Blue Ensign

During the ceremony, the commissioning warrant will be read, and the Blue Ensign, which has been flying from the ship until it is formally handed over to the Royal Navy, will be replaced with the White Ensign, raised by 20-year-old Able Seaman Ellie Smith from Hull.

It was all a bit Brussels and Strasbourg, where the EU flag -- a blue ensign with a circle of yellow stars on it -- holds pride of place,

Suddenly, a gigantic red, white and blue ensign with 15 huge stars and two-foot-wide stripes was hauled up the fort’s flagpole.

"Overboard every man!" he cried, and showed the example himself by dashing into the water up to the knees, carrying the blue ensign of his cause.

The Shannon had the Union at the fore and an old rusty blue ensign at the mizen peak, and besides these she had one ensign on the main stay and another in the main rigging, both rolled up and "stopped" ready to be cast loose in case either of the other flags should be shot away.