National symbols of Great Britain Prepared by Jeanne

National symbols of Great Britain Prepared by Jeanne Pavlova, gr. 501

Union Jack The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi -official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas territories. The current design dates from the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Union Flag or Union Jack

Design

Specification The Union Flag is normally twice as long as it is wide, a ratio of 1: 2. In the United Kingdom land flags are normally a ratio of 3: 5; the Union flag can also be made in this shape, but is 1: 2 for most purposes. Flags that have the Union Flag in the canton should always be 1: 2 to preserve the square fly area.

The three component crosses that make up the Union Flag are sized as follows: The red St. George's Cross width is 1/5 of the flag's height with a 1/15 flag height fimbriation. The white diagonal St. Andrew's Cross width is 1/5 of the flag's height and the broader white diagonal's width is 1/10 of the flag's height. The red diagonal St. Patrick's Cross width is 1/15 of the flag's height and the narrow white diagonal's width is 1/30 of the flag's height.

Flying Right way to fly the flag, assuming hoist to the left Wrong way to fly the flag, assuming hoist to the left

Royal Standard of the United Kingdom The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is the flag used by Elizabeth II in her capacity as Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. Different standards are used in the Queen's other Commonwealth realms, and the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is varied for use in Scotland.

The Royal Standard used in Scotland The Royal Standard used in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and overseas

The anthem (God Save the Queen) Also known as "God Save the King" (when the monarch is male) Lyrics Author unknown Adopted 1745

"God Save the King" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. When the current monarch is female, the song is then commonly referred to as "God Save the Queen" and the words of the song are adapted accordingly, with "Queen" replacing "King", "she" replacing "he", and so forth.

Standard version in the United Kingdom God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen: Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the Queen. O Lord, our God, arise, Scatter her enemies, And make them fall. Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all. Thy choicest gifts in store, On her be pleased to pour; Long may she reign: May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause To sing with heart and voice God save the Queen.

National symbols

The national emblems of England The Royal Arms of England, a national coat of arms featuring three lions, originated with its adoption by Richard the Lionheart in 1198. It is blazoned as gules, three lions passant guardant or and it provides one of the most prominent symbols of England The Royal Arms of England

The National Flag of England The St George's Cross has been the national flag of England since the 13 th century. Originally the flag was used by the maritime Republic of Genoa. The English monarch paid a tribute to the Doge of Genoa from 1190 onwards, so that English ships could fly the flag as a means of protection when entering the Mediterranean. A red cross was a symbol for many Crusaders in the 12 th and 13 th centuries. It became associated with Saint George, along with countries and cities, which claimed him as their patron saint and used his cross as a banner. Since 1606 the St George's Cross has formed part of the design of the Union Flag, a Pan-British flag designed by King James I. The National Flag

The Tudor rose was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of the Wars of the Roses as a symbol of peace. It is a syncretic symbol in that it merged the white rose of the Yorkists and the red rose of the Lancastrians—cadet branches of the Plantagenets who went to war over control of the nation. It is also known as the Rose of England. The Tudor rose, England's national floral emblem

The national emblems of Scotland The national flag of Scotland, known as the Saltire or St. Andrew's Cross, dates from the 9 th century, and is thus the oldest national flag still in use. Since 1606 the Saltire has also formed part of the design of the Union Flag. The National Flag

There are numerous other symbols and symbolic artefacts, both official and unofficial, including the thistle, the nation's floral emblem (celebrated in the song, The Thistle o' Scotland) Although there is no official National anthem of Scotland, Flower of Scotland is played on special occasions and sporting events such as football and rugby matches involving the Scotland national teams and as of 2010 is also played at the Commonwealth Games after it was voted the overwhelming favourite by participating Scottish athletes. The thistle, Scotland's Floral emblem.

The National Emblems of Wales The Flag of Wales incorporates the red dragon of Prince Cadwalader along with the Tudor colours of green and white. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 after which it was carried in state to St. Paul's Cathedral. The red dragon was then included in the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959. The British Union Flag incorporates the flags of Scotland, Ireland England, but has no Welsh representation. Technically it is represented by the flag of England, as the Laws in Wales act of 1535 annexed Wales to England, following the 13 thcentury conquest. The National Flag

The daffodil and the leek are also symbols of Wales. The origins of the leek can be traced to the 16 th century, while the daffodil became popular in the 19 th century, encouraged by David Lloyd-George. This is attributed to confusion of the Welsh for leek, cenhinen, and that for daffodil, cenhinen Bedr or St. Peter's leek. A report in 1916 gave preference to the leek, which has appeared on British pound coins. Wale’s floral symbols

The Prince of Wales' heraldic badge is sometimes used to symbolise Wales. The badge, known as the Prince of Wales's feathers, consists of three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the German motto Ich dien (I serve). Several Welsh representative teams, including the Welsh rugby union, and Welsh regiments in the British Army (the Royal Welsh, for example) use the badge, or a stylised version of it. The Prince of Wales has claimed that only he has the authority to use the symbol. "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" (English: Land of My Fathers) is the National Anthem of Wales, and is played at events such as football or rugby matches involving the Wales national team as well as the opening of the Welsh Assembly and other official occasions. Cymru am Byth (English: Wales Forever) is Wales' national motto. The Prince of Wales’s Feathers

The National emblems of Ireland The current flag of Ireland has three colors—white, orange and green. Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish nationalist and a revolutionary who fought for his country’s independence from the British, introduced this flag in 1848. He says that the white in the center of the flag represents the peace between the Irish people (represented by the green color) and the English supporters of William III of England, or popularly known as “William Henry of Orange. ” The National Flag

Anyone who sees this threeleafed plant automatically thinks of Ireland. The shamrock is a three-leafed clover that grows abundantly in Ireland. Some people say that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, used the shamrock to spread Christianity in Ireland, since three leaves of the plant could represent the Holy Trinity. Other people say that the shamrock and the number three were considered magical in Celtic tradition, so this plant was believed to bring good luck Irish floral emblem

This symbol is a variation of the traditional Christian cross. The circle that circumnavigates the intersection of the cross is often believed to represent a fusion of the old ways and the new. It is said that St. Patrick combined the Christian cross with the sun cross that is used by Pagans. Many historians, though, say that Irish monks already used Celtic crosses made of stone as far back as the 7 th century. The Celtic Cross

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