Flag of Wales

Some historians have theorised that the Welsh Dragon symbol developed from the Draco standards borne by the Roman cavalry. These symbols were brought to Britain during the Roman occupation and were in turn inspired by the symbols of the Dacians or Parthians.[10] One notable Draco symbol which may have influenced the Welsh dragon is that of the Sarmatians, who contributed to the cavalry units stationed in Ribchester from the 2nd to 4th centuries.[11]

Although there is no evidence of the medieval Welsh Dragon evolving from the Roman Draco, it may have become a popular symbol of the Romano-British monarchy or Romano-British society in general during the Post-Roman period. Similar national symbols may have evolved in this way throughout Europe, such as the Olm (Proteus anguinus) of Slovenia bear a similarity in miniature to the Draco standard and they are referred to as baby cave dragons by the locals. However, it is possible though that both the Roman Draco and the Welsh Dragon both developed independently from each other.

The oldest written record of the Welsh dragon is in the Historia Brittonum,[12] written around 830; the text describes a struggle between two serpents deep underground, which prevents King Vortigern from building a stronghold. This story was later adapted into a prophecy made by the wizard Myrddin (or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon. According to the prophecy, the white dragon, representing the Saxons, would at first dominate but eventually the red dragon, symbolising the Britons, would be victorious and recapture Lloegr. According to the legend, this victory would be brought about by Y Mab Darogan.

Although the Historia Brittonum is the earliest written evidence of the red dragon as a Welsh symbol, it represents the sporadic conflicts between the native Britons and the migrating Saxons in the 5th and 6th centuries. As such, the myth would have been well known for several centuries before the ninth century work.

A version of the tale also appears as part of the poem "Cyfranc Lludd a Llefelys" in the Mabinogion.[12] One twelfth-century account of this is Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, where he states Merlin's prophecies. The red dragon is popularly believed to have been the battle standard of Arthur[12] and other ancient Celtic/Romano-British leaders.

The dragon is particularly associated in Welsh poetry with Cadwaladr, king of Gwynedd from c. 655 to 682.

Despite the close link throughout early Welsh history, the dragon was not used exclusively as a symbol for Wales during this period, and it was used throughout Britain as a symbol of authority. In 1138, it was adopted by the Scottish as a royal standard, and Richard I took a dragon standard to the Third Crusade in 1191. Henry III fought under the dragon at the Battle of Lewes.

Banner of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last)

The Senior line of the House of Aberffraw descended from Prince Llywelyn the Great in patriline succession and became extinct on the death of Owain Lawgoch in 1378.[13]

Banner of Owain Glyndwr

'Y Draig Aur' Owain Glyndŵr 'Golden Dragon'

In 1400, Owain Glyndŵr raised the dragon standard during his revolts against the occupation of Wales by the English crown. Owain's banner known as Y Ddraig Aur ('The Golden Dragon') was raised over Caernarfon during the Battle of Tuthill in 1401 against the English. The flag has ancient origins, Glyndŵr chose to fly the standard of a golden dragon on a white background, the traditional standard.[14][15][16]

The English crown used a Red Dragon standard under both Edward III at the Battle of Crécy and Henry V, during the Battle of Agincourt. The English forces during these battles utilised Welsh longbowmen.

Coat of arms of Henry Tudor

In 1485, the most significant link between the symbol of the red dragon and Wales occurred when Henry Tudor flew the red dragon of Cadwaladr during his invasion of England.[17] Henry was of Welsh descent and after leaving France with an army of 2,000, landed at Milford Haven on 7 August. He made capital of his Welsh ancestry in gathering support and gaining safe passage through Wales. Henry met and fought Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and in victory took the English throne. After the battle, Henry carried the red dragon standard in state to St Paul's Cathedral, and later the Tudor livery of green and white was added to the flag.[18]

In 1807, the red dragon on a green mount was adopted as the Royal Badge of Wales,[12] and on 11 March 1953[19] the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn ('The red dragon gives impetus' or 'The red dragon leads the way') was added, a line from the poem by Deio ab Ieuan Du. The badge was the basis of a flag of Wales[20] in which it was placed on a horizontal white and green bicolour. However, the flag was the subject of derision, both because the tail pointed downwards in some iterations[21] and because the motto was a potential double entendre, used in the original poem to allude to the penis of a copulating bull.[12][22][23] In 1959, government use of this flag was dropped in favour of the current flag[24][25] at the urging of the Gorsedd of Bards.[26] Today the flag can be seen flying from the Senedd in Cardiff, and from Welsh Government buildings.

In 2017 the Unicode Consortium approved emoji support for the Flag of Wales[27] following a proposal from Jeremy Burge of Emojipedia and Owen Williams of BBC Wales[28] in 2016.[29] This was added to major smartphone platforms alongside the flags of England and Scotland in the same year.[30] Prior to this update, The Telegraph reported that users had "been able to send emojis of the Union Flag, but not of the individual nations".[31]

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  Flag of Wales from the 1919 Marshal Foch victory-harmony banner
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  Variant depicting the dragon on a green mount[32]
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  Flag of 1953–1959, depicting the Royal Badge of Wales after its augmentation of honour.
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  Flag of Y Wladfa
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  The red dragon on the tailfin of an Air Wales ATR 42 aircraft.

Flag of Saint David

The flag of Saint David, a yellow cross on a black field, is used in the emblem of the Diocese of St Davids and is flown on St David's Day. In recent times the flag has been adopted as a symbol of Welsh nationalism. Some organisations, such as the Christian Party use this flag instead of Y Ddraig Goch, citing their dissatisfaction with the current flag.[33]

Traditionally, however, in both Protestant and Catholic traditions, crossed emblems have only been allocated to those martyred in the name of Christianity. Examples are saints such as St Andrew (Flag of Scotland), St George (Flag of England), St Denis (of France), and St Alban (of England; see Saint Alban's Cross).

Welsh Government ensign

An ensign for use aboard ships used by the Welsh Government, such as the patrol boats of the Marine and Fisheries Division, was granted in 2017.[34]

The flag is a British blue ensign defaced with a golden dragon with red claws and tongue. Such blue ensigns are conventionally used to indicate government-controlled ships, and the dragon is a traditional symbol of Wales.

It was designed in 2017 at the request of the Welsh Government by Red Dragon Flagmakers in conjunction with Thomas Woodcock, the Garter Principal King of Arms. On 19 December 2017, the flag's use by the Welsh Government was authorised by the UK Defence Secretary, and was registered with the College of Arms in January 2018.