ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

White Ensign

Okay kiddo, let me tell you all about the white ensign!

A white ensign is kind of like a flag that represents a special group of people called the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy is a really important group in the United Kingdom, because they protect the country from bad guys and make sure everything stays safe on the water.

The white ensign is a special kind of flag that was first used a long, long time ago in the 1600s. It's called a "white" ensign because, you guessed it, the background color is white! But there's more to it than just that.

On the white ensign, there's a really important symbol in the middle called the Union Jack. You might recognize this symbol from the flag of the United Kingdom – it's those red, white, and blue stripes. This symbol is really important because it shows that the white ensign is representing the Royal Navy as a part of the UK.

There are some other symbols on the white ensign too, like a bunch of lines that look kind of like X's. These are called "waving lines," and they're supposed to represent the movement of the sea.

So there you have it, kiddo – the white ensign is a special flag that represents the Royal Navy in the UK. It's called "white" because it has a white background, and it has a really important symbol called the Union Jack on it.
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