List of command flags of the Royal Navy

[1] The earliest known usage of a command flag being used to denote the Commander-in-Chief of the English Fleet was during the reign of Richard I in 1189 that depicted a single gold lion on a red background.

[2] In January 1340 Edward III proclaimed himself King of France and adopted the arms of France then displaying (multiple fleur-de-lis or azure semi-of-fleur-de-lis) in the upper left and the lower right cantons with the arms of England in the upper right and lower left cantons to create a new Royal Standard.

[2] In June 1340 Edward III commanded the English fleet at the Battle of Sluys where the king's standard was flown at top of the main masthead.

All captains of ships in his squadron fly a single cross of Saint George at the top of the fore masthead.

All captains of ships in his squadron fly a single cross of Saint George at the top of the rear masthead.From 1545, the Council of the Marine debated that it was necessary to identify which ship carried an admiral, and this achieved by flying the St. George Cross flag from the mizzen mast.

[9] The Lord Admiral fly's the royal standard at the main masthead and the flag of the cross of Saint George at the fore (front).

The Vice Admiral of the Fleet to fly a green and white striped flag with the cross of saint George in the upper left canton main mast head and flag of saint George front mast head.

The Rear Admiral of the Fleet to fly a green and white striped flag with the cross of saint George in the upper left canton main mast head and flag of saint George rear mast head.

Perrin (1922) does note indicate what flag rank these officers were suffice to say there was no admiral of the red in existence until 1805 so we must assume they were vice-admirals.

From 1628 following the creation of the Board of Admiralty and the post of Lord Admiral placed in abeyance the Royal Standard was not used thereafter as the command flag at sea for a Commander-in-Chief of the English Navy.

The ordinary commodore commanding a ship themselves would have the same coloured pennants but with a single large white ball near the staff.

In 1864, after approximately 368 years, the designation of coloured squadrons and the promotion path of flag officers under this system were abolished.