Flag of England

Region or constituent area

Flag of England uses white field with a red Greek cross. Ratio 3:5 and current adoption 1606.

Hoist Ratio 3:5 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of England
Entity Type	Region or constituent area
Identifier	GB-ENG

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	1606
First Documented Use	1188
Proportion	3:5
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	White, Red
Construction	White field with a red Greek cross

Documented Colour Values

Colour	Appearance	HEX	RGB	CMYK
White		#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red		#CE1124	206, 17, 36	0, 92, 83, 19

Design and Symbolism

White	the field.
Red	the Cross of Saint George.
Cross of Saint George	Adopted by English crusaders in the 12th century and later the emblem of England.

Proportions

Ratio	3:5
Hoist	3 units
Fly	5 units

About the Flag of England

White field with a red Greek cross The recorded proportion is 3:5. Within this library it is grouped with centred cross designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for England is White (#FFFFFF) and Red (#CE1124). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Cross of Saint George: Adopted by English crusaders in the 12th century and later the emblem of England.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1188. The adoption field for the present record is 1606.

Entity status

England is classified here as region or constituent area. That label describes the entity represented by the flag and prevents a territory, state or constituent area from being presented as a sovereign country.

Additional flag context

The cross of Saint George has been an English emblem since the late thirteenth century, when English soldiers were ordered to wear it as a field sign.

England originally borrowed the emblem from Genoa, whose ships enjoyed protection in the Mediterranean under it.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for White field with a red Greek cross, a 3:5 proportion and the visible cross of Saint George. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — England — Specialist vexillological reference

Other centred cross flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of England

England is recorded as white field with a red Greek cross.
The reference proportion for the flag of England is 3:5.
The stored palette for England contains White and Red.
The adoption field for this region or constituent area flag record is 1606.
The design record traces first use to 1188.
Its construction is grouped with the centred cross design family in this library.
Cross of Saint George: Adopted by English crusaders in the 12th century and later the emblem of England.
The cross of Saint George has been an English emblem since the late thirteenth century, when English soldiers were ordered to wear it as a field sign.
England originally borrowed the emblem from Genoa, whose ships enjoyed protection in the Mediterranean under it.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of England

What does the flag of England look like?

White field with a red Greek cross, with a recorded proportion of 3:5.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of England?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 3:5.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of England?

The reference palette lists White #FFFFFF and Red #CE1124.

What do the symbols on the flag of England represent?

Cross of Saint George — Adopted by English crusaders in the 12th century and later the emblem of England.

When was the present flag record for England adopted?

The adoption field in this record is 1606.

Which design family does the flag of England belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with centred cross designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of England?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.