Unit 15 the flag of great britain

Proverbs and saying

Depending on the wind and the flag winds	В зависимости от ветра и флаг вьется
If there is a flag, then would be a travel	Будет флаг, будет и путешествие
Flag misses wind	Флаг тоскует без ветра
We are proud of the Union Jack - the symbol of the United Kingdom. «The Times»	Мы гордимся объединенным флагом - символом Великобритании. Газета «Таймс»

Text the flag of great britain14

The flag of Great Britain is one of the national symbols of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Every person from any country in the world recognizes this flag but not everyone knows the history of the flag of Great Britain as well as its appearance. The flag of Great Britain has a huge historical significance and symbolizes the union of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack is a combination of the emblems of the three countries, managed by the same monarch. These emblems are three saint patrons’ crosses:

St. George’s Cross, the flag of England,

St. Andrew’s Cross, the flag of Scotland,

St. Patrick’s Cross, the flag of Ireland.

The flag of the United Kingdom is often referred to as the British flag. The flag consists of red and white stripes vertically, horizontally and diagonally with a blue background. The white on the flag is symbolic of peace or harmony, the color red stands for bravery and strength, and the color blue is symbolic of truth, loyalty, and justice. The flag is known as the Union Flag because it symbolizes the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom.

When Queen Elizabeth I of England died in 1603, England and Scotland existed as independent nations. Because Queen Elizabeth did not have any children, she designated that her cousin King James VI of Scotland be the heir to the throne after she died. Because of this, King James VI of Scotland became the ruler of both nations simultaneously. In England, he was referred to as James I.

When King James of Scotland became king of England in 1603, both countries retained their own flags. Even today, the St. George's Cross and St. Andrew's Cross remain the flags of England and Scotland respectively. At the time, England's flag consisted of a red cross on a white background, which is known as St. George's cross. The Scottish flag consisted of a diagonal white cross with a blue background. King James superimposed the English red cross on top of the Scottish flag, and added a white border to create what became known as the Union Flag.

In 1606 King James considered it necessary to have a flag reflecting the new union of Scotland and England and ordered the Union Flag, more commonly known as the Union Jack, be flown on British ships, combining the English Cross of St. George with the Scottish Cross of St. Andrew. It should be known the Union Jack doesn’t mean anybody’s name. A jack is a maritime flag. A maritime flag is a flag designated for using on ships, boats and other watercraft.

What was meant to be a symbol of unity actually became a symbol of international controversy. The English resented the fact that the white background of their cross had disappeared and that the new flag had the blue Scottish background. On the other hand the Scottish resented the fact that the English red cross was superimposed on the Scottish white cross! The old adage says you cannot please everyone but this first version of the Union Flag seemed to please no-one!

In 1801 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed and the St. Patrick’s Cross, the flag of Ireland was added to the national flag. No more since that time the flag has been changed.

The name "Union Jack" became official when it was approved in Parliament in 1908. It was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag".

The Union Flag was established as a maritime flag and it remains a royal flag, not officially a national flag. In 1915, King George V gave permission for British citizens to use the flag on land.

It turns out that the flag of the United Kingdom doesn’t have only Welsh symbol. Therefore regular calls to place the red dragon on the flag are being heard. The red dragon is the national symbol of Wales. The Welsh want to avoid “discrimination” having the symbol of their country on the Union Flag.

The Union Flag is probably one of the best known flags, partially due to its unusual design, but more importantly because of the importance of the British Empire in World history.

It is interesting to know if the Queen is in her official residence – Buckingham Palace – the flag on the top of the Palace will be the Royal Standard. The Union Jack is flown when the Queen is away from home.