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What is the history of Wales' national flag?From Wales’ World Cup opener against Fiji in France, to our football Euro qualifier in Lithuania, the Welsh Dragon will be proudly flying across Europe this week. The first use of a dragon in connection with what is now Wales is thought to date from the 7th Century. It was only officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959 but the version we know today was in fact only defined in law in 2005. Graham Bartram, an expert in flags said the flag is "unique" and a "symbol of Welsh identity".
The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written by the historian Nennius in around 820AD. Another historian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his Historia Regum Britanniae, written between 1120 and 1129, also discusses the dragon and its history. His historia links the dragon with the Arthurian legends, including Uther Pendragon the father of Arthur, whose name translates as Dragon Head. Geoffrey's account also tells of the prophecy of Myrddin (or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon. Thus symbolising the historical struggle between the Welsh (red dragon) and the English (white dragon).
The dragon also became a key focal point in Henry VII’s 1485 decisive intervention in the War of The Roses, according to chief vexillologist of The Flag Institute, Graham Bartram. He said people used the dragon as a banner and rallied under it, which created a "Symbol of Welsh identity". Mr Bartam said: “Indeed it was Henry VII who first had the Welsh Dragon blessed, at his coronation at St Paul’s Cathedral, when it was first placed on a white and green background."
Until the mid-20th Century several versions of the flag were in circulation. Including variants with tail-up/tail-down, pointed/curved wings, differing fire from its mouth, and a myriad of poses and backgrounds. “It was a people’s symbol, so they didn’t have to stick to a regimented heraldic concept. Plus there was no way of communicating the precise details to each other, so variations inevitably crept in." Mr Bartam added. It was in 1959 that the flag of Wales was legally adopted. However, it took almost 50 years more for the design to be settled.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjld93x65kyo