Editing Union Jack (section)

==Use in other flags==
{{further|Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories|List of countries and territories with the Union Jack displayed on their flag}}

===National and regional flags===
[[File:Arthur Mees Flags of A Free Empire 1910 Cornell CUL PJM 1167 01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Map of the [[British Empire]] from 1910, with the ensigns and emblems of several British dominions and colonies displayed]]
As the national flag of the entire British Realm, the Union Flag was found in the ''[[Canton (flag)|canton]]'' (upper flagpole-side quarter) of the [[Historical flags of the British Empire and the overseas territories|flags]] of many colonies of Britain, while the ''[[field (heraldry)|field]]'' (background) of their flags was the colour of the [[British ensigns#History|naval ensign]] flown by the particular [[Royal Navy]] squadron that patrolled that region of the world. Nations and colonies that have used the Union Flag at some stage have included [[Aden]], [[Basutoland]] (now Lesotho), [[Barbados]], [[Bechuanaland Protectorate|Bechuanaland]] (now Botswana), [[Borneo]], [[British rule in Burma|Burma]], [[Canada]], [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]] (now Sri Lanka), [[British Cyprus|Cyprus]], [[Dominica]], [[British East Africa|British East Africa (Kenya Colony)]], [[Gambia]], [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast (Ghana)]], [[Grenada]], [[British Guiana|Guiana]], [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], [[Colony of Jamaica|Jamaica]], [[Labuan|Labuan (Malaysia)]], [[Lagos]], [[Crown Colony of Malta|Malta]], [[British Mauritius|Mauritius]], [[Colonial Nigeria|Nigeria]], [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], [[Penang|Penang (Malaysia)]], [[Southern Rhodesia|Rhodesia]] (now Zimbabwe), [[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate|Sierra Leone]], [[Singapore]], [[British Somaliland|Somaliland]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]], [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]], [[British Raj|Pre-partitioned India]] (present-day [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh]], and [[Myanmar]]), [[Tanganyika (territory)|Tanganyika]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Uganda Protectorate|Uganda]], the [[United States]], and [[Weihaiwei under British rule|Weihaiwei]]. As former British Empire nations were granted independence, these and other versions of the Union Flag were decommissioned. The most recent decommissioning of the Union Flag came on 1 July 1997, when the former Dependent Territory of Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China.

{{multiple image
| image1            = Flag of Australia (converted).svg
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = [[Flag of Australia]]
| image2            = Flag of Fiji.svg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = [[Flag of Fiji]]
| align             = left
| image3            = Flag of New Zealand.svg
| alt3              = 
| caption3          = [[Flag of New Zealand]]
| image4            = Flag of Tuvalu.svg
| alt4              = 
| caption4          = [[Flag of Tuvalu]]
| footer            = National flags of sovereign states whose design incorporates a Union Jack in their canton
| total_width       = 265
| image_gap         = 2
| perrow            = 2
}}

Four former British colonies in Oceania which are now independent countries incorporate the Union Jack as part of their national flags: Australia, New Zealand and [[Tuvalu]], which have retained the monarchy; and [[Fiji]], which [[1987 Fijian coups d'état|abolished the monarchy in 1987]].

In former British colonies, the Union Jack was used interchangeably with informal flags of the territory for significant parts of their colonial early history. The Union Flag was used as the flag of Canada until it was re-adopted as a ceremonial flag, and the Maple Leaf flag made the official national flag in 1965. In addition to being an official ceremonial flag, the Union Flag also defaces the flags of a number of Canadian provinces, including [[British Columbia]], [[Manitoba]], and [[Ontario]]. [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] uses a flag that was derived from the Union Flag, with the Union Jack serving as the flag of Newfoundland until 1980. The Union Flag, and flags defaced with the Union Flag in its canton, similar to the Canadian Red Ensign, continue to see use in Canada in a private capacity. The pre-1801 Union Flag also sees limited use by private organisations, most notably the [[United Empire Loyalists]] Association of Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Monuments/Loyalist-Flag.php|title=History of the Loyalist Flag|publisher=United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada|access-date=18 March 2020|website=www.uelac.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923234311/http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Monuments/Loyalist-Flag.php|archive-date=23 September 2019}}</ref>

Along with the national flag, many other [[List of Australian flags|Australian]] flags retain the use of the Union Jack, including the [[Royal Australian Navy Ensign]] (also known as the Australian White Ensign), the [[Royal Australian Air Force Ensign]], the [[Australian Red Ensign]] (for use by merchant and private vessels), and the [[Australian Civil Aviation Ensign]]. The flags of all six Australian States retain the Union Jack in the canton, as do some regional flags such as the Upper and Lower [[Murray River Flag]]s. The Vice-Regal flags of the State Governors also use the Union Jack. While the [[Flags Act 1953]] states that Australians still have the "right or privilege" to fly the Union Jack after the introduction of the Australian National Flag, usage of the Union Jack by itself is unusual.

