"Prince Charles of Wales"
Born
Charles Philip Arthur George
on November 14, 1948
to the Duke of Edinburgh Philip Mountbatten
and Princess Elizabeth (present Queen of England)
A PRINCE AND A RED DRAGON
THE RED DRAGON FLAG OF WALES
The flag of Wales, which became the official flag of Wales just 4 years after the birth of Prince Charles in 1948 , was approved by Queen Elizabeth the second in 1953. It pictures a red dragon on a green earth /white sky ,with the motto "Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn," meaning "The red dragon gives the lead" (Cohen, pg 196).
Coat of Arms of Prince Charles of Wales
Prince Charles was granted his heraldic achievement (or coat of arms) in 1961 at the age of 13,
just 8 years after the red dragon flag had been approved as the official flag of wales in 1953, by his mother Queen Elizabeth the seond ( present Queen).
And includes the red dragon within the personal heraldic symbolism.
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms022.htm
Coat of Arms
of Prince Charles of Wales
PRINCE CHARLES HERELDIC ACHIEVEMENT
Prince Charles was granted his heraldic achievement (or coat of arms) at the age of 13. It contains the following "royal devices" or symbols:
THE RED DRAGON
At the base of the coat of arms is the heraldic symbol of Wales, the red dragon. The flag of Wales, approved in 1953, pictures a red dragon on a green and white flag with the motto "Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn," meaning "The red dragon gives the lead" (Cohen, pg 196). Note that the eldest-son label is around the neck of the dragon, thus associating it with Prince Charles.
Opposite the red dragon is Charles' badge as the heir-apparent to the
British throne. It consists of three ostrich feathers surrounded by a crown
with the motto Ich Dien. The meaning of Ich
Dien
is "I serve" in German. In old Welsh, Eich Dyn, as some believe the motto
is a corruption of, is "Your man." The motto and ostrich feathers are associated
with "the Black Prince" (Edward III's son). Reading the motto and symbols
from right to left, the following message is possibly conveyed :
Ich, the Black Prince, Dien the Red Dragon
(I, the Black Prince, serve the Red Dragon)
THE LION
First note that mythological animals and imaginative creatures, monsters and hybrids are popular devices in heraldry and, in heraldic language, are referred to as "beasts."
This beast on the left-hand side of Charles' coat of arms has the head
and mouth of a
lion, the body of a leopard, and the feet of a bear. Typically in heraldry,
lions have only three claws per foot while bears will have four or five.
This lion has four claws and thus resembles those of a bear. Traditionally
in heraldry, the lion has represented England, however Prince Charles' heraldic
representation is totally unique in history even differing from that of his
mother's, Queen Elizabeth, whose lion has the typical three claws per foot.
(Rev 13:2 KJV) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Typically in heraldry, lions have only three claws per foot while bears will have four or five. This lion has four claws and thus resembles those of a bear.
(note; the half leopard /lions are unique in english hereldry, according to the heredlic key,
the french termed them leoparde (dictinction being half leopard half lions.)
BODY OF A LEOPARD
Slim body like that of a usual leopard in heraldic depiction.
body of a leopard
ELDEST SON LABEL
The eldest son label ( heir to the throne king to be)
associating Charles with the hereldic beast leo-pard, because the eldest son label is around the beast's neck..
Note the design around the lion's neck. This image is called the "eldest-son
label" and has been described by Tim Cohen (The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea,
pg. 124) as "three parallel horns Note the design around the lion's neck.
This image is called the "eldest-son label" and has been described by Tim
Cohen (The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea, pg. 124) as "three parallel horns
which are, in
a manner of speaking, 'plucked out by the roots' (i.e., turned upside down)."
The eldest-son label is a "distinctive mark" of all succeeding Princes of
Wales. Other members of the British royal family have labels that have more
than three descending "horns." There are a total of five eldest-son labels
on the coat of arms: on the left-side lion, the head lion, the unicorn, the
red dragon, and at the top of the center shield where 10 lions are
depicted.
