Wales Flag

The Wales flag, more correctly, the Welsh flag, is of recent creation but of ancient derivation. In order to understand the meaning of the Welsh flag, you have to know the history of Wales. In particular, you have to understand that the Wales flag rose up out of centuries of fighting, of both winning and losing against a series of different groups.

Sometime between 500 and 100 B.C., the Celts invaded and settled in Wales. The Celts, wandering over from the mainland, did not fly the Welsh flag. The Roman legions, however, did hoist a flag when they invaded in 78 A.D. The Irish raiders in 100 and the Saxons in 500 A.D. might also have sported a flag. Their ensigns, however, had no effect on any future flags of Wales.

In 784, the Saxons attempted to cut off Wales from the rest of England by building Offa’s Dyke. It was partially successful. The countryside remained relatively quiet until 1040 when Gruffydd ap Llewellyn became the first Prince of Wales and, quickly secured the Welsh borders. By 1063, the English invasion hoped to put an end to Welsh hopes of having their own flag of Wales. They slew Grufydd, but soon had their own problem - William the Conqueror.

William broached the Welsh problem differently. He created the Marcher Lordships. A successor, Henry II found himself up against the Welsh Prince Cadwaladr. His emblem was a dragon. Two centuries later, the Welsh again decided to fight for their own independence. By 1377, the Welsh War of Independence was over. The English King of the period, Edward I, began to construct castles along the border. As a precautionary measure, it failed. Between 1882 and 1883, another war took place.

This was to be the pattern. England fought against Wales for dominance of the country. Wales resisted and, repeatedly, lost. There were times of conciliation. In 1301, King Edward I tried to create both a bond and ensure English dominance by creating the title of Prince of Wales and bestowing it upon his eldest son and heir, Edward II. Yet, 100 years later, Wales was once again fighting England. This time, the leader was Owain Glndowr. Between 1400 and 1410, he managed to maintain an independent Wales. He used a form of the flag of Wales to rally his support. Henry Tudor, however, ended this final bid by suppressing Wales.

It was not until 1916 Wales regained a politically active voice. Lloyd George, a Welshman, became Prime Minister of England. It was a small surge not equaled until 1955. That year, Cardiff became the capital city. Three years later, Wales national flag flew over it.

Welsh flag history is recent. The symbols used, however, are ancient and symbolic of times past. The flag of Wales bears the name “Y Ddraig Goch” or the Red Dragon. The beast was the symbol of Cadwaladr. Owen Glendowr’s flag featured the dragon. The dragon is also associated with the ancient tales of Camelot, King Arthur and Merlin. There is, therefore, a close relation between Welsh flags and their symbolism and the dragons used by the Roman Pendragon, father of the legendary King Arthur. Welsh flag coloring pages allow you to alter the color of the dragon to reflect differing opinions of the beast.

The rampant red Dragon clearly divides the two horizontal stripes, one white, one green. The green and white of the flag of Wales are Welsh colors associated with the Princes of Wales. The Tudors, under Henry VII, adopted these colors as their own. It is also how the Welsh flag is a fusion of two nations: England Wales. These are but a few things to consider when you download a Welsh flag screensaver to your computer or run off a printable flag of Wales.