Everything about The Flag Of England totally explained
The
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.
The proportions of the flag are that the red cross has a width of 1/5 of the height of the flag.
History
The exact origins of the Flag of England are unclear and there are multiple supporting theories, though it's known that the flag appeared 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 1275.
The use of a red cross on a white background was a symbol of St. George in the Middle Ages. This is seen, for example, in the
flag of Georgia, another nation with St George as patron saint.
One theory states that St. George's cross was originally the flag of
Genoa and 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 Genoese fleet. The maritime
Republic of Genoa was rising and going to become, 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.
A second theory states that the flag was adopted during the
Crusades. At the beginning of the Crusades, St George's red cross on white was already associated with England. Although the Pope decided English crusaders would be distinguished by wearing a white cross on red, and French crusaders a red cross on white (Italian knights were allocated a yellow cross on a white background), English knights soon decided to claim instead "their" cross of red on white, like the French. In January 1188, in a meeting between
Henry II of England and
Philip II of France, the two rivals agreed to exchange flags (France later changed its new white cross on red for a white cross on a dark blue flag). Some French knights carried on using the red cross however, and as English knights wore this pattern as well, the red cross on white became the typical crusader symbol regardless of nationality.
St George's cross may not have achieved the full status of 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.
Incorporation into the Union Flag
The English Flag is one of the key components of the
Union Flag. The Union Flag has been used in a variety of forms since
1606, when the flags of the
Kingdom of England and the
Kingdom of Scotland were first merged to symbolise the
Union of the Crowns. (The Union of the Crowns having occurred in
1603).
From
1801, in order to symbolise the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain with the
Kingdom of Ireland, a new design was adopted for the flag of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The 1801 design, having remained unchanged despite the
partition of Ireland in
1921 and creation of the
Irish Free State, continues to be used as the flag of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Usage in popular culture
In the past few years the Flag of St George has become increasingly used by the English, particularly at sports events. For example, when England won the
football World Cup in 1966, most of the flags waved by supporters were Union Flags. Now they've largely been supplanted by the English flag.
The flag is also seen during England Cricket matches. The flag is however seen mostly during the
Cricket World Cup in matches where England plays. The flag is more importantly seen during
The Ashes. Winning The Ashes is the pinnacle of English Pride and the flags are waved during the Tests whether in England by the home fans or in Australia by the
Barmy Army.
Since 1996 the England flag has become more affiliated with supporters of the
English football team. 27% of English adults having bought a flag during the
2006 World Cup.
The England flag is also used in Rugby Union. It is sometimes used on the web to indicate an English-speaking portion of a site. This has the advantage of not choosing between the flags of the two major
english-speaking countries (those of the
USA and the
UK).
Despite this shift in the flag's popular connotations, many black people living in England view the flag with suspicion: During a poll of readers of
New Nation, "most black people interviewed said they felt alienated by the flag of St George and still associated it with the
BNP."
Outside England
Due to the spread of the
British Empire, the flag of England is/was used on various flags and
coats of arms of different
countries,
states and
provinces throughout the world, which were once ruled by
Britain, most notably seen today in several flags of the
provinces and
states of
Canada and
Australia respectively.
Image:Flag of New South Wales.svg|Flag of New South Wales, Australia
Image:Flag of Alberta.svg|Flag of Alberta, Canada
Image:Flag of Ontario.svg|Flag of Ontario, Canada
Image:Flag of Montreal.svg|Flag of Montreal, Canada
Image:Flag of Manitoba.svg|Flag of Manitoba, Canada
Image:Flag of Fiji.svg|Flag of Fiji
Image:Flag of Guernsey.svg|Flag of Guernsey
Image:British East India Company flag.svg| of the English/British East India Company (1600–1707)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Flag Of England'.
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