The [[Basque Country (historical territory)|Basque Country's]] flag, the [[Ikurriña]], is also loosely based on the Union Jack, reflecting the significant commercial ties between [[Bilbao]] and Britain at the time the [[Ikurriña]] was designed in 1894. The [[Miskito people]] sometimes use a similar flag that also incorporates the Union Jack in its canton, due to long periods of contact in the [[Mosquito Coast]].
{{multiple image|align=left|total_width=265|perrow=2|image1=Flag of the United States (1776–1777).svg|alt1=|caption1=Flag of the United States<br />(1776–1777)|image2=Flag of Hawaii (1816).svg|alt2=|caption2=Flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii<br />(1816–1845)|alt3=|image3=Flag of the Tamatave Kingdom (1826-1828).svg|caption3=Flag of the [[Tamatave|Tamatave Kingdom]]<br />(1826–1828)|image4=Flag of South Africa (1928–1994).svg|caption4=[[Flag of South Africa]]<br />(1828–1894)|footer=Former national flags that incorporated the Union Jack in their design}}
The Union Jack was used by the United States in its first flag, the Continental Union Flag. This flag was of a similar design to the one used by the [[British East India Company]]. The historical [[Hawaiian Kingdom|Kingdom of Hawaii]] adopted a flag featuring a Union Jack which was retained when [[Hawaii]] became a US state in 1959. Hawaii's flag represents the only current use of the Union Jack in any American state flag.

Also in the United States, the Union Flag of 1606 is incorporated into the [[flag of Baton Rouge]], the capital city of Louisiana. Baton Rouge was a British colony from the time of the [[Seven Years' War]] until the end of the [[American Revolutionary War]], when it was captured by Spanish forces. Symbols from the colonial powers France and Spain are also incorporated into the Baton Rouge flag. [[Taunton, Massachusetts]], uses [[Flag of Taunton, Massachusetts|a flag]] with the old style Union Flag by a resolution on 19 October 1974.  Additionally, [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]], has been known to fly a flag containing the King's Colours since 1973.<ref>{{FOTW|id=us-pa-wc|title=Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (U.S.)}}</ref>

The Union Jack also appeared on both the 1910–1928 and 1928–1994 [[South African Flag#History|flags]] of South Africa. The [[South Africa Red Ensign|1910–1928 flag]] was a [[Red Ensign]] with the [[Coat of arms of South Africa (1910–2000)|Union coat of arms]] in the fly. The 1928–1994 flag, based on the [[Prinsenvlag]] and commonly known as the ''oranje-blanje-blou'' (orange-white-blue), contained the Union Jack as part of a central motif at par with the flags of the two [[Boer republics]] of the [[Orange Free State]] and [[South African Republic|Transvaal]]. To keep any one of the three flags from having precedence, the Union Jack is spread horizontally from the Orange Free State flag towards the hoist; closest to the hoist, it is in the superior position but since it is reversed it does not precede the other flags.

The flag of the Municipal Council of [[Shanghai International Settlement]] in 1869 contained multiple flags to symbolise the countries have participated in the creation and management of this enclave in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The Union Jack was contained as part of top left hand shield and close to the flags of the United States and [[Second French Empire|France]], there was also contained the [[flag of Prussia]] nearby, but it was removed around 1917.

The flag of the [[Chile]]an city of [[Coquimbo]] features the Union Jack, owing to its historical commercial links to Britain.

