Great Britain Symbols.

How was the flag of United Kindom made ? Firstly, there was only a flag of England. Then the Scottish Andrew’s cross was added. The red cross of St. Patrick, the symbol of Northern Ireland was added in The flag is called Union Flag, but most people call it Union Jack.

God Save The Queen The British anthem. When the monarch is male it’s sung as‘God save the King’. It was first sung in 1745 to support King George II, when his kingship was in danger by Karol Edward, who had large Scottish support. But the last verse which is significant isn’t performed.

Rose – the symbol of England. Roses are red and white and are the symbols of the House of Tudor (From Henry VII to Elizabeth I). It became the symbol of England after the War of the Roses between the House of York (White rose) and the House of Lancaster (Red rose). To show that England was united he combined the two symbolic roses to form the Tudor Rose, which is still the symbol of England.

Why is thistle the symbol of Scotland? There is a legend that there was a sleeping party of Scots warriors who were attacked by Vikings. One of the attackers stood on a wild thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm and the Scots defeated the Danish. In memory, the plant became known as the Guardian Thistle and was adopted as the symbol of Scotland.

Leek as the symbol of Wales. The leek has been the symbol of Wales since the 16th century. During the battle of Heathfield in 633 AD, St. David told his soliders to wear a leek in their hat to look different from the Saxons. Nowadays, the leek is worn on March 1st (St. David's Day—the Welsh national holiday) and at international rugby matches.

Symbol of Ireland – shamrock. Legends say the leaves will stand up when a storm comes and that no snake will be found among them. When St. Patrick came to Ireland he used the shamrock to symbolize the meaning of the church's teaching of the Holy Trinity.

The End.