A short history of the Union Flag of Great Britain may be interesting, as showing the reason underlying the apparently fortuitous assembly of crosses which has well merited the appellation of the "Meteor Flag." To begin with, the original national flag of England was the red upright cross of St. George on a white ground — the banner of the patron saint of the kingdom. Scotland similarly bore the white diagonal cross of St. Andrew on a blue field.
By a royal proclamation of 12th April, 1606, shortly after the union of the crowns of England and Scotland in the person of the son of the unfortunate Mary Stuart, it is decreed that "all our subjects of this Isle and Kingdom of Great Britain . . . shall bear in their maintops the ... St. George's Cross and ... St. Andrew's Cross joined together; and in their foretops our subjects of South Britain shall wear the red cross only, as they were wont; and our subjects of North Britain in their foretops the white cross only, as they were accustomed."
One hundred years later, to a month, viz., on the 17th March, 1706, the Privy Council ordered the Kings-at-arms and the Heralds to consider the alterations to be made in the ensigns armorial and the conjoining the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, to be used in all Flags, Banners, Standards and En- signs on sea and on land. One year after this, on 17th April, 1707, the Queen in Council approved of the design formed by the superposing of the red St. George's cross on the Scottish flag, but with the addition of a narrow border of white surrounding the red, the latter being a concession to the etiquette of heraldry, which demands that no color may be placed directly upon another without this "fimbriation", as it is technically termed.
On the 5th November, 1800, — nearly a century later — the King in Council approved of the addition of the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick, to symbolize the reception of Ireland into the Union.
But here the two crosses of St. Andrew and St. Patrick occupied the same ground and were made to share the space of one cross only by reduction to half their original width. Again the objection of color upon color was obviated by a further "fimbriation", a separation of the red half of the diagonal cross from the blue field by a thin line of white, thus making it appear that the red cross was placed upon a white cross of rather more than full width, which was not really the case. To emphasise the equality of the white and the red and to balance the whole, the two white arms are placed uppermost in the two quarters next the staff, and the two red in the quarters farthest away — the fly.
Described in heraldic language, the Union Flag of the 1st day January, 1801, and of the present day is, "field azure, the crosses saltires of Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick quarterly per saltire counterchanged argent and gules; the latter fimbriated of the second surmounted by the cross of Saint George of the third fimbriated as the saltire."
It is curious to observe that the symbolism of flags and heraldic devices is by no means a modern conception, if we are to believe, as some say, that the leaders of the tribes of Israel in their wanderings bore heraldic banners, each of his own tribe, the devices of which are declared to be indicated in the forty-ninth chapter of Genises. Also it is worthy of note that the various crosses of the three Saints are not limited in their origin to the times of those whose names they bear, for the sign of the cross is far older than the civilizations of two thousand years ago. These points may prove of interest to students of symbolism who have not yet turned their attention to the meanings — superficial and symbolical — of the triple banner of the patrons of England, Scotland and Ireland. Wales, being but a mere principality, takes no place in the combination.
Such is the history of the British flag. Of its inner symbolism — of its references to St. George, who overcame the dragon on earth, as did his prototype Michael in heaven; of St. Andrew, whose cross appeared to Achaius and Hungus, Kings of the Scots and Picts, the night before they overcame Athelstane in battle; of St. Patrick, who banished the serpents from Ireland, the old home of learning: — of these things another pen may write with wider knowledge.