"Banner. A banner is a square flag painted or embroidered with arms, and of a size proportioned to the rank of the bearer."[21]--See the Banner of St. George, Fig. 2, Plate I.
[21] Parker. Terms used in British Heraldry, p. 42.
We now come to the description of the arms and banner of Saint Andrew. The cross of St. Andrew is called a saltire, and is thus described:--
"Saltire, or _saltier_. This honorable ordinary probably represents the cross whereon St. Andrew was crucified."[22]
"Andrew, S., the Apostle: the patron saint of Scotland.
"The arms attributed to him, and emblazoned on the banner bearing his name, are azure, a saltire argent."[23]--See Fig. 3, Plate I., Arms of Saint Andrew; and for the banner of Saint Andrew, Fig. 4, Plate I.
"Union Jack: the national flag of Great Britain and Ireland.
"The ancient national flag of England was the banner of St. George (argent, a cross gules), to which the banner of St. Andrew (azure, a saltire argent), was united (instead of being quartered, according to ancient custom), in pursuance of a royal proclamation, dated April 12, 1606. An extract from this proclamation follows:--
"Whereas, some difference hath arisen between our subjects of South and North Britain, travelling by seas, about the bearing of their flags: for the avoiding of all such contentions hereafter, we have, with the advice of our council, ordered, that henceforth all our subjects of this Isle and kingdom of Great Britain, and the members thereof, shall bear in their maintop the red cross, commonly called St. George's Cross, and the white cross, commonly called St. Andrew's Cross, joined together, according to a form made by our heralds, and sent by us to our admiral, to be published to our said subjects; and in their foretop our subjects of South Britain shall wear the red cross only, as they were wont; and the subjects of North Britain, in their foretop, the white cross only, as they were accustomed."[24]
[24] Parker. Terms used in British Heraldry, p. 315.
The union of the crosses described above may naturally be called the _king's colors_, though in fact, as James was king both of Scotland and England, the national flags of either of those kingdoms would also be the king's colors, in an extended sense; but would be likely to be designated as the red or white crosses, or the crosses of St. George or St. Andrew, while this form prepared by the heralds, and only prescribed for "subjects travelling by seas," would be by those subjects called, _par excellence_, the king's colors.