▁en sign , ▁but ▁square - cut . ▁This ▁flag ▁was ▁optional ▁for ▁Swedish ▁vessels , ▁but ▁comp uls ory ▁for ▁Norwegian ▁ones ▁in ▁distant ▁waters . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁Norway ▁adopted ▁a ▁new ▁national ▁civil ▁en sign , ▁identical ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁flag ▁of ▁Norway . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁a ▁separate ▁Norwegian ▁flag , ▁a ▁royal ▁reg ulation ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁July ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁st ip ulated ▁that ▁ships ▁of ▁both ▁kingdom s ▁use ▁the ▁common ▁square - cut ▁civil ▁en sign ▁( with ▁the ▁salt ire ▁included ) ▁in ▁" dist ant ▁waters " ▁( i . e . ▁beyond ▁Cape ▁Fin ister re ). ▁ ▁In ▁" dist ant ▁waters ", ▁they ▁had ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁use ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁square - cut ▁civil ▁en sign s ▁of ▁their ▁respective ▁countries , ▁or ▁the ▁uniform ▁Union ▁civil ▁en sign . ▁This ▁system ▁was ▁in ▁force ▁until ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁ ▁Union ▁flags ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁▁ ▁A ▁royal ▁resolution ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁June ▁ 1 8 4 4 , ▁introduced ▁new ▁flags ▁and ▁her ald ry ▁to ▁denote ▁the ▁equal ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁kingdom s ▁within ▁the ▁union . ▁Both ▁countries ▁were ▁granted ▁civil ▁and ▁military ▁en sign s ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁pattern , ▁their ▁respective ▁national ▁flags ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁a ▁union ▁mark ▁in ▁the ▁canton , ▁combining ▁the ▁flag ▁colours ▁of ▁both ▁countries . ▁The ▁naval ▁en