Why isn't Wales represented on the Union Jack? This is a question that very likely crosses the mind of anyone invested in either Welsh history or Wales, and the answer is not always obvious.
The history of Wales and why Wales isn't on the Union Flag is much more complex and interesting than many people give it credit for! How many times have you heard that Wales simply isn't represented on the Union Jack because James I decided not to include it? What about the modern fight for the Welsh flag? What about the factors that influenced the people of Wales since 1707? The history of Wales and the Welsh flag is often completely sidelined in the discussion of Welsh representation on the Union Jack, it is too often overshadowed by uncomplicated and uninteresting misconceptions and oversimplifications of Welsh history.
So in this video, my aim is to tell you the real story as to why Wales isn't included on the Union Jack, how the history of Wales and the Welsh factored in to both the historical and modern decisions involving its inclusion, and how the fight for the Welsh flag ultimately resolved this conflict for the time being, but who knows what might change in the future.
Chapters:
0:00 The Past
3:38 The Present
Sources:
Davies, J. (2007). A History of Wales. London: Penguin, pp.156, 227232.
Eriksen, T.H. and Jenkins, R. (2007). Flag, Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America. Routledge, pp.79–80.
Tatlock, J.S.P. (1933). The Dragons of Wessex and Wales. Speculum, 8(2), p.228.
Thornton, T. (2000). Dynasty and Territory in the Early Modern Period: The Princes of Wales and their Western British Inheritance. Welsh History Review, 20(1), pp.13, 27–28.
Pryce, H. (1998). Owain Gwynedd and Louis VII: The FrancoWelsh Diplomacy of the First Prince of Wales. Welsh History Review, 19(1), p.22.
Wintour, P. (2007). Minister proposes a redesign for the union flag. The Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/....
Source for the map of the Principality of Wales and the Marcher Lords: a 'A History of Wales' by John Davies, page 227, and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... (XrysD, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
Poll asks if Welsh element to Union flag idea is a flyer. (2014). BBC. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukwales2....
Maps:
© OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under CC BYSA: https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
https://www.floodmap.net/
Music by © Chris Zabriskie CC BYSA 4.0
https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com
'Another Version of You', 'CGI Snake' by Chris Zabriskie are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/dtv/'>http://chriszabriskie.com/dtv/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/
Images:
Flag of England, Nicholas Shanks, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Flag of Scotland, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Saint Patrick's Saltire, Hoshie, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ulster Banner, Mamadou, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Baner Cymru, Tobias Jakobs, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Arbfais Tuduriaid, Cooke Clarenceux, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cadwaladr, Maelgwn, Cadwallon National Library of Wales (NLW), CC0, http://hdl.handle.net/10107/4396654 (p.220, 204, 210)
Henry VII NLW, CC0, http://hdl.handle.net/10107/4669811
James I NLW, CC0, http://hdl.handle.net/10107/4670935
James V, Corneille de Lyon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
College of Arms, Sodacan, CC BYSA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
Arms of the United Kingdom, Sodacan, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Royal Badge of Wales, Sodacan, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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