The English Red Ensign « England the Land Equal Rights Forgot

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The English Red Ensign

July 27, 2006 at 6:45 pm | In England |

In 1627 the English Fleet (as it was then) was divided into three squadrons, the Red, Blue and White, in that order or seniority, and each had an English ensign in the appropriate colour with St George’s Cross in the top corner.

By 1653 the order of seniority had been changed to Red, White and Blue.

In 1674, a Royal Proclamation of Charles II confirmed that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag to be worn by English merchant ships. The wording of the 1674 proclamation indicates that the flag was customarily being used by English merchantmen before that date. At this time, the ensign displayed the English Cross of St George in the canton.

In 1702 a large red cross was placed on the White Ensign to differentiate it from the French ensign, which at the time was plain white.

In 1707, an Act of Union united Scotland, England and Wales in the Kingdom of Great Britain, which resulted in a new red ensign.

Nice to know England did have her own armed forces-ONCE upon a time.