Saint David's Cross Flag (Wales) - St David's

The Flag of St David consists of a gold cross on a black field. It is known unofficially as a flag of Wales, althought the Red Dragon is the official colours of the Principality. Unlike England, Scotland and Ireland, whose patron saint flags bear official status and inclusion in the Union flag, the Cross of St. David is of much less importance.

The flag plays a central role in St. David’s Day celebrations. The colours black and gold have long been associated with the Welsh saint, if not always in the form of a symmetrical cross. The flag was the official colours of the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division during the two world wars. The flag has also been the official colours of St. David’s University College now the University of Wales since 1822.

The history of the flag is somewhat ambiguous, although it is believed to have emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. One theory is that it was designed to fly from the tops of Anglican churches in Wales. This was similar to the use of St George’s Cross outside Church of England churches and use of St Andrew’s Cross by the Church of Scotland. Since the Church is Wales lost its autonomy in 1534, the link to Church is weakened. Other folk historians claim that the flag is much older and dates back to 675 AD long before modern reformation.