Why don't the red diagonal red lines on union flag line up?

[monkfish24]

Am I correct in recalling that one of the surviving flags from the battle of Trafalgar doesn't have the "offsets" (made up on board ship IIRC).

I think you're right

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Just checked a closed US forum on this topic...

...where a Brit has dared to chastize them for it and they are going "Ape Du-Du" at his audacity for bringing them to account for it. Wish I could show it to you.

Chas

 

[VicS]

Trafalgar flag SEE HERE

 

[DaveS]

That's interesting, and easy to see why the diagonals don't line up. The St. G cross has been given equal thicknesses horizontally and vertically, rather than these being given the same ratio as the fly: hoist. The diagonals then are set from flag corners to the corners of the St. G cross which means that they no longer form a proper St. P. cross. The same distortion applies to the St. A cross.

Interestingly, however, the elements of the St. P cross are aligned centrally w.r.t. the St. A cross, unlike the modern flag. Which brings us back to the OP, whose question has still not IMHO been answered satisfactorily.

 

[RichardS]

Interestingly, however, the elements of the St. P cross are aligned centrally w.r.t. the St. A cross, unlike the modern flag. Which brings us back to the OP, whose question has still not IMHO been answered satisfactorily.

Hmmmm...I think we need further qualification of the original question.

I read it to mean "why doesn't the diagonal extending from one corner align with the diagonal extending from the opposite corner" and answers reflecting "offets" or "not true diagonals" address this question.

However, the longer this thread goes on the more I think that some of us, me included, are answering the wrong question!

Richard