Flag of the Church in Wales facts for kids
The Flag of the Church in Wales is a special banner. It represents the Church in Wales, which is a Christian church in Wales. This flag has a blue cross on a white background. In the very middle, there is a gold celtic cross. The church officially started using this flag in 1954. It was chosen by the church's main decision-making group, called the Governing Body.
How the Flag Came to Be
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Before 1920, the church in Wales was part of the Church of England. This meant they used the same flag as the Church of England, which was the St George's Cross. This flag is a red cross on a white background.
Things changed because of a law passed in 1914 called the Welsh Church Act 1914. This law made the Church in Wales separate from the Church of England. This process is called "disestablishment." It meant the Church in Wales became its own independent church.
In the 1930s, the Church of England started using the Flag of England with a special symbol in the corner. This symbol was the coat of arms for each church area, called a diocese. The Church in Wales also started doing something similar, but unofficially. They used a flag of St David with its colors swapped. The flag of St David is usually a yellow cross on a black background. The unofficial church flag used a black cross on a yellow background instead.
Choosing an Official Flag
In 1954, the Church in Wales decided it needed its own official flag. The Governing Body voted to create one. They worked with the College of Arms, which is an official group that designs and approves flags and symbols.
After some talks, they decided on the design we see today. It would be a blue cross on a white background with a gold Celtic cross in the center. This new flag officially became the symbol of the Church in Wales on December 9, 1954.
What the Flag Means
The official description of the flag is "Argent, on a Cross Azure a Celtic Cross Or." This is a fancy way of saying:
- "Argent" means white (for the background).
- "Cross Azure" means a blue cross.
- "Celtic Cross Or" means a gold Celtic cross.
Sometimes, you might see slightly different versions of the Celtic cross on the flag. In some flags, the spaces inside the Celtic cross are filled with gold. In others, you can see the blue of the cross through those spaces.
The Flag of the Church in Wales is seen as a special Welsh flag. This is because it was created to be separate from England's church flag. Churches in Wales can fly this flag. They can also fly the flag of their own local diocese.