(note: ten kings give their power unto the beast according to the book of revelation.)
(Dan 7:8 KJV) I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
(see great speeches by Charles on islam and non christian religion .)
THE HEAD
The region presented
here is from the top of Charles' shield and is thus called the "head" of
the overall coat of arms. Pictured is another lion with the eldest-son label
around its neck standing on top of a crown and a "gold helm." The helm is
made up of seven curved bars or "horns." These seven horns, along with the
three horns from the eldest-son label make a total of 10 horns ithe
head region of the coat of arms.
(Dan 7:20 KJV) And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Note that Daniel speaks of 10 horns in his head, i.e., singular head, not plural. The word for "head" here is the Aramaic noun "resh" which corresponds to the Hebrew "rosh." It often refers to the head as a body part, or could be that of an animal or statue. It sometimes refers to a leader or "chief" as well.
THE UNICORN
To the right of the head of the coat of arms is a representation of a unicorn .
"In heraldry, this unicorn represents not only Scotland, but also a
counterfeit Christ" (Cohen, pg 184). Symbolically, the unicorn in the past
has represented Alexander the Great (Dan 8:5, goat
with one horn)
and Antiochus Epiphanes, a type of anti-Christ (Dan 8:9, "a little horn").
Mythologically, the unicorn probably originated in ancient Babylon and today
is a symbol adopted by New Agers to represent "a great world leader" whom
they expect to bring world peace to earth. Interestingly, in "Christian"
symbolism, the unicorn has also represented the Virgin Mary.(catholic idol)
In heraldry, and even historical representations, the unicorn's eyes are round and black, i.e., no visible eye-whites. (Queen Elizabeth's heraldic unicorn is depicted as thus.) Charles' design has the eyes shaped more like those of a human with noticeable eye-whites, (although not easily recognized in this particular copy.)
HUMAN -LIKE EYES
note -humanlike- eyes
unusual in hereldry
(Dan 7:8 KJV) ...and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
unicorn depicts antichrist , the above verse depicts a horn speaking great things , with eyes like the eyes of a man.
THE CHAIN (RESTRAINER IN HERELDRY)
chain ( in hereldry depicts a restrainer)
Note the chain leading from the unicorn and connecting it to the base of the arms (directly above the red dragon.) In heraldry this chain functions as a "restrainer" (cf. 2 Thess 2:6-7).
ORIGIN OF RED DRAGON IN WELSH FLAG
Origin of Y Ddraig Goch
Y Ddraig Goch (the red dragon) is the national flag of Wales, and has been officially recognised as such since the 1950s. The white-over-green field is in the livery colours of the Tudors, the Welsh dynasty that once sat on the English throne.
Roy Stilling, 27 November 1995
Conventional wisdom is that the 'draco' standards of the Romans were adopted by the Britons, probably as a metal (possibly real gold) head with a windsock type of body made of silk. In the mouth was a whistling type device that would make sounds as it was waved with vigor. Supposedly used by King Arthur, certainly used by the Wessex lords in the 700s, the emblem has been used by Britons right up to the present time.
Dave Martucci, 27 January 1998
Today the dragon is the most prominent Welsh symbol. It is an ancient symbol, already prominent across England and Wales in the years after the departure of the Romans. With the invasions of the Angles and Saxons, the ancient Britons and their dragon symbol was pushed back towards Wales. The dragon has always been a symbol of a people, not an individual.
Robin Ashburner, ICV York, July 2001
Here is a brief summary of what Perrin in British Flags and Giles-Scott in The Romance of Heraldry have written about the dragon.
