Scottish National Flag
The English national flag at this period consisted of a simple red
cross fully imposed upon a plain white field, this being the emblem of
St. George, England's patron saint. The Scottish national flag consisted
of a diagonal, or X-shaped, white cross, fully imposed upon a medium
blue field. This was the emblem of St. Andrew, Scotland's patron saint.
In the spring of 1606, to symbolize the monarchical unification of the
two nations under himself, James created a banner to this end, by fully
superimposing the English red cross (with a narrow white border to
represent its normal white field) upon the Scottish flag. This became
known as the Union Flag, and it was the forerunner of the present flag
of Great Britain.