British ensign facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
British Ensigns

Name	White Ensign
Use	Naval ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	The Royal Navy
Design	A white field defaced with Saint George's Cross and the Union Flag in the canton.
Name	Blue Ensign
Use	State ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	HM Government
Design	A blue field with the Union Flag in the canton.
Names	Red Ensign, Red Duster
Use	Civil ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	British Merchant Navy
Design	A red field with the Union Flag in the canton.
Variant flag of British Ensigns
Name	RAF Ensign
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	The Royal Air Force
Design	A sky blue field with the Union Flag in the canton and the RAF Roundel in the fly

An ensign is a special flag that identifies a ship or a group. In Britain, these flags show the Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) in the top corner near the flagpole. The rest of the flag, called the "field," can be red, white, or blue. These colours tell you if the ship is a civilian vessel, a navy ship, or part of a special group. They are known as the red, white, and blue ensigns.

Ensigns are not just for ships. Many other military groups, government departments, and regions also use flags based on these designs. These flags might have different colours or a special badge added to them. For example, the Royal Air Force (RAF) ensign is sky blue with the Union Flag and a round target-like symbol.

The Union Flag itself is usually flown by Royal Navy ships only when they are stopped or anchored. If it's flown while a ship is moving, it means there's a very important person, like the King or Queen, or a high-ranking admiral, on board.

Long ago, in the 17th century, King Charles I made it illegal for regular merchant ships to fly the Union Flag without a white border. This was to stop them from pretending to be royal ships and avoiding port fees.

Modern British Ensigns

Today, British ensigns are used in different ways. Here are the main types, from the most specific to the most common:

• the White Ensign
• the Blue Ensign
• the Blue Ensign with a badge
• the Red Ensign
• the Red Ensign with a badge

Historically, the red ensign was considered the most important.

The White Ensign

The White Ensign is used by ships, submarines, and shore bases of the Royal Navy. It has a red St George's Cross on a white background, with the Union Flag in the top corner. Some private yachts, belonging to members of the Royal Yacht Squadron, can also get special permission to fly this flag. The flag of the British Antarctic Territory is another example of a white ensign with a badge.

The Blue Ensign

The Blue Ensign has a dark blue background with the Union Flag in the top corner. It is flown by captains of ships who have special permission from the Director of Naval Reserves. Members of certain yacht clubs can also fly it. To get this permission, a captain usually needs to be a certain rank in the Royal Naval Reserve or other Commonwealth naval reserve forces. The Sea Cadet Corps also has a blue ensign with their badge on it.

Blue Ensigns with Badges

Many British government departments use blue ensigns that have their own special badge added to the flag. For example, the flag of Australia and the flag of New Zealand are blue ensigns with their country's badges. In the past, colonial governments also used blue ensigns with their colony's badge. Some yacht clubs are also allowed to fly blue ensigns with their club's badge.

The Red Ensign

The Red Ensign has a red background with the Union Flag in the top corner. If it has a badge, it's flown by groups like Trinity House and various yacht clubs. Merchant ships and private boats registered in British territories and some Commonwealth countries also fly red ensigns with their territory's badge.

The plain Red Ensign, without any extra badges, is the flag for all other British merchant ships and private boats. It's also the correct flag for foreign private boats to fly as a "courtesy flag" when they are in United Kingdom waters.

Other Special Ensigns

There are other interesting ensigns too. The flag of Hawaii is a British ensign with a background of white, red, and blue stripes.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has its own ensign, and there's also a civil air ensign for non-military aircraft. Both have a sky-blue background with the Union Flag. The RAF ensign has a red, white, and blue target-like symbol (called a roundel). The civil air ensign has a large dark-blue cross with a white outline. The flags of Tuvalu and Fiji are also sky-blue ensigns with badges.

The commissioner of the Northern Lighthouse Board has a unique white ensign. It's special because it still uses an older version of the Union Flag from before 1801. This flag is only flown when the commissioners are on board a vessel.

In the South Pacific, there are two "yellow" ensigns that feature the Southern Cross star pattern. The flag of Niue, an island country, is a "yellow" ensign. The personal flag of the governor of Victoria, Australia, also uses a yellow background.

