the British national flag, faded and with holes,

The present design of the Union Flag dates from a Royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. The flag combines aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of St George for the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Northern Ireland.

There are no symbols representing Wales in the flag, making Wales the only present home nation with no representation, as at the time of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (creating legal union with England) the concept of national flags was in its infancy. The Welsh Dragon was however adopted as a supporter in the royal coat of arms of England used by the Tudor dynasty from 1485. [info from Wiki]

The Union Flag has never been adopted by law and many refer to it as The Union Jack. The Union Jack has long thought to be an incorrect term as a jack is usually a solely maritime flag.