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The Union Jack has not been adopted as a national flag, but is the property of the Queen. The Queen allows her citizens to fly her flag as if it were a national flag, but this permission does not extend to its use afloat. That privilege is reserved for the Royal Navy. For that reason, private boats usually wear the Red Ensign, the Merchant Navy flag. The practice is kept up as a tradition. I have never heard of the Queen chasing after anyone who flies the wrong flag.
Interesting on the official royal web page. at http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page398.asp they say The Union Flag, or Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
We already have the copyright logo on banknotes, how long before it appears on flags?
Glossopswift - as I understand it, a jack is a small flag which is worn on the jackstaff of a ship. It usually has a design similar to the national flag. When it has a capital J, it is the second word in the name of the British flag. The name Union Jack has been confirmed by 400 years common usage and by its use in Parliament on several occasions. My Uncle Jack had never been worn on a jackstaff, but I was still allowed to call him by his name. And of course, it would not be the same if I visited London and stayed at the union flag club.
Seems a lot of uncertainty about the origin of the Jack part. A lot of people seem to like the one about it being only applicable to a ship. However I've also heard that it's derived from Jacobus - referring to King James the first who of course united the thrones of England and Scotland and thus created the first Union flag.
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