49. Royal Arms of George III., 1801.
The next clause refers to the Royal Standard or flag of the sovereign:
"... And it is our will and pleasure that the standard of the said united kingdoms shall be the same quarterings as are hereinbefore declared to be the arms or ensigns armorial of the said united kingdoms...."
Although the Royal arms contained a recognition of the King's Hanoverian kingdom, the flag to be used as the "Royal Standard" is ordered to have on it only the arms of the three united kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland.
In the clause of this proclamation the Union flag (50), which had already been designed and approved, was described as follows:
"And that the union flag shall be azure, the crosses saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick, quarterly per saltire counterchanged, argent and gules; the latter fimbriated of the second, surmounted by the cross of St. George of the third fimbriated as the saltire."
This description defines, with respect to the crosses, that the white cross of Scotland and the red cross of Ireland were joined together quarterly and "counterchanged" and that the red cross of St. George is to "surmount"—that is, to be laid upon the surface of them both. With respect to the grounds of the flag, it is described as being blue, and that the cross of St. George is "fimbriated as the saltire." Much, and almost continuous, controversy early arose upon this heraldic description of the Union flag, particularly with respect to the proportion of the crosses, and specially to the width of the white border to the St. George.
50. Union Jack of George III., 1801.