48. Draft "C" of Union Jack, 1800.
This draft "C" (48) was duly transmitted to the College of Arms, London, and an exact tracing of it as recorded in the books of the college has been made.[126]
The designers of this new Union Jack of 1801 had this time to join three flags together, instead of, as in 1707, only joining two; the problem set before them being the union of the three national Jacks of the sister nations into one grand Union Jack (Pl. [V.], fig. 3).
The three flags now to be formed into one Union flag were the incoming Irish Jack, having a red diagonal saltire cross and white ground, to be joined with the "white crosse, commonly called St. Andrew's crosse,"[127] of Scotland, with its blue ground, and the "Jack white with a red cross, commonly called St. George's cross"[128] of England, with its white ground.
The latter two had already been joined in the Union Jack of 1707. The draft "C" (48) gives the method in which the designers proposed the three flags should be combined, and the proportions to be given to each in the new flag, which then received the approval of the King in Council.
Thereafter, on January 1st, 1801, King George III. issued his Royal proclamation from St. James' Palace, declaring His Majesty's pleasure concerning the Royal style and titles appertaining to the Imperial crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and its dependencies, and also the ensigns armorial, flags and banners thereof.
The clause respecting the Royal coat-of-arms states:
"And that the arms or ensigns armorial of the said United Kingdoms shall be quarterly; first and fourth England, second Scotland, third Ireland; and it is our will and pleasure that there shall be borne therewith on an escutcheon of pretence the arms of our Dominions in Germany."
The result of this clause was that the lilies of France, which had been quartered in the Royal arms since Edward III., 1327, were altogether removed, and the whole four quarters were appropriated—two quarters to the three golden lions of England, and one quarter each to the red lion of Scotland and the golden harp of Ireland—and upon a shield on the centre was to be placed the arms and white horse of Hanover, to indicate the other countries over which the King also reigned (49).
