The Flag of Wales (Welsh: Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, meaning "The Red Dragon") consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist.
The flag incorporates the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, along with the Tudor colours of green and white. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 after which it was carried in state to St Paul's Cathedral. The red dragon was then included as a supporter of the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959.
The dragon as a major flag design element is shared with the Flag of Bhutan. A dragon also appears on the badge of the George Cross on the flag of Malta, and the Chinese flag also featured a dragon during the Qing Dynasty. (Several cities include a dragon in their flag design, including Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, and Puerto Madryn in Argentina.)
Read more about Flag Of Wales: Flag of Saint David, Cultural References
Famous quotes containing the words flag and/or wales:
“By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I just come and talk to the plants, really—very important to talk to them, they respond I find.”
—Charles, Prince Of Wales (b. 1948)