May 10 – An Admiralty letter to the Colonial Office required colonial warships to "wear a Union Jack in the usual place, and the White Ensign, with either the Arms of the Colony, or such other distinguishing mark as may be chosen by the Colony, and approved by the Colonial Office and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty". This regulation was mainly directed at Australia and not applicable to Canada, which had no Navy at that time.
October 20 – Proclamation of Ottawa as seat of government.
December 16 – A distinctive Blue Ensign for the province of Canada is authorized by the UK secretary of state for the colonies.
December 22 – Colonial Office Circular notifying revised Admiralty requirements for flags for colonial warships and for other colonial government vessels and requesting correct drawings of seals or badges to be adopted as distinguishing marks.
^"The British-American Confederation" The Illustrated London News (February 4, 1865), The Civil War in America from The Illustrated London News. Accessed 20 September 2018
^United States Department of State, "Thirty-Eighth Congress, Second Session. Joint Resolution..." Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-Ninth Congress (1865), pg. 164. Accessed 9 September 2018
^"Foreign News; Europe" Harper's Weekly; A Journal of Civilization, Vol. IX, Issue 432 (April 8, 1865), pg. 211. Accessed 9 September 2018
^United States Department of State, "Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward" Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-Ninth Congress (1865), pg. 262. Accessed 9 September 2018
^United States Department of State, "Lord Monck to Sir F. Bruce" Executive Documents Printed by Order of the House of Representatives, during the First Session of the Thirty-Ninth Congress, 1865-'66 (1865-1866), pg. 184. Accessed 9 September 2018
