The union jack: how can a redesign do it justice?
If Scottish independence comes about, the union jack will need a new look. But how can anything compare with this pop-iconic flag?
• Poll: what should the British flag look like if Scotland goes independe
Britain's flag as it looks now, with its merging of English and Scottish crosses, was adopted in 1801 in time for the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo that gave Britain unquestioned world overlordship for the next 100 years. Yet this date is misleading, as is the myth that the name "union jack" only applies at sea – the Flag Institute says it is correct on sea and land. The union jack evolved from a design commissioned by James IV of Scotland when he became James I of England and many paintings from the 18th century show our flag looking recognisably similar to that of today.
• Poll: what should the British flag look like if Scotland goes independe
Britain's flag as it looks now, with its merging of English and Scottish crosses, was adopted in 1801 in time for the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo that gave Britain unquestioned world overlordship for the next 100 years. Yet this date is misleading, as is the myth that the name "union jack" only applies at sea – the Flag Institute says it is correct on sea and land. The union jack evolved from a design commissioned by James IV of Scotland when he became James I of England and many paintings from the 18th century show our flag looking recognisably similar to that of today.
