The
Red Ensign is a flag flown as an
ensign by
merchant ships and other private vessels of the
United Kingdom. The red ensign has a
Union Jack in the
canton and may be defaced by a badge or shield in the
fly. For more information see
British ensigns.
The term is often used in particular to refer to the
Canadian Red Ensign, the former de facto
national flag of
Canada. From
1892 it was the official flag for use on Canadian merchant ships, but on land the official national flag was the Union Jack. Despite its lack of official status the Red Ensign was widely used on land as well. In
1924 it was approved for use on Canadian government buildings outside Canada, and in
1945 for those inside Canada as well. The Red Ensign served until
1965 when it was replaced by today's
maple-leaf flag. The flag bore various forms of the shield from the
Canadian coat of arms in its fly during the period of its use. The picture shows the official form between 1957 and 1965.
Two Canadian provincial flags are Red Ensigns, the flag of Ontario and the flag of Manitoba.
