King's Colours

Great Britain

Name	King's Colours
Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	3:5
Adopted	1707
Variant flag of Great Britain
Use	Civil and naval ensign
Proportion	1:2
Design	A red field with the Flag of Great Britain in the canton
Variant flag of Great Britain
Use	Naval ensign
Proportion	1:2
Design	A white field with the Flag of Great Britain in the canton
Variant flag of Great Britain
Use	Naval ensign
Proportion	1:2
Design	A blue field with the Flag of Great Britain in the canton

The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as the Union Jack or Union Flag, is a maritime flag of Great Britain that was used from 1606 to 1801. The design was ordered by King James VI and I to be used on ships on the high seas, and it subsequently came into use as a national flag following the Treaty of Union and Acts of Union 1707, gaining the status of "the Ensign armorial of the Kingdom of Great Britain", the newly created state. It was later adopted by land forces, although the blue field used on land-based versions more closely resembled that of the blue of the flag of Scotland.

The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George, patron saint of England, superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. Its correct proportions are 3:5.

The flag's official use came to an end in 1801 with the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At that time Saint Patrick's Flag was added to the flag of Great Britain to create the present-day Union Flag.

By James I of England, King of Scots, Orders in Council, 1606:

King James had the habit of referring to a "Kingdom of Great Britain", considering that it had been created by the Union of the Crowns. However, despite the personal union which he represented, in practice England and Scotland continued as separate kingdoms, each with its own parliament and laws, for another century. The Kingdom of Great Britain finally came into being in 1707.