<!-- this gallery is for examples (not an exhaustive list) of current usages of the Union Jack at country, province/state or city level -->
{{gallery
|title=Selected British colonial and overseas territorial flags that incorporate the Union Jack|mode=nolines|whitebg=y|height=100
|Flag of Bermuda.svg|The [[flag of Bermuda]], a British Overseas Territory
|Flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory.svg|The [[flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory]], a British Overseas Territory
|Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg|The flag of [[British Virgin Islands]], a British Overseas Territory
|Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg|The [[flag of the Cayman Islands]], a British Overseas Territory
|Flag of the Cook Islands.svg|The [[flag of the Cook Islands]], an Overseas territory of New Zealand.
|Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg|The flag of the [[Falkland Islands]], a British Overseas Territory
|Flag of Burma (1939–1941, 1945–1948).svg|The flag of [[British Burma]] (1939–1948)
|Flag of Cyprus (1922–1960).svg|The flag of [[British Cyprus]] (1922–1960)
|Flag of British Heligoland.svg|The flag of [[Heligoland#19th century|British Heligoland]] (1807–1890)
|British Raj Red Ensign.svg|The [[flag of India]] (1885–1947)
|Flag of Ceylon (1875–1948).svg|The [[flag of Ceylon]] (1875–1948)
|Flag of the Cook Islands Federation.svg|The flag of the [[Cook Islands Federation]] (1893–1901)
|Flag of Hong Kong 1959.svg|The [[flag of Hong Kong]] (1959–1997)
|Flag of Malta (1943–1964).svg|The [[flag of Malta]] (1943–1964)
|Flag of Rhodesia (1964–1968).svg|The [[Flag of Southern Rhodesia#Rhodesia|flag of Rhodesia]] (1964–1968)
|Flag of Singapore (1952–1959).svg|The [[flag of Singapore]] (1952–1959)
|Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1958–1962).svg|The [[flag of Trinidad and Tobago|flag of British Trinidad and Tobago]] (1958–1962)
|Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands.svg|The [[flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands]] (1815–1864)
|British Weihaiwei flag.svg|The [[flag of Weihaiwei]] (1903–1930)
}}
{{gallery
|title=Selected regional and community flags that incorporate the Union Jack|mode=nolines|whitebg=y|height=100
|Flag of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.svg|The [[flag of Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]
|Flag of British Columbia.svg|The [[flag of British Columbia]], a Canadian province
|Flag of Coquimbo.svg|The flag of [[Coquimbo]], [[Chile]]
|File:Flag of Hawaii.svg|The [[flag of Hawaii]], a U.S. state
|Flag_of_Manitoba.svg|The [[flag of Manitoba]], a Canadian province
|Murray River Flag (Combined).svg|Combined [[Murray River Flag]] (Combined)
|Murray River Flag (Lower).svg|[[Murray River Flag]] (Lower)
|Murray River Flag (Upper).svg|[[Murray River Flag]] (Upper)
|Flag of Newfoundland_and_Labrador.svg|The [[flag of Newfoundland and Labrador]], a Canadian province
|Flag of Ontario.svg|The [[flag of Ontario]], a Canadian province
|Flag of Queensland.svg|The [[flag of Queensland]], an Australian state
|Flag of Taunton, Massachusetts.svg|The flag of [[Taunton, Massachusetts]]
|File:Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg|The [[flag of Victoria (Australia)|Flag of Victoria]], an Australian state
}}

===Ensigns===
{{further|British ensigns}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2011|reason=no refs}}
The Union Flag can be found in the canton of several of the [[Ensign (flag)|ensign]]s flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. These are used in cases where it is illegal to fly the Union Flag, such as at sea from a ship other than a British warship. Normal practice for British ships is to fly the [[White ensign]] (Royal Navy), the [[Red ensign]] (Merchant and private boats) or the [[Blue ensign]] (government departments and public corporations). Similar ensigns are used by other countries (such as [[List of New Zealand flags#Ensigns|New Zealand]] and [[List of Australian flags#Military and naval flags|Australia]]) with the Union Flag in the canton. Other Commonwealth countries (such as [[Indian Military Flags|India]] and [[List of Jamaican flags#Ensigns|Jamaica]]) may follow similar ensign etiquette as the UK, replacing the Union Flag with their own national flag.

