David A. Russell to The Lord Napier, March 8, 1865

Lord Russell to Lord Napier and A. A. G. Bonar, Esq

My Lord: Sir: I enclose herewith to your lordship a copy of a note which was addressed to me on the 21st ultimo by the Prussian ambassador at this court, stating that the governments of Austria and Prussia had determined to grant a provisional national flag to the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein, and Lunenburg until the definitive settlement of the constitution of these territories, and proposing that her Majesty’s government should recognize the flag in question, and should grant to ships bearing it the same rights which were accorded to the ships of the duchies previously to their separation from Denmark. A similar communication was addressed to me by the Austrian ambassador.

I have to instruct you to state to the minister for foreign affairs that her Majesty’s government have fully considered this proposal, and that they are prepared to recognize the flag provisionally, saving the rights of the states of Holstein and Schleswig, and of the German confederation, and only till the definitive constitution of the duchies concerned.

I am,&c.,&c.