British ensign system

E42290
heraldic flag scheme maritime flag system

The British ensign system is a heraldic and maritime flag scheme that uses different colored field-and-canton designs (notably red, white, and blue with the Union Flag in the canton) to distinguish various branches and functions of British and Commonwealth maritime services.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Civil ensigns of British Overseas Territories 1
Naval ensigns of British Overseas Territories 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf heraldic flag scheme ⓘ
maritime flag system ⓘ
appliesTo British government vessels ⓘ
British merchant navy ⓘ
surface form: British merchant marine

Commonwealth maritime services ⓘ
Royal Navy ⓘ
basedOn Union Flag ⓘ
classification civil ensign system ⓘ
naval ensign system ⓘ
state ensign system ⓘ
country United Kingdom ⓘ
distinguishes civil vessels ⓘ
government service vessels ⓘ
naval vessels ⓘ
state vessels ⓘ
yachts ⓘ
fieldPosition Union Flag in upper hoist canton ⓘ
governedBy British Admiralty regulations ⓘ
Merchant Shipping Act ⓘ
surface form: Merchant Shipping Acts
hasComponent Blue Ensign ⓘ
British Red Ensign ⓘ
surface form: Red Ensign

White Ensign ⓘ
civil ensigns ⓘ
government service ensigns ⓘ
naval ensigns ⓘ
state ensigns ⓘ
yacht ensigns ⓘ
hasDesignPrinciple colored field with national canton ⓘ
consistent canton with varying field colors ⓘ
historicalPeriod Age of Sail ⓘ
modern era ⓘ
influenced ensign systems of Commonwealth countries ⓘ
maritime flags of former British colonies ⓘ
regulates use of Blue Ensign by government and certain privileged vessels ⓘ
use of Red Ensign by merchant ships ⓘ
use of White Ensign by Royal Navy ⓘ
relatedTo British vexillology ⓘ
maritime law of the United Kingdom ⓘ
usedFor identification of nationality at sea ⓘ
indication of vessel function ⓘ
usedIn British Empire ⓘ
British Overseas Territories ⓘ
surface form: United Kingdom Overseas Territories
uses Union Flag in the canton ⓘ
ensigns ⓘ
field-and-canton design ⓘ
usesColor blue ⓘ
red ⓘ
white ⓘ

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Flags of British Overseas Territories → hasPart → British ensign system ⓘ
this entity surface form: Civil ensigns of British Overseas Territories
Flags of British Overseas Territories → hasPart → British ensign system ⓘ
this entity surface form: Naval ensigns of British Overseas Territories
Blue Ensign → partOf → British ensign system ⓘ
British Red Ensign → variantOf → British ensign system ⓘ