{{gallery|mode=nolines|whitebg=y|height=100
|Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|[[White Ensign|Royal Navy White Ensign]]
|Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|[[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]] [[Red Ensign]]
|Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|[[Royal Air Force Ensign]]
|Civil Air Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|[[British Civil Air Ensign]]
|Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|[[Blue Ensign]]
|Flag of Her Majesty's Coastguard.svg|[[HM Coastguard]] Ensign
|Ensign of the British Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses.svg|Ensign of the [[Northern Lighthouse Board]]
|Government Ensign of Bermuda.svg|Blue ensign flown by vessels of the [[Government of Bermuda]]'s ''Department of Marine and Ports'' and [[Bermuda Police Service|Bermuda Police Service Marine Section]]
|Civil Ensign of the Isle of Man.svg|[[Isle of Man]] Red Ensign
|Government Ensign of Gibraltar.svg|Gibraltar State Ensign
|Civil Ensign of the Cayman Islands.svg|[[Cayman Islands]] Red Ensign
|Naval Ensign of Australia.svg|[[Australian White Ensign|Royal Australian Navy Ensign]]
|Ensign of the Royal Australian Air Force.svg|[[Royal Australian Air Force Ensign]]
|Civil Ensign of Australia.svg|[[Australian Red Ensign|Australian Civil Ensign]]
|Civil Air Ensign of Australia.svg|[[Australian Civil Aviation Ensign]]
|Canadian Red Ensign 1957-1965.svg|[[Canadian Red Ensign|Canadian Civil Ensign]] (1957–1965)
|Blue Ensign of Canada (1957–1965).svg|[[Flags of the Royal Canadian Navy|Canadian Naval Jack]] (1957–1965)
|Air Force Ensign of Canada (1941-1968).svg|[[Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign]] (1940–1965)
|Flag of the Air Board of Canada (1922–1923).svg|[[Air Board (Canada)|Canadian Air Board]] Ensign (1922–1923)
|Flag of the Canadian Army (1939–1944).svg|[[Canadian Army]] Battle flag (1939–1944)
|Ensign of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets (1953-1976).svg|[[Royal Canadian Sea Cadets]] Ensign (1953–1976)
|NLC Flag 1929-65.svg|[[Navy League of Canada]] Ensign (1929–1965)
|Flag of the Dominion of Newfoundland.svg|[[Dominion of Newfoundland]] Civil Ensign (1907–1931)
|Civil Air Ensign of New Zealand.svg|[[New Zealand Civil Air Ensign]]
|Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.svg|[[Royal New Zealand Air Force]] Ensign
|Naval Ensign of New Zealand.svg|[[New Zealand White Ensign|Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign]]
|Civil Ensign of New Zealand.svg|New Zealand Civil Ensign
|Naval Ensign of Fiji.svg|[[Fiji|Fijian]] Naval Ensign
|Civil Ensign of Fiji.svg|Fijian Civil Ensign
|Civil Air Ensign of Fiji.svg|Fijian Civil Air Ensign
|Civil Air Ensign of Australia (1935–1948).svg|[[Australian Civil Aviation Ensign]] (1935–1948)
|Van Diemens Land Ensign.svg|Unofficial [[Van Diemen's Land Ensign]]
|Air Force Ensign of Australia (1948–1982).svg|[[Royal Australian Air Force Ensign]] (1948–1982)
|Victorian red ensign.svg|[[Flag of Victoria (Australia)|Victorian Red Ensign (1870–1877)]]
|Flag of Imperial India.svg|[[Royal Indian Navy]] Ensign
|Ensign of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps.svg|[[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] Ensign
|Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg|[[East India Company]] Ensign
|Civil Ensign of Jersey.svg|[[Jersey Red Ensign]]
|Government Service Ensign.svg|[[Government Service Ensign]]
|Ensign of the Sea Cadet Corps.svg|Ensign of the [[Sea Cadets (United Kingdom)|Sea Cadet Corps]]
|Ensign of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.svg|Ensign of the [[Royal Bermuda Yacht Club]]
|title=}}

===Others===
{{anchor|Pilot Jack}}<!-- for redirects -->
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2011|reason=needs more refs}}
[[File:Civil Jack of the United Kingdom.svg|thumb|right|alt=Union Flag with thick white border comprising about half of the area of the flag.|A ''Pilot Jack'', a flag design that has a Union Jack at its centre, with a white border around it]]
The flag in a white border occasionally seen on merchant ships was sometimes referred to as the '''Pilot Jack'''. It can be traced back to 1823 when it was created as a signal flag, but not intended as a civil jack. A book{{clarify |reason=What book? |date=September 2012}} issued to British [[consul (representative)|consul]]s in 1855 states that the white bordered Union Flag is to be hoisted for a pilot. Although there was some ambiguity regarding the legality of it being flown for any other purpose on civilian vessels, its use as an ensign or jack was established well in advance of the 1864 Act that designated the [[Red Ensign]] for merchant shipping. In 1970, the white-bordered Union Flag ceased to be the signal for a pilot, but references to it as national colours were not removed from the current Merchant Shipping Act and it was legally interpreted as a flag that could be flown on a merchant ship, as a jack if desired. This status was confirmed to an extent by the Merchant Shipping (Registration, etc.) Act 1993 and the consolidating Merchant Shipping Act 1995 which, in Section 4, Subsection 1, prohibits the use of any distinctive national colours or those used or resembling flags or pendants on Her Majesty's Ships, "except the [[Red Ensign]], the Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack) with a white border", and some other exceptions permitted elsewhere in the Acts. However, Section 2 regards the "British flag", and states that "The flag which every British ship is entitled to fly is the Red Ensign (without any defacement or modification) and, subject to (a warrant from Her Majesty or from the Secretary of State, or an Order of Council from her Majesty regarding a defaced [[Red Ensign]]), no other colours."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/21/data.pdf |title=Merchant Shipping Act 1995 |website=UK Public General Acts |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |date=19 July 1995 |access-date=17 January 2010}}</ref> The Flag Institute listed the white bordered Union Flag as "Civil Jack".<ref name="british-flag-protocol" />

