12 » Tartan Footprint » Scottish Heritage Social Network

April 12, 2018 by Alexander Meldrum

Photo 1380 of 6604
Previous
Next

UNION JACK, BORN On this day, 12 April in 1606 the Scots King James VI of Great Britain issued a Royal Proclamation ordering all royal and merchant ships to fly a certain flag…which was to become the most amazing flag the world has ever seen! His Proclamation stated: "WHEREAS some difference hath risen betweene our Subjects of South and North Britaine travayling by Seas, about the bearing of their Flagges: For the avoyding of all such contentions hereafter, Wee have with the advice of our Councell ordered; That from hencefoorth all our Subjects of this Isle and Kingdome of great Britaine and the members thereof, shall beare in their Mainetoppe the Red Crosse, commonly called St Georges Crosse, and the White Crosse commonly called St Andrewes Crosse, joyned together according to a forme made by our Heralds, and sent by us to our Admirall to bee published to our said Subjects: And in their Fore-toppe our Subjects of South Britaine shall weare the Red Crosse onely as they were wont, and our Subjects of North Britaine in their Fore-toppe the White-Crosse onely as they were accustomed. "Wherefore wee will and command all our Subjects to be conformable and obedient to this our Order, and that from hencefoorth they doe not use to beare their Flagges in any other sort, as they will answere the contrary at their perill. "Given at our palace of Westminster the twelfth day of April, in the fourth yeere of our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, &c." (From "Stuart Royal Proclamations, I," 135-6 (no. 64) and quoted in Nick Groom, "The Union Jack: The Story of the British Flag", (London: Atlantic Books, 2006) at 135.) Did the Cross of St George exercise precedence over St Andrew's Cross? As Nick Groom has written: "The imposition of the cross of St George over that of St Andrew might suggest the supremacy of England over Scotland, but the canton (the upper quarter nearest the hoist) is the most honourable situation of a flag, and in this design was occupied by the colours of St Andrew. The design elegantly squared the circle of precedence; it also proved far too subtle for those not versed in the protocols of heraldry." (p.134) Pic: The original Flag, as commanded by King James VI to be flown, is held by a colleague at the top of Dumbarton Rock. Note the absence of the Cross of St Patrick which wasn't added until the political union of 1801.

View Less

Report this photo