The red dragon against a green and white background is an
unambiguous symbol of Wales. But how Welsh are these colours and
how ancient is the design? I had always assumed that the Welsh
Flag was an ancient design. The green and white stripes have a
suitably Celtic feel and are completely alien to the
vexillological tradition across the rest of the British Isles.
England, Scotland, Ireland and even Cornwall and Devon are
represented by crosses inspired by their patron saint. With a
great red dragon superimposed on the two stripes, the design is
uniquely Welsh. In Welsh it is usually known as Y Ddraig Goch –
the Red Dragon or, more obviously, Baner Cymru – the Flag of
Wales. But the design is not as ancient as I had assumed and its
colours are not inspired by a Celtic past. Instead, they are the
green and white of the Tudor family and were introduced by the
future Henry VII as he made his way to destiny and the Crown on
Bosworth Field in 1485.