A dragon was the standard of a Roman cohort which was a tenth of a legion. After the Romans left Britain it was used by both the Britons and the Saxons. A golden dragon was the principal war standard of the Saxons of Wessex, and was carried by them at the battle of Burford in 752. In the eleventh century battles the king positioned himself between his personal standard, which was the rallying point and the dragon standard which was carried by a standard bearer chosen for his strength and prowess. After the battle of Hastings the dragon standard was adopted by the Normans. No record of its use in Scotland after the battle of the Standard in 1138,where it was borne as the Scottish royal standard. A dragon standard was taken on the Third Crusade by Richard I in 1191. A dragon was borne by the English army at the battle of Lewes in 1216 and later Henry III had a dragon standard made to be placed in the re-built Abbey at Westminster. Used by Edward I, Edward III at the battle of Crécy 1346, Henry V at the battle of Agincourt 1415, and at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, after which it was carried in state to St Paul's Cathedral. Henry VII displayed the red dragon of Cadwallader, from whom he claimed descent, on the Tudor colours of white and green. Until this time it was probably golden. The supporters of the English royal arms were a lion and a dragon, but the latter was replaced by a unicorn for Scotland by the Stuarts. The dragon reappeared briefly as a supporter of the arms of the Commonwealth under Cromwell.
David Prothero, 28 January 1998
Dave Martucci
I came across a line drawing of the standard of Henry VII (Henry Tudor) as sketched about 150 years later. The colors were indicated by abbreviations. The border is 'murry' and blue. Murry is supposed to be between red and purple but I'm not sure of it exactly. Also the color of the motto was not indicated, so I am using gold, but who knows?
Dave Martucci, 13 July 1998
Standards of such patterns, often richly endowed with heraldic badges, were quite common among noble families in the period. What we call the 'royal standard' is really an armorial banner. Originally banners and standards were separate classes of flag. I believe the modern Welsh flag is directly derived from the Tudor standard.
Roy Stilling, 14 July 1998
Dragon Standards were used in the later Dark Ages and early Middle Ages as a visible statement that no quarter (no mercy) would be given or expected. That is, 'No Prisoners'. Whether this has any connection to the Welsh Dragon I do not know... As far as I know the Welsh Dragon was the personal badge of the High King of the Romano-Britons, who was also known as the 'Pendragon' (German translation of Oberdrachen or Over- Dragon is as good an explanation as any). Dragons are of course very popular in mythology and legend and the whole 'Pendragon' thing is very much mixed up in Arthurian legends, and it is hard to say how much is historically accurate.
As far as Roman standards are concerned, the Eagle of the Legion was also adopted on a large scale, (see Army, Air Force, Arms) not only in Britain, so it is to be even more expected that the Dragon of the Cohort was adopted, because cohorts, unlike Legions, could also be exclusive to a local area - an example might be the Xth (Gaulish) Auxiliary Cohort - and the men of this cohort, after being demobbed, might well take the symbol home with them.
Anyway, I'd like to add I'm more inclined to believe that Dragon standards have an even older origin than the Romans, in Britain or Germany, when one considers the prevalance of 'dragon- slayer' myths, it is likely that some of these old heroes adopted the dragon as their symbol.
Calum Slinn, 5 April 2000
HISTORY OF THE RED DRAGON
History of Y Ddraig Goch
picture by Mark Sensen .
A variant of the Welsh flag had a white field with the dragon standing on a patch of green grass. It is referred to (see here )Carr (1961), thus:
In passing, it should be recorded that a slightly different version was used by all Government Offices in London, namely, a white flag charged with the Red Dragon on a green verge, as recognized by the College of Arms.
Roy Stilling, 18 July 1999
I scanned the image from the (click)1956 edition, p. 59, and coloured it.
Mark Sensen, 18 July 1999
by Mark Sensen
Carr (1961), p. 66, states:
... it was announced on March 11th, 1953, that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had approved that 'the existing red dragon badge, which was appointed as a Royal Badge for Wales over one-hundred-and-fifty years ago, should be honourably augmented by enclosing it in a scroll carrying the words Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN in green lettering on a white background and surmounting it a Royal Crown. The motto (taken from a 15th-century Welsh poem), when freely translated, means 'the Red Dragon inspires action'. The new flag has the white over green field with the new Royal Badge, in generous proportions, superimposed in the centre thereof. The proportions of the field are five by three and the charge occupies two-thirds the depth of the hoist.
