What is the England flag, when was the St George’s Cross first used and why is it red and white?
1. What is the England Flag?
The flag of England is the St George’s Cross:
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A red upright cross
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On a white background
It represents Saint George, the patron saint of England, and has been the national flag of England for many centuries.
2. When Was the St George’s Cross First Used?
Early associations (1100s–1200s)
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The red cross on white was used by crusaders during the 11th–12th centuries.
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By the late 12th century, England was increasingly associated with St George.
First official use by England (13th century)
The St George’s Cross became formally associated with England in the 1200s.
Key milestones:
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c. 1188–1270: English crusaders commonly used the red cross as battlefield identification.
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1270 (reign of Henry III): The red cross began to be used for English soldiers and ships.
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1348 (Edward III): St George officially named patron saint of England, strengthening the symbol.
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By the 14th century: The St George’s Cross was the clear national emblem of England.
By the 15th century:
It was universally recognized as the national flag of England, flown across ships, cities, and government buildings.
3. Why Is It Red and White?
The colors come from the symbolic emblem of Saint George, not from England’s geography or royal heraldry.
Origin of the colors
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Red cross was a common heraldic symbol of crusader “martyrs” and “warriors of the faith.”
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White background symbolized purity and holiness.
This specific combination — red cross on white — became strongly linked with Saint George, a popular military saint across Europe.
Why England adopted it
England adopted the design because:
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St George became England’s patron saint (formally in 1348).
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His symbol already had military prestige across Europe.
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The red-and-white banner provided clear battlefield identification.
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It distinguished English forces from other crusader groups (who used different color crosses).
Myth but sometimes cited
There’s a popular story that England “borrowed” the flag from Genoa, paying the Doge of Genoa for naval protection in the Mediterranean.
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This story contains truth (England did use the Genoese flag in some naval contexts),
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but England’s connection to St George and the red cross is older and more deeply rooted.
Summary
The England Flag
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St George’s Cross — a red cross on white.
When first used?
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Seen with English crusaders: 1100s–1200s
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Adopted for English national/military use: 1200s
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Official patron saint adoption: 1348
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Fully established as national flag: 1400s
Why red and white?
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Colors come from the symbol of Saint George
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Red = martyrdom, courage
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White = purity
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Became military identification for English troops and ships
The Cross of St George, widely associated with the legendary soldier who is England's patron saint, is believed to date back to the 12th Century.
Legend has it soldiers who fought at the Siege of Antioch in 1098 were helped by an army swathed in white, atop white horses, led by St George, St Demetrius, and St Mercurius.
There was no mention of the red cross at this stage. It only gained prominence in association with the Knights Templar during the Second Crusade of 1145.
In 1188, red and white crosses are understood to have been chosen to identify French and English troops in the Kings' Crusade of Philip II of France and Henry II of England.
Together with the Jerusalem Cross, the plain red-on-white became a recognisable symbol of the crusader from about 1190.
By the 13th Century, it was adopted by several leaders and organisations who wished to associate themselves with the Crusades.
The Republic of Genoa may have been using it as early as during the 13th century.
It is widely used across Northern Italy as the symbol of Bologna, Padua, Genoa, Reggio Emilia, Mantua, Vercelli, Alessandria, and most notably Milan.
How did St George's Cross become the flag of England and why is it red?
The connection between England and St George's Cross goes back to the Middle Ages.
Red crosses appear to have been used by English soldiers from the reign of Edward I in the 1270s to distinguish themselves from the white crosses used by rebel barons at the Battle of Lewes.
The same monarch is believed to be responsible for the introduction of the cross as the national emblem.
Historic accounts are said to show the King's tailor ordered large amounts of cloth which would mimic the "arms of St George" for English foot soldiers.
Who was Saint George?
Although Saint George is England’s patron saint, St George would likely have been a soldier somewhere in the eastern Roman Empire, probably in what is now Turkey.
He is also the patron saint of Ethiopia, Georgia and Portugal, and cities such as Freiburg, Moscow and Beirut.
According to legend, George was martyred for his faith under Emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century, and there is a major shrine dedicated to him in Lod, Israel.
The earliest legend that features Saint George slaying a dragon dates to the 11th Century.
St George would likely have been a soldier somewhere in the eastern Roman Empire
Where does the legend of the dragon come from?
The tale may have started simply as a way to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.
According to one version of the story, a town in Libya had a small lake inhabited by a dragon infected with the plague.
Many of the townsfolk were being killed by the dragon so they started feeding it two sheep a day to appease it.
When the town ran out of sheep, legend has it that the king devised a lottery system to feed the hungry dragon local children instead.
But, one day his own daughter was chosen and as she was being led down to the lake Saint George happened to ride past.
The story goes that George offered to slay the dragon but only if the people converted to Christianity.
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