The reason for this separate use of two flags is evident, one which is fully confirmed in the creation of the Union Jacks which succeeded one another in subsequent reigns.
The reason was that the two Parliaments of the nations had not been united in one, and, therefore, it was that each nation continued to retain its own distinctive national cross, which it flew on the flagstaff as the sign of its own particular nationality, and which was, therefore, not displaced by the King's newly created flag.
PLATE III.
| 1 The Percys' Ensign 1560 |
| 2 Union Jack of James I-1606 |
| 3 Colonial Union Jack-17011 |
The position of the flag was, in 1606, regulated to be:
| A.D., 1606. | |
| Royal Navy— | Maintop, King's Jack. |
| Merchantmen— | |
| English Subjects— | Maintop, "additional" King's Jack.Foretop, English Jack. |
| Scottish Subjects— | Maintop, "additional" King's Jack.Foretop, Scottish Jack. |
The construction of the new flag presents some peculiarities.
In this "additional" Jack of James I. (Pl. [III.], fig. 2), the red cross of St. George and its white ground, being the "St. George's crosse," had been ordered by the proclamation to be united with the white cross of St. Andrew and its blue ground, being the "St. Andrewe's crosse," the two flags being "joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds." In this "joining" the white ground of St. George's flag was reduced almost to a nullity.
As the form was the creation of heralds, it was made according to the strict heraldic rules of their highly technical craft. In heraldry, a narrow border of white or gold, termed a "fimbriation," is always introduced where colour would otherwise touch on colour for the purpose of keeping the colours separate, the technical statement of the rule being, "metal cannot be placed upon metal, nor colour upon colour." The heralds, therefore, in conformity with their tendencies, reduced the white ground of the St. George flag until it became only a narrow margin of white, just sufficient to keep the red of the cross of St. George from touching the blue ground of St. Andrew's flag upon which it was laid, or so that the white ground became simply "a fimbriation to the red cross of St. George."