I scanned the badge from the 1965 edition by Barraclough, p. 68, coloured it, and placed it on the flag according to the above description.
Mark Sensen, 18 July 1999
The badge on the "Banner with the augmented" dragon was the symbol of the Welsh Office, but that body no longer exists as its powers were taken over by the new National Assembly in 1999. The flag itself enjoyed a very brief period of enforced popularity soon after its design was mooted in the late 50's early 60's but it is now obsolete.
Stephan Hurford, 28 February 2000
The Welsh dragon was used in the royal arms in the 15th Century, but with the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England in 1605, when James VI (Scotland) became James I (England), the Welsh influence seems to have disappeared. This was perhaps because by this time Wales was simply considered as part of England, or possibly to allow the fleur de lys of France to occupy a quarter on the Royal arms, retaining England's (now the United Kingdom's) claim to large areas of France.
In the 1950's the dragon became more often seen. There has been some debate about the direction the tail points - older flags (i.e. mid-20th Century) could have it pointing up or down, but an article in the Welsh newspaper, the Western Mail, ridiculed the downward pointing tail, and today as a result it is always seen pointing upwards.
Robin Ashburner, at ICV, York, July 2001
'Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn!' does have another meaning, which is why, according to an article in the current Flagmaster, it lasted for only six years as part of an 'honourable augmentation' to the Welsh emblem. It was explained that in ancient times Welsh poets made requests for special favours in a particular verse-form, the cywydd gofyn. Evans Jones had found such a cywydd in which the phrase, 'Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn' appeared for the first time. It was a peasant's request to a wealthy neighbour for the service of the neighbour's bull to mate with the peasant's cow. The 'red dragon' which was to give impetus, I leave to your imagination.
David Prothero, 27 January 1998
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The Absence of the Welsh Dragon on the Union Jack
It is often noted that there is no representation of the Welsh flag on the Union Jack or Royal Standard. The reasons for this are historical - when Edward I defeated Llewelyn, he included Wales in an amalgamated kingdom, and made his son, the future Edward II the Prince of Wales. Edward, Prince of Wales', flag was quartered red lion on yellow and yellow lion on red, and is known as the flag of Llewelyn. This flag, with an escutcheon of a green shield with a crown, is used today by Charles as Prince of Wales. The emblem of three feathers and the motto "Ich Dien" was not acquired until the time of Henry I's grandson, who slew the king of Bohemia and assumed his arms.
Robin Ashburner, ICV York, July 2001
I have read (but would have to check the reference) that [the origin of the three feathers from the King of Bohemia] is a myth, and that Edward the Black Prince in fact inherited both the arms incorporating three ostrich feathers (silver on a black shield) and the motto ("Ich Dien", perfectly ordinary German for "I serve") through his mother. Certainly the Black Prince used the feather arms in tournaments, referring to the black shield as his shield for peace. The shield for war was, of course, his arms of France quartering England with the label of three points that denoted the king's eldest son. "Ich Dien" remains to this day in the arms of the Prince of Wales, appearing below Prince Charles's shield instead of the usual royal "Dieu et mon droit". Being a member (ex officio as Prince of Wales) of the Order of the Garter, Charles also has the Garter around his shield, bearing the order's motto of "Honi soit qui mal y pense".
Mike Oettle, 14 January 2002
Dewi Sant (Saint David's Cross)
(DEWI ,also the name of the celtic God dewi* a pagan diety whence came the red dragon of wales.)
by Roy Stilling, 21-NOV-1995
The gold cross on black of St David has, as far as I know, never had an official status in Wales. The nearest to it was that it was used by Anglican churches in Wales before disestablishment in 1921. I have never seen it flying - the nearest was a banner of the arms of the diocese of St David's which flew from my college on St David's day. The only written reference for the gold-and-black flag I have seen is in the 1961 edition of H. Gresham Carr's Flags of the World, but I cannot give chapter and verse...
