Flag of England
The Flag of EnglandThe Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared in as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and is one of the earliest known emblems representing England. It achieved status as the national flag of England during the 16th century.
Saint George became the patron saint of England in the 13th century, and the legend of Saint George slaying a dragon dates from the 12th century.
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Origins
The exact origins of the Flag of England are unclear and have multiple supporting theories; though it is known that the flag appearred during the Middle Ages. It has been recorded that the first known recorded use of the St George's Cross as an emblem (but not as a flag) of England was in a roll of account relating to the Welsh War of 1277.[1]
On theory is that the flag is thought to be derived from that of the Knights Templar.[citation needed]
Another theory as to the origins of the flag is that the flag of Genoa was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the powerful Geonoese fleet.[citation needed] The maritime Republic of Genoa was rising and going to become, together with its rival Venice, one of the most important powers in the world. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege. Between England and Genoa, two mercantile and sea-faring nations, there has ever been a special and long-standing relationship. Genoa is generally regarded as "the most English town of Italy".
St George's cross did not achieve any sort of status as the national flag until the 16th century, when all other saints' banners were abandoned during the Reformation. The earliest record of St George's flag at sea, as an English flag in conjunction with royal banners but no other saintly flags, was 1545.[2]
Proportions
The flag consists of a red cross on a white field with the cross having a width of 1/5 of the height of the flag. The flag proportion is 5:3.
Union
When the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland were united in a personal union under James VI/I, the Cross of Saint George was combined with the Cross of St. Andrew (representing Scotland) to form the original Union Flag (or "Union Jack"). This flag later became the national flag of the Kingdom of Great Britain, and was combined with the flag of St. Patrick (representing Ireland) in 1801, producing the Union Flag of the United Kingdom.
Other uses
The flag is incorporated in the flag of the Canadian province of Alberta, by way of the coat of arms of the Hudson's Bay Company and the province's arms.
See also
References
External links
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