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British Red Ensign - Merchant Marine Flag
SKU: BRE35P
A Royal Proclamation issued by Charles II, established the Red Ensign as the appropriate flag of English merchant ships. The 1674 proclamation made official the flag, which was already being flown by English merchant ships. At this time, the ensign displayed the Cross of St George in the canton. A similar Red Ensign was flown in the Kingdom of Scotland upon ships of the Royal Scottish Navy but with a Saltire, or Cross of St. Andrew in the canton. The Acts of Union resulted in the unification of the Principality of Wales and the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The new kingdom adopted a new flag combining the Crosses of St. Andrew and St, George into the King’s Colours flag. Queen Anne chose a new design for the Red Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, proclaiming that it was to be used by both the navy and ships owned by "our loving subjects." In 1801, another Act of Union unified the Kingdom of Ireland with the United Kingdom, resulting in the present Union Flag. The Cross of St Patrick was added to the Kings Colours Flag resulting in a new Union Flag. This new Union Flag also updated the canton of the British Red Ensign. In 1854, the Merchant Shipping Act authorized the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag for a British merchant ship. Until 1864, it was also the principal ensign of the Royal Navy, and as such it was to be flown on Royal Naval ships. During this time, the Royal Navy also flew white and blue ensigns. The Admiralty felt that the Royal Navy's use of three separate ensigns was outdated and confusing in that steam merchants should be clearly distinguishable from warships. In July 1864, an order-in-council provided that the White Ensign was the ensign of the Royal Naval Service and the Blue Ensign was designated for ships commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, and as national colours for ships in government service. The Red Ensign was assigned to the British merchant Marine. At the same time, the red ensign was used by the merchant marine of Britian’s colonies. The larger colonies, defaced the ensign with an Admiralty warrant distinguishing the identity of the colony and the smaller ones flew an undefaced version. Many current British possessions still fly the Red Ensign today.
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