Flag of Britain. History and meaning of the banner

To date, the flag of Britain is something much larger than just a symbol of a powerful power. Magnets, souvenirs, bags, T-shirts, and even underwear with Fuzzy Albion flag prints have become incredibly popular all over the world.

Interesting Facts

From the Gospel we know that the disciples of Christ, after his ascension, went to carry the word of God throughout the world. Some scholars believe that the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul managed to visit Britain, but the data testifying to their mission in this country is negligible. But the brother of the apostle Peter, the holy martyr Andrei Pervozvanny, is officially considered the patron saint of Scotland. The apostle was allegedly crucified on an oblique cross, and the image of this white cross was widely spread already in the fourteenth century.

How it all was

The flag of Britain has a long and interesting history. Many historians believe that as early as in the 13th century, during the bloody war with Wales, the cross was used as a national emblem familiar to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. It was under this sign that the Knights-Crusaders fought against the Muslims, trying to get the holy city transferred to the authority of the Christian Church. It is this cross, also known as the cross of St. George the Victorious, and became the first symbol of the Foggy Albion. At the beginning of the XVI century, his image appears on the flag of the state flag.

Cross of St. Patrick

The history of the British flag has close ties with religion. The most revered saint was considered and still is the half-legendary Saint Patrick, who, according to legend, brought writing to Ireland, and at the same time expelled all the snakes from the island. A great missionary did a lot for the blessing of the holy church. The flag of Britain combines three crosses, one of which is the red oblique cross of St. Patrick. By the way, according to one version, this sign is a symbol of the Order of St. Patrick, founded in the late 18th century. Supporters of the second version believe that it was borrowed from the Fitzgerald emblem; In addition, there is an opinion that the cross of St. Patrick is nothing more than a symbol of the Order of the Garter, which was tilted at an angle of 45 degrees.

Historical value

The flag of Britain has a huge historical value. First of all, it symbolizes the unification of all four provinces of the country, now known as Great Britain (Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and, of course, England), and is called the Union Jack, which means "unification of flags". Regarding the etymology of the word "Jack", a lot of controversy was under way. To date, historians have agreed that this is a kind of tribute to the maritime traditions, because the flag was originally used only in sea voyages. There are also two versions here, and historians have not yet decided which one to take.

First: Jack in English means word for word "ship's nose flag". The second option is more romantic: "Jack" is a diminutive form of the name Jacob, or Jacob. That's the name of the king, who managed to unite England and Scotland.

Value of elements

As the numerous pictures show, the flag of Britain is crossed by three crosses:

- Red broad straight cross on a white background (cross of St. George, the symbol of England).

- A slanting red cross on a white cross (the cross of St. Patrick, the symbol of Ireland).

- Diagonal white cross (the cross of St. Andrew, the symbol of Scotland).

Symbolics of Wales on the flag is not yet available, although conversations about the fact that it's time to place the traditional Welsh dragon on the cloth periodically arise.

Value of colors

Officially, the flag of Britain begins its history from the beginning of the XVII century, or more precisely, since 1603. It was then that the Scottish King James VI inherited the English throne and became the English King James I. On April 12, the new standard, known today as Union Jack - the national flag of Great Britain, whose meaning is known all over the world, was officially approved. It is believed that red is the color of the royal family, and white symbolizes the suffering of the holy martyr Andrew the First-Called. As for the blue color, it is a unique tribute to history - initially, in the XV century, the background of the flag was blue.

Englishmen are known all over the world not only for their conservatism in relation to everything new, but also for the fact that they honor the traditions of their ancestors. Everything that is somehow connected with the state symbols is given special attention. So, today in Foggy Albion celebrate the holidays, dedicated to the day of the flag. Cloths are hung from the windows on the significant days:

• In honor of the birthday of a member of the royal family;
• On the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Parliament;
• The day of the anniversary of the King's wedding;
• On the occasion of Commonwealth Day.

In principle, it's only at first glance, everything seems so confusing. Anglo-Saxons are people who adhere to strict logic, and this is perfectly evident in their culture, art and history.