U.K. Square Variant National Flag.

This well worn, cotton square "Union Jack" is something of a mystery. The Union Flag of the United Kingdom is generally seen as a rectangle usually in 1:2 for government flags or 3:5 proportions when used as a national flag. The army uses an almost square version as a "Queen's Color" to accompany the regimental color, but these are much larger, richly embroidered and heavily fringed.

The only other "official" use of the square Union Jack is by the Admiralty, which has occasionally warranted the use of a square blue ensign with a square Union Flag in canton for certain vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, yard craft and other vessels employed in the service of the Admiralty, and not commissioned as ships of war. However this practice seems to be both limited and outmoded. The position of the Admiralty is that "it is believed, at the Admiralty, that there is no statutory authority, beyond custom, for the proportions in vogue for the Union Jack."

Nevertheless, occasionally square versions like this example do occur. This flag has tack holes along one edge, and the opposite side is frayed, an indication of its use as a flag, but to what use that might have been remains a mystery.

Similar examples are known to have come to auction. A similar flag in the United Kingdom was collected in the 1930s and dated to the turn of the 20th century, but there was no speculation as to use. Other possible explanations for this small square flag include jubilee or coronation flags for display by private citizens.

Provenance: Acquired by purchase in the late 1990s.

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