page_title: Flag of Saint David
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Flag of Saint David / History
caption_attribution_description: St Davids Day celebrations 2007, St Mary Street, Cardiff, Wales
context_page_description: The flag of Saint David is normally a yellow cross on a black field, but it has also appeared as a black cross on a yellow field or with an engrailed cross. It represents the 6th-century Saint David, a Welsh bishop of Menevia and the patron saint of Wales.
  The Flag of Saint David has been used as a flag representing Wales, in the same sense that the crosses of Saint George, Saint Andrew and Saint Patrick are used to represent England, Scotland and Ireland. It is similar to the arms of the Diocese of St David's.
  The flag can be seen throughout Wales, but not as frequently as the Red Dragon. On Saint David's Day it often plays a central role in the celebrations.
context_section_description: The flag of Saint David was mostly unknown in Wales until 1994. There was a large one along the roof in St David's Cathedral with the cinquefoils thereon but hardly any others in use. The Welsh Tartan Company (WTC) were looking around for a 'brand' to complete the Brithwe Dewi Sant (St David's Tartan). J Wake, then of the WTC, set out to see if the flag could be used commercially or indeed patriotically across Wales. The feeling at the time was that the Union flag did not contain any Welshness, the St George's Cross representing Wales as a principality of England. The Dean of St David's said that the cinquefoil and the cross were their property and advised help from a London royal official office.
  The WTC was then told the Prince of Wales probably owned the rights to the flag and may not give permission. There was neither outright animosity to the flag being produced and used, nor any enthusiasm. It was decided, after a lawyer was consulted, that the flag could be used as long as there were no cinquefoils on it. A thousand flags were produced without the cinquefoils; they were distributed around Wales and a PR campaign took place to increase knowledge of the St David's flag.
  The flags were hung prominently in the Welsh shop in the centre of Cardiff and at other locations. Within 10 years, the St David's Flag was known and flown across Wales in patriotic use. It was never a flag to usurp the Red Dragon but to complement it, and perhaps to get Wales's own Patron Saint's emblem to proudly fly alongside the emblems of the other nations, St George, St Andrew and St Patrick.
caption: The flag of Saint David (right) alongside the flag of Wales (left) on Saint David's Day.
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