Wales is lucky to have one of the oldest and most distinctive national flags in the world. Called the Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch in Welsh), it consists of a red dragon, on a green and white background. The exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many different interpretations exist.
The Red Dragon has been associated with Wales for centuries. The origin of the adoption of the dragon symbol is now lost in history and myth. A plausible theory is that the Romans brought the emblem to what is now Wales during their occupation of Britain, but it could be even older. One clue to this theory is that the English word "Dragon" and the Welsh word "Draig" both came from the same Latin root "draco". In any case, the dragon has become a symbol identified with Wales.
The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written around 820, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. The Welsh kings of Aberffraw used the emblem to symbolise their authority in the early fifth century, when the name Pen Draig (literally Dragon head) was given to warrior leaders. The green and white stripes of the flag were additions by the House of Tudor, the Welsh dynasty that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603 (green and white are also the colours of the leek, another national emblem of Wales). Henry Tudor claimed descent from the 7th century warrior Prince of Gwynedd, Cadwaladar, who used a Red Dragonas his standard.
Many legends are associated with the Welsh dragon. The most famous is the prophecy of Myrddin (or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon. According to the prophecy, the white dragon would at first dominate but eventually the red dragon would win. This is an allegory of the historical struggle between the Welsh and the English.
The Red Dragon on a green and white background began to take a prominent place in Royal heraldry after Henry VII on his victory at Bosworth (1485) offered up a standard at St Paul's Cathedral which showed the Red Dragon on a white background as the device of the House of Tudor. Red Dragon standards were carried in the funeral procession of all the Tudor monarchs.
In 1800 the Red Dragon on a green and white background was appointed as a Royal Badge for Wales. And in 1953, the Queen officially recognised the Red Dragon as the national flag of Wales.
If you visit Wales you will see the Red Dragon flown widely outside official buildings, businesses and at sporting events. Many British Embassies in other countries also fly the flag on March 1st to mark St David's Day, Wales's national day.