There's also some historical evidence of a "Green Ensign" in British Ireland, which had a gold Irish harp on it. It's not clear how widely this unofficial flag was used by Irish merchant ships.

The flag of the British Antarctic Territory is white with its badge. The British Indian Ocean Territory flag has white and blue wavy stripes, also with a badge.

Finally, there is an "orange" ensign used by the Orange Order in Canada. This flag is orange with a white shield and a red maple leaf inside it.

Cornish Ensign

Ensign of Cornwall

Ensign of Devon

Flag of Niue

The Cornish Ensign, also called the St Piran's Ensign, is a Cornish flag that includes the Union Flag in its top corner. Many sailors from Cornwall use this flag, especially on their leisure boats and sometimes on merchant ships.

Devon Ensign

First flown in 2003, the Devon Regatta Ensign adds a Union Flag to the top corner of the Devon Flag. This flag is used for special events like regattas, holidays, weddings, and burials at sea.

This flag is also known as the St Petroc's Ensign, named after a saint. It is popular among sailors from Devon, often seen on their leisure boats.

Golden Ensign

The Golden Ensign, or yellow ensign, is seen in a few flags. The flag of Niue, an island country linked with New Zealand, is a famous example of a golden ensign. The flag of the Governor of Victoria in Australia also uses a golden ensign. The flag of Niue shows its connection to the British monarchy and its unique culture.

Colours of British Ensigns

The colours used in most British ensigns are the same as those in the Union Flag: royal blue, red, and white. Here are the official colour details:

These colour specifications come from the official Pantone website. Sometimes the colours might look slightly different depending on whether they are seen on a screen or printed.

The Royal Hospital School's Unique Ensign

The Royal Hospital School is a special school in the United Kingdom. It is the only independent school that has continuously been awarded the "Queens Banner" and has its own unique school ensign.

History of British Ensigns

HMS Endurance sailing past the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The Union Jack is flown to show that Queen Elizabeth II was on board.

Before 1864, the Royal Navy was divided into three main groups, or "squadrons": red, white, and blue. Each squadron flew its own coloured ensign. For example, Lord Nelson was a Vice Admiral of the White squadron when he passed away.

The red squadron often patrolled the Caribbean and North Atlantic Ocean. The white squadron guarded the coasts of Britain, France, and the Mediterranean Sea. The blue squadron sailed in the South Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. The flags of many former British colonies often used the same colour as their protecting squadron. This is why Bermuda has a red flag, and Australia and New Zealand have blue flags. Canada's flag was a red ensign until it adopted the maple leaf flag in 1965.

The flag of the United States also has a similar history. Early flags during the American Revolution were modified Red Ensigns. The Continental Union Flag added six white stripes to the Red Ensign. This flag was used during the fight for independence until the Union Flag in the corner was replaced by stars in 1777.

Canadian Ensigns

In 1868, the British Admiralty said that the Canadian Blue Ensign was the correct flag for Canadian government ships. Later, in 1892, they approved the use of the Canadian Red Ensign for Canadian merchant ships.

From around 1870, Canada unofficially used a Red Ensign with the coats of arms of its provinces as its national flag. This was called the Canadian Red Ensign. In 1924, this flag became official for certain uses, and the provincial arms were replaced with the royal arms of Canada. The red ensign was replaced by the current red and white maple-leaf flag in 1965. In the same year, the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba adopted red ensigns with their provincial arms as their own flags.

Gallery

• 

  British Civil Air Ensign in use at Hunsdon Airfield.

• 

  The Cenotaph, showing the Royal Air Force and Civil Ensign flanking the Union Jack.

• 

  Admiralty Arch is customarily decorated with White Ensigns on state occasions.

• 

  Commissioners' Flag, flown outside the Northern Lighthouse Board HQ in Edinburgh.

See also

• Blue Ensign
• Red Ensign
• Green Ensign
• Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories
• Continental Union Flag

• Lists of flags
• Maritime flag
• Jack (flag)
• Union Jack
• Flags based on British ensigns
• Flag of Australia
• Flag of Canada
• Flag of New Zealand
• Flag of Tuvalu
• List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols