Who Is St George?
St. George is the Patron Saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England and forms part of the British flag - The Union Jack. St George's emblem was originally adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The King's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. Richard The Lion Heart fought many overseas battles and his brother King John ruled England in his absence. King John's reign was mixed with the establishment of the Magna Carta (which was basically the English constitution) signed at Runnymede on the 15th June 1215 and later modified, and also with the legend of Robin Hood, who fought against the King and corruption.
Was St George A Real Person, if so, was he English?
Saint George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.
One of the best-known stories about Saint George is his fight with a dragon, as is depicted in various paintings. But it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St George is known throughout the world as the dragon-slaying patron saint of England. St Georges day is on 23rd April.
St George The Patron Saint
Whilst the English may regard St George as their Patron Saint, he is also the Patron Saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia. He is also the Patron Saint of Scouting and this is celebrated on St Georges Day which falls on the Sunday nearest to 23 April when scouts and guides throughout England parade through high streets and attend a special St George's Day service at their local church.
Recent Useage of St George Cross in England
In addition to being regarded as the flag of England, the flag of St George also forms the main part of the White Ensign, which is the flag of the British Royal Navy. It was also unofficially adopted during the 1970’s and 1980’s by the National Front far right party in the UK, who latterly became the BNP, but was ‘reclaimed’ by the Nation in the 1990’s mainly due to the patriotism shown during the World Cup of 1990 and the European Championship held in the UK in 1996.
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