Roy Stilling, 21 November 1995
According to H. Gresham Carr's 1961 book, Flags of the World, a black cross on gold was used by Welsh Anglican churches until 1954. '[It] is said to have been taken from the arms of the manors of Llawhaden and Pebidiog (anciently known as Dewisland [NB: Dewi Sant is the Welsh for St David]), of which the early bishops of St David's were barons' (p66). This, of course, is the reverse of the gold cross on black flag previously mentioned.
However, the arms of the bishopric of St David's are a gold cross on black, like the flag mentioned, but with four outline black cinquefoils in the arms of the cross. I spent three years in Wales at university and I too never saw a cruciform flag being flown instead of the Red Dragon. However, on St David's Day (1st March), my college - St David's University College, Lampeter (Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant, Llanbedr Pont Steffan for any Welsh-speakers on the list) - flew a banner of the arms of St David's.
Roy Stilling, 3 September 1996
I live in Cardiff and I read the article on the FOTW website about the St David's Cross flag for Wales (gold cross on black field). Your contributor said 'I have never seen it flying'. It is given pride of place (at the moment anyway) on a tall flagpole on top of the Capitol Building, the biggest shopping centre in Cardiff city, and is placed higher up than the official Welsh flag (the red dragon). I can get a photo to you if you need.
Steve Teggin, 19 February 1998
The last sea-going paddle steamer in the world, Waverley, and her consort, the motor vessel Balmoral, are currently flying the St. David's Cross from their jack staffs when commanded by Welsh Masters, (St. Andrew's Cross is flown when a Scottish Master is in command). The Waverley is owned by Waverley Steam Navigation Ltd., on behalf of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, a registered charity. The Waverley and Balmoral are operated by Waverley Excursions Ltd. on coastal sailings in Britain and Ireland.
Victor Gray, 3 September 2001
The St. David's Cross is flown in Scotland whenever Wales play international rugby in Edinburgh against Scotland.
Robin McNaught, 14 September 2001
About St. David
Dewi and Pelagius
Picture for yourself a post-colonial nation, part of a great empire for a few hundred years but then abandoned to its own devices. Heathen savages then invaded the land and drove the Christian inhabitants to a small corner, where they were better able to defend themselves because of the mountainous terrain. Meanwhile the Church itself was in danger of self-destructing because of an insidious teaching, the brainchild of a native son of the land.
No, this is not Africa, America or Asia in the 20th or 21st century - although the pattern might perhaps be repeated there. This is Britain in the 6th century AD, beset by German invaders from across the North Sea. The Romanised had been driven westward and were to be found in Clydeside, Galloway and Cumbria in the north, in Wales or Walschland ( german origin and root of the word -Wales , meaning ITALY,- also the welsh being the english translation of the German root word Walsch, meaning people of latin origin, or romanized.)-(see link )
, and in Cornwall, from where large numbers had also fled to Brittany, or Little Britain. The insidious teaching was the work of one Pelagius, who had questioned the Church's doctrine of original sin and denied that sin is the result of human weakness. In a seemingly modern way, he taught that God made human beings free to choose between good and evil. Pelagius, who was born around 354 - probably in Britain, although the evidence is uncertain - was concerned with slack moral standards among Christians and hoped to improve their conduct. The great flaw in Pelagius's teaching, as Augustine of Hippo pointed out, was the idea that people could attain righteousness by their own efforts. Man, said Augustine, was totally dependent on God for salvation. Although Pelagianism was condemned at several general Church councils during the 5th century, it survived in a few odd corners of the Roman world, and Wales was one of them.
Around the year 520 a boy was born to a saintly woman called Non, the victim of rape by a chieftain named Sant. The boy was baptised Dewi, the British form of the name of Israel's greatest warrior king, the shepherd boy Dawid (Dawid or dafydd is the welsh form of the English version of David) Dewi is not David . (The name David means "beloved".)
The word Dewi is the name of a pagan God linked to the red dragon, it came from babylon.
Very little is known for certain about Dewi, or Dafydd(1) (the Welsh nickname Taffy comes from this form). It is believed he was born near St Bride's Bay in the far south-west of Wales and educated at Henfynyw. He then is said to have spent 10 years on an island, studying the Scriptures under St Paulinus, after which he founded 10 monasteries. He made his home at Mynyw, or Menevia, on St Bride's Bay.
An austere man, he taught his monks to observe a life of hard physical labour on a diet of bread, vegetables and water, and is known by the nickname of Aquaticus, apparently because he forbade all liquor and permitted only water or milk at his monasteries. Summoned to the synod of Brevi (or Llanddewi-Brefi), he reportedly refused to go and had to be fetched. Once there, he spoke eloquently against Pelagianism, and at the later Synod of Victory at Caerleon, presided over the defeat of Pelagianism. Some say he was elected bishop and afterwards archbishop for his arguments against Pelagianism. Certainly he held the see of Caerleon, based in a city that had once (under the name of Isca) been one of Britain's three legionary bases. (The others were Deva [Chester] and Eboracum [York].) But Caerleon(2) was dangerously close to the English, and David moved his see to Mynyw, which afterwards came to be called Ty-Dewi, or St David's.
He died aged around 80 - perhaps 601, perhaps 589 - and his last words are said to have been: "Be cheerful, brothers and sisters; keep the faith and observe exactly all the little things you have learned from me." Although David only travelled in South Wales and Cornwall (and perhaps also to Glastonbury) - there are more than 50 churches of St David in South Wales - he is the patron saint of all Wales. On St David's Day, 1 March, Welsh folk wear leeks or daffodils in his memory, although nobody could tell you why.
He is usually illustrated wearing episcopal vestments, and with a dove on his shoulder, symbolising his victory over Pelagianism.
(1) Say Dah-vith (with the 'th' voiced, as in 'the'). In Welsh, and the F is pronounced like a V.
(2) The city later fell to the English and became part of the English county of Monmouthshire. When regional administration was reorganised in 1974, Monmouthshire became the Welsh county of Gwent.
Mike Oettle, 23 January 2002
see also-
Prince of Wales's standard
The following report is taken from BBC News Online dated 20 May 1999:
Buckingham Palace has backed down and agreed to fly the Prince of Wales's flag alongside the Queen's at the official opening of the new Welsh Assembly ... The change of heart means the Royal Standard - the Queen's own flag - will fly side by side with that of Prince Charles's for the first time in living memory ...
The original decision had threatened to cause offence to many Welsh people since the Royal Standard carries symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland, but not Wales ... Each member of the Royal Family has an official flag, which is flown to denote their presence. By convention only the most senior member's flag can be hoisted. But with both the Queen and Prince Charles due to attend the opening of the assembly in Cardiff, efforts had been made behind the scenes to break with protocol and raise the flags together. The last time it happened is thought to be at least 400 years ago.
The reversal was welcomed by Robin Ashburner, one of the UK's foremost vexillologists (flag experts), who had been consulted on the arrangements for the display above the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. Mr. Ashburner, a native of Wales, had recommended the Royal Standard and the prince's flag of four 'Llewellyn lions' fly together in an effort to smooth over Welsh sensibilities. 'I am very pleased that the palace has decided to regain the initiative on this,' he said ... Dr John Davies, author of the Penguin History of Wales, has said raising the prince's flag was a matter of gesture to the Welsh.The idea was originally put forward by Robin Ashburner, one of the UK's foremost vexillologists (flag experts), who was consulted on the arrangements for the display above the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, where an official lunch is being held.
Mr Ashburner said,
"I think it must be remembered that Wales is an entity in its own right and it's particularly important because Wales does not appear on the 'English' Royal Standard."
'I don't think most people would know what the prince's flag even looks like, but there is a principle at stake,' said Dr Davies.
Jan Oskar Engene, 21 May 1999
As Celts, the Welsh, along with the Scottish, are the original British peoples. They lived in Great Britain for hundreds of years before the English emerged. These Britons were squeezed into the corners of the land first by the Romans and later by the Saxons in the Dark Ages.
