Brief retrospective look of the Oxford input into St George replacing St Edmund as England's patron saint, and err flag up, some of the many England ( and Oxford-shire) official banners from over the centuries. As it was 'one of our own' , Richard The Lionheart - born in Beaumont Palace Oxford- who's crusading 'firm', the Knights Templar ( corgi registered heating engineers of their time) who it was that changed the patron saint of England from St Edmund ( 9th century King of East Anglia), to a St George, a Christian martyr, who never set foot in our green and pleasant land. Georgios the Turk's religious martyrdom led to him as St George being adopted as patron saint by quite a few counties, as well as which Georgia in the Balkans took its countries name from St George. National flag of England, until St Edmund was given the elbow and St Georges cross was adopted was this .....
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Then there is historically the Saxon (King of Wessex flag of a golden lion on a red background)- Another 'one of our own' Alfred the Great , born in Wallingford, the only King to be named 'The Great', who was the first King of a united England ( a territory that excluded most of Yorkshire which was under Danish rule , at the time known as Dane law, Alfred the Greats flag ......
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which, over time evolved into the plantagenet three lions (adapted for England football team shirt), again it was Oxford boy, Richard the Lionheart who introduced the three gold lions on a red background as his emblem/ flag .....
View attachment 460co-opting or incorporating Fleur de Lys as part of Englands coat of arms and one of many varients of the Royal Standard yet again has links to our own Richard the Lionhearts family and a time when various provinces of France were under English rule , also Fleur de Lys has a link to 1066 (and all that).... English Royal Standard......
View attachment 462then theres the Saint Georges Cross/ St Georges flag adopted by Richard the Lionhearts elite firm of Knights Templar ( ever wondered what the origins of Cowley , or as it was TEMPLE Cowley are, as an aside? ).....
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I've purposely omitted the varients to the Union flag and the United Kingdom royal standard as although England is 'part' of the flags make up, they are none of them exclusively England flags.... though there are at least 4 if not more evolutionary varients to the Union flag into its most recent (1770's) incarnation which is used 'today'
Breaking it down to a more local overview St Friedswides (patron saint of Oxford) flag was the first flag for Oxfordshire ......
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as of last year 2017, this is now the county flag of Oxfordshire......
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When all is said and done THIS is the flag I prefer .....
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Question for
@dannyc , which England ,( and for that matter Oxford) flag would be the one you'd prefer to be flying ' everywhere', would it be Georgios the Turk's cross or another of the many options?