Symbols and Insignia of England :: London Travel

Web goto-london.com

Symbols and Insignia of England

Filed under:

The two traditional symbols of England are the St. George’s cross (the English flag) and the Three Lions coat of arms (see above), both derived from the great Norman powers that formed the monarchy - the Cross of Aquitaine and the Lions of Anjou. The three lions were first definitely used by Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) in the late 12th century (although it is also possible that Henry I may have bestowed it on his son Henry before then). Historian Simon Schama has argued that the Three Lions are the true symbol of England because the English throne descended down the Angevin line.

A red cross acted as a symbol for many Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated with St George and England, along with other countries and cities (such as Georgia, Milan and the Republic of Genoa), which claimed him as their patron saint and used his cross as a banner. It remained in national use until 1707, when the Union Jack (more properly known as the Union Flag, except when used at sea) which English and Scottish ships had used at sea since 1606, was adopted for all purposes to unite the whole of Great Britain under a common flag.

The flag of England no longer has much of an official role, but it is widely flown by Church of England properties and at sporting events. (Paradoxically, the latter is a fairly recent development; until the late 20th century, it was commonplace for fans of English teams to wave the Union Flag, rather than the St George’s Cross).

The rose is widely recognised as the national flower of England and is used in a variety of contexts. Predominantly, this is a red rose (which also symbolises Lancashire), such as the badge of the English Rugby Union team. However, a white rose (which also symbolises Yorkshire) or a “Tudor rose” (symbolising the end of the War of the Roses) may also be used on different occasions.

The Three Lions badge performs a similar role for the English national football team and English national cricket team.


Related Travel Information

Government of England
There has not been a government of England since 1707. England ceased to exist as a sovereign state with its...

Heart of England
Like the rest of England, the Heart of England is charmingly individual, but the bonus is that the Heart of...

Introducation of England
England is the largest and most populous home nation of the United Kingdom. It accounts for more than 83%...


Travel Chronicle: London Destination Guide

Fort Ticonderoga : New York
Mailing Address P.O. Box 390 Ticonderoga, NY 12883 Staff Richard Strum ...

Introducation of Norwich
Norwich (pronounced variously "Norritch", "Norridge") is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England, and the regional administrative centre...

Demographics of Bristol
In 2004 the Office for National Statistics estimated the county's population at 393,900, making it the 47th largest ceremonial county...

Browse the London Destination Guide

Warning: main() [function.main]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 2

Warning: main(http://travel-chronicle.com/ads/ad3.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Success in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 2

Warning: main() [function.main]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 2

Warning: main(http://travel-chronicle.com/ads/ad3.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Success in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 2

Warning: main() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://travel-chronicle.com/ads/ad3.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 2

Warning: main() [function.main]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 3

Warning: main(http://travel-chronicle.com/ads/text-ad.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Success in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 3

Warning: main() [function.main]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 3

Warning: main(http://travel-chronicle.com/ads/text-ad.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Success in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 3

Warning: main() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://travel-chronicle.com/ads/text-ad.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bar8.php on line 3
London Travel : Plan Your Trip to London


Warning: main() [function.main]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bottom.php on line 1

Warning: main(http://travel-chronicle.com/includes/bottom.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Success in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bottom.php on line 1

Warning: main() [function.main]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bottom.php on line 1

Warning: main(http://travel-chronicle.com/includes/bottom.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Success in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bottom.php on line 1

Warning: main() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://travel-chronicle.com/includes/bottom.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/tworld/domains/goto-london.com/public_html/includes/bottom.php on line 1