The resiliency of the Welsh language and culture stems from a mountainous terrain, behind which the Welsh were able to defend themselves. When the Normans arrived, in 1066, they defeated the Saxons and ruled England but did not manage the same success against the Welsh, who fought on for another 200 years.
The symbol of Wales, the red dragon, is a legendary motif. It was brought to Britain by the Romans and it was subsequently used by both British and Saxon Kings. It is the accepted emblem of King Arthur, the certainly Celtic and possibly Welsh 'King of the Britons.' It was later adopted by the Welsh-descended Henry VII, who emerged as King through the War of the Roses. It was Henry VII who in 1485 decreed the red dragon be the official flag of Wales.
However not until the 1950s, was it officially recognised as such . The white-over-green field is in the livery colours of the Tudors ( see below), the Welsh dynasty that once sat on the English throne.
To see how much importance is given to flags, as symbols of who owns and rules an area,
go to see this recent transcript of a argument about the flying of the Union Jack ,over the Northern Ireland Assembly Parliament.
This goes to show how strange a thing it is that wales has its own flag , that has no mention of england within it, and how conspicious by its absence is the red dragon, when you look at the union jack.
clickhere:-Irish assembly.
Henry VIII, claiming descent from Arthur, used his Welsh heritage to legitimize his ambitions over the entire land. This helped him amass such power that his reigning daughter, Elizabeth I, was able to launch an empire in the New World, America.
The importance of Wales at this stage of British history is evident in Elizabeth's coat of arms (top right). The sovereignty of the monarch is supported equally by a lion (England) and a red dragon (Wales). Wales was formally unified with England by when Henry VIII unilaterally imposed his Act of Union (1536). In contrast, Scotland joined England and Wales in 1707 in a mutually beneficial unification. The coat of arms of the current monarch (bottom right), Queen Elizabeth II, shows the lion this time being aided by the unicorn (Scotland).
In concession to the Welsh, a tradition since the 1284 of naming the heir to the throne as Prince of Wales continues to the present day. The current Prince of Wales, Charles, is the 21st holder of the title. Welsh nationalism has survived many centuries of subjugation by the English, though more lately has enjoyed a resurgence.
The establishment of the National Assembly for Wales marks the first time in 700 years that power has shifted in the direction of England to Wales. At the opening ceremony, the Queen agreed to suspend protocol by allowing the Prince of Wales' standard (flag) to fly level with hers, instead of below it as tradition dictates.
The Queen signed a special, bilingual version of the Government of Wales Act, commenting, "On the eve of the Millennium this new Assembly extends a bridge into the future. It represents a beginning and an opportunity. It is a moment of renewal, true to the spirit of Wales."
Chartists flag
There exists a different flag for Wales which was used by the chartists in their uprising (and subsequently by Welsh republicans). It consists of a tricolor arranged vertically of blue white and green. Blue represents the sky (and heaven) white peace and green the earth (or the common people). It was supposed to represent a new order when the common people of Wales would be united under the sky.
Muiris Mag Ualghairg, 19 June 2000
I think you will find that the Chartist flag was a light purple, white and green horizontal tricolour, with the words "Universal Liberty" in English on the white strip. This flag was used by Chartists in England and Wales, but in Wales there was a armed rising by Chartists, I suppose carrying this flag.
David Cox, 4 May 2002
The reference for the above study on Prince Charles coat of arms is The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea by Tim Cohen, Prophecy House, Inc., 1998. Mr. Cohen goes into much greater detail about these and other symbols in Prince Charles' heraldic achievement. I highly recommend this book. It is certainly a fascinating volume of work. Please visit the below links for further information concerning The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea.
Listen to Tim Cohen speak about his book on the Sid Roth show:
Date: Sept. 11-15, 2000
(each show is 15 minutes long)
or
Hear him on The Missler Report:
Date: November 2-4, 1998
(each show 12 minutes long)
Also see:
