Flag of United Kingdom

Country

Flag of United Kingdom uses superimposed crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick. Ratio 1:2 and current adoption January 1, 1801.

Hoist Ratio 1:2 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of United Kingdom
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Identifier	GB / GBR
Region	Northern Europe

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	January 1, 1801
First Documented Use	1606
Proportion	1:2
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Blue, White, Red
Construction	Superimposed crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick
Common Name	The Union Jack

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Blue	#012169	1, 33, 105	99, 69, 0, 59
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Red	#C8102E	200, 16, 46	0, 92, 77, 22

Design and Symbolism

Blue	the field of the Saltire of Saint Andrew.
White	the Saltire and the fimbriations.
Red	the Cross of Saint George and the Saltire of Saint Patrick.
Union Jack	The crosses of the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland combined.
Counterchanged saltires	The red saltire is offset against the white so that neither takes precedence — which is why the flag is not symmetrical and can be flown upside down.

Proportions

Ratio	1:2
Hoist	1 units
Fly	2 units

About the Flag of United Kingdom

Superimposed crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick The recorded proportion is 1:2. Within this library it is grouped with combined cross and saltire designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for United Kingdom is Blue (#012169), White (#FFFFFF) and Red (#C8102E). 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

Union Jack: The crosses of the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland combined; Counterchanged saltires: The red saltire is offset against the white so that neither takes precedence — which is why the flag is not symmetrical and can be flown upside down.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1606. The adoption field for the present record is January 1, 1801.

Additional flag context

The Union Flag layers three flags: the English cross of Saint George, the Scottish saltire of Saint Andrew and the Irish saltire of Saint Patrick.

The Irish saltire is offset from the Scottish one, which means the flag is not symmetrical and can be flown upside down. The broad white band should be uppermost at the hoist.

Wales is not represented, because it was already legally part of the Kingdom of England when the first union flag was created in 1606.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Superimposed crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick, a 1:2 proportion and the visible union Jack. 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 — United Kingdom — Specialist vexillological reference

Other combined cross and saltire flags

See all

Basque Country

Facts about the Flag of United Kingdom

United Kingdom is recorded as superimposed crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick.
The reference proportion for the flag of United Kingdom is 1:2.
The stored palette for United Kingdom contains Blue, White and Red.
The adoption field for this country flag record is January 1, 1801.
The design record traces first use to 1606.
Its construction is grouped with the combined cross and saltire design family in this library.
Union Jack: The crosses of the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland combined.
Counterchanged saltires: The red saltire is offset against the white so that neither takes precedence — which is why the flag is not symmetrical and can be flown upside down.
The Union Flag layers three flags: the English cross of Saint George, the Scottish saltire of Saint Andrew and the Irish saltire of Saint Patrick.
The Irish saltire is offset from the Scottish one, which means the flag is not symmetrical and can be flown upside down. The broad white band should be uppermost at the hoist.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of United Kingdom

What does the flag of United Kingdom look like?

Superimposed crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick, with a recorded proportion of 1:2.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of United Kingdom?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 1:2.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of United Kingdom?

The reference palette lists Blue #012169, White #FFFFFF and Red #C8102E.

What do the symbols on the flag of United Kingdom represent?

Union Jack — The crosses of the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland combined. Counterchanged saltires — The red saltire is offset against the white so that neither takes precedence — which is why the flag is not symmetrical and can be flown upside down.

When was the present flag record for United Kingdom adopted?

The adoption field in this record is January 1, 1801.

Which design family does the flag of United Kingdom belong to?

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

Where can I verify information about the flag of United Kingdom?

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.