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The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain, or defaced with a badge or other emblem. The evolution of the Blue Ensign followed that of the Union Jack. The ensign originated in the 17th century with the St George's cross (the Flag of England) in the canton, and with a blue field (top right). The Acts of Union 1707 united England and Wales with Scotland in the Kingdom of Great Britain, thus producing a new Blue Ensign with the new Union Flag in the canton. With the Act of Union 1800, Ireland joined the United Kingdom and St Patrick's Cross was added to the Union Flag and, accordingly, to the cantons of all British ensigns from 1 January 1801. File:Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg| The modern Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom File:British-Blue-Ensign-1707.svg| The British Blue Ensign (1707–1801) File:English Blue Ensign 1620.svg| English Blue Ensign as it appeared in the seventeenth century. ==Plain blue ensign== Prior to the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, the plain blue ensign had been the ensign of one of three squadrons of the Royal Navy, the Blue Squadron. This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, and the White Ensign was allocated to the Navy. Thus, after 1864, the plain blue ensign (i.e., without any defacement or modification) is permitted to be worn, instead of the Red Ensign, by three categories of civilian vessel: * British merchant vessels whose officers and crew include a certain number of retired Royal Navy personnel or Royal Navy reservists, or are commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve in possession of a Government warrant. The number and rank of such crew members required has varied over the years, as have the additional conditions required, since the system was first introduced in 1864. * Royal Research Ships by warrant whether manned by former Royal Navy personnel or Merchant Navy personnel. * British-registered Yachts belonging to members of certain long-established yacht clubs, such as the Royal Thames Yacht Club, Royal Engineers Yacht Club, The Royal Motor Yacht Club, the Sussex Motor Yacht Club, and the Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club. It should be noted that many more yacht clubs use Blue Ensigns that are defaced by badges (e.g., Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club, Royal Ulster Yacht Club, etc.). Permission for yachts to wear the blue ensign (and other special yachting ensigns) was suspended during both World War I and World War II. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「blue ensign」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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