack by the Royal Canadian Navy 1921–1957 (with green maple leaves in the shield)

    • Canadian Blue Ensign

      FIAV historical.svg Blue Ensign worn as a jack by the Royal Canadian Navy 1957–1965 (with red maple leaves in the shield)

  • The ensign (1879–1928) and the jack (1928–1947) of the Royal Indian Navy (HM Indian Marine: 1879–1892, Royal Indian Marine: 1892–1934, Royal Indian Navy: 1934–1950):
    • Flag of Imperial India

      Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagBlue Ensign worn as an ensign (1879–1928) and a jack (1928–1947) of the Royal Indian Navy

  • Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands.svg Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands (a British amical protectorate, 1815–1864)
  • Flag of Hong Kong (1959-1997).svg Flag of British Hong Kong (1870–1997) and the ensign of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force
  • British Weihaiwei flag.svg Flag of Weihaiwei (1903–1930)
  • Newfoundland
    • Dominion of Newfoundland Blue Ensign, 1870–1904

      Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagNewfoundland Blue Ensign, 1870–1904

    • Dominion of Newfoundland Blue Ensign

      Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagNewfoundland Blue Ensign, 1904–1931

    The badge in the flag consists of Mercury, the god of Commerce and Merchandise, presenting to Britannia, a fisherman who, in a kneeling attitude, is offering the harvest of all the sea. Above the device in a scroll are the words Terra Nova, and below the motto Hæc Tibi Dona Fero or "These gifts I bring thee." The seal was redesigned by Adelaine Lane, niece of Governor Sir Cavendish Boyle in 1903.
  • The ensign (1910–1928) of the Union of South Africa:
    • Blue Ensign of South Africa (1910–1912)

      Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Blue Ensign flown over the Union's offices abroad, 1910–1928

National flags based on the Blue Ensign

These include:

Other flags based on the Blue Ensign

See also

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