▁flags . ▁ ▁The ▁military ▁en sign ▁was ▁also ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁by ▁civil ▁government ▁ships ▁and ▁buildings , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Custom s , ▁Har bor ▁pil ots ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁Mail . ▁For ▁this ▁use , ▁the ▁military ▁en sign ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁white ▁field ▁included ▁with ▁a ▁golden ▁marker : ▁For ▁the ▁Har bor ▁pil ots ▁( as ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁proposal ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 5 ) ▁an ▁anchor ▁with ▁a ▁star ; ▁for ▁the ▁Custom s ▁( as ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 4 ) ▁the ▁letter ▁" T " ▁to pped ▁a ▁royal ▁ ▁crown ; ▁for ▁the ▁Royal ▁Mail ▁( as ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 4 ) ▁a ▁postal ▁horn ▁with ▁a ▁royal ▁crown . ▁On ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁an ▁alternate ▁State ▁flag ▁was ▁introduced . ▁This ▁double - ta iled ▁flag ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁government ▁owned ▁ships ▁and ▁buildings , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁fly ▁the ▁triple - ta iled ▁military ▁en sign . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁increasing ▁Norwegian ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁the ▁union ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁" p ure " ▁flag ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁without ▁the ▁union ▁mark . ▁O pp on ents ▁of ▁the ▁union ▁began ▁to ▁use ▁this ▁flag ▁several ▁years ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁officially ▁recogn ised . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁two ▁consecutive ▁sessions ▁of