[[File:Naval Jack of Royal Indian Marine.svg|thumb|right|alt=Union Flag with thick blue border the thickness of one-fifth the breadth of the flag.|Naval Jack of [[Royal Indian Navy|Royal Indian Marine]] (1884-1928), a flag design that has a Union Jack at its centre, with a blue border around it]]
From 1884 until 1928, the [[Royal Indian Marine]] flew a modified Union Jack bordered with blue as its jack. From 11 November 1928 until its dissolution in 1947, it substituted the [[Blue Ensign]] defaced with the [[Flags of British India#Emblem|Star of India emblem]] as jack and flew the British [[White ensign]] as ensign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=
Flags and Ensigns with the Star of India |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/in-colon.html#flag |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829044432/https://www.fotw.info/flags/in-colon.html#flag |archive-date=29 August 2024 |access-date=12 March 2025 |website=www.crwflags.com/fotw |publisher=FOTW Flags Of The World |place= }}</ref> 

[[File:Hudsons Bay Company Flag.svg|thumb|left|The former [[flag of the Hudson's Bay Company]], used from 1801 to 1965.]]
The [[Hudson's Bay Company]] (HBC) was one of a few non-government institutions using the Union Jack in part of the flag. HBC rival [[North West Company]] had a similar flag as well. The HBC Red Ensign is no longer in use in 1965 and replaced with a corporate flag featuring the company's coat of arms.
[[File:British Empire flag (1930).svg|thumb|The unofficial [[British Empire flag]] incorporated dominion symbols]]
An unofficial flag for the British Empire was created around 1910 due to a belief that the Union Jack itself no longer sufficiently represented dominions such as Canada, which were beginning to adopt their own unique symbols. The flag was similar in design to a White Ensign, which features the Union Jack in the canton. In the other quadrants were the coats of arms of Canada, Australia, and South Africa. The four stars forming [[Crux|the Crux]] over Saint George's Cross represented New Zealand, and the Star of India was featured prominently in the middle. Civilians often flew Empire flags for patriotic events such as coronations, [[Commonwealth Day|Empire Day]], and the [[British Empire Exhibition]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Ralph |date=8 August 2017 |title=A flag for the Empire |url=https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ICV27-B8-Kelly.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813214957/https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ICV27-B8-Kelly.pdf |archive-date=13 August 2023 |access-date=13 August 2023 |website=The Flag Institute |page=}}</ref> It is still flown on special occasions at the [[Dangarsleigh War Memorial]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ingall |first=Jennifer |date=4 June 2021 |title=Why the Dangarsleigh war memorial flies the Empire flag and what it means to the community |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-05/dangarsleigh-memorial-celebrates-century-flying-empire-flag/100180732 |url-status=live |access-date=13 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813215116/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-05/dangarsleigh-memorial-celebrates-century-flying-empire-flag/100180732 |archive-date=13 August 2023}}</ref>

The Union Jack is the third [[quartering (heraldry)|quarter]] of the 1939 [[coat of arms of Alabama]], which is used on the flag of the governor of Alabama, representing British sovereignty over the state prior to 1783. The version used is the modern flag, whereas the 1707 flag would have been used in colonial Alabama.

In the former International Settlement of [[Kulangsu]] the Kulangsu Municipal Police had a badge contained multiple flags, including the Union Flag. The badge was incorporated into their police flag.<ref>{{FOTW|id=cn-kul|title=International Settlement of Kulangsu (Gulangyu, China)}}</ref>