National colours of the United Kingdom

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The roundel of the Royal Air Force incorporates the British national colours
Red Arrows with red, white and blue smoke

The national colours of the United Kingdom are usually identified as the combination of red, white and blue in that order. These colours are the same as in the

red saltire for Ireland. The UK's constituent countries are normally identified respectively with white (England)[citation needed], blue (Scotland), red (Wales), green (in respect of Ireland in general), and occasionally black or gold (for the culturally distinctive English county of Cornwall
).

History

In maps of the 19th and 20th centuries, the territories of the

red coats
.

Usage

Sport

In many international team sports the different

British and Irish Lions
play in Red shirts, white shorts and blue socks with green trim.

In motor racing, the national colour of the United Kingdom is green; this is known as British racing green and its somewhat uncertain origin purports that it stems from the Gordon Bennett Cup of 1903. Britain was hosting the race in Ireland and adopted the shamrock green in honour; the colour has been retained ever since, and featured in several Commonwealth racing colours too.

Transport

London Heathrow Airport
Red, white and blue tube train in London

Red, white and blue are also the colours of the London Underground, the rapid transit system of the United Kingdom's capital. Since the 1990s, the underground trains have been painted in red, white and blue.[2]

Orders and decorations

British orders and medals whose ribbons are in the national colours include the

Queen's Gallantry Medal, and all the commemorative Coronation and Jubilee Medals since 1936.[4]

At sea

At sea, 'national colours' refer to a distinctive flag used to demonstrate a vessel's country of origin. In 1867, an

Pilot Jack
.

References

  1. ^ The blue of the Union flag is significantly darker than the blue usually employed in the modern Flag of Scotland. Scottish teams, however, traditionally play in a very dark blue kit, much darker than the blues of Italy and France
  2. ^ "London Underground: Rolling Stock Information Sheets" (PDF). What do they Know?. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Royal Victorian Order". Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  4. ISBN 0850455162
    .
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