Saint Alban's Cross facts for kids
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The Saint Alban's Cross is a special flag design. It shows a yellow X-shaped cross, called a saltire, on a blue background. You can see this cross on several flags, especially the one for the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban and the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, England.
This cross is also a symbol often linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia. People believe it was the symbol for Mercia even way back in the 1200s, during the time of King Henry III.
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What is the Saint Alban's Cross?
The Saint Alban's Cross is a yellow X-shaped cross on a blue background. It's a very old symbol. It has been used for a long time by the Abbey of St Albans. An abbey is a type of church building where monks used to live.
After the abbey was closed down, the cross became the official symbol for the town of St Albans. This was made official in 1634. The cross is also part of many other symbols, like the coat of arms for Hertfordshire county council. It's also seen in towns that were once part of Mercia, like Tamworth, Leek, and Blaby.
Where Can You See the Cross Today?
Today, you can see flags with the Saint Alban's Cross flying in many places. For example, it flies at Tamworth Castle. In 2009, it was flown outside Birmingham Council House. This was when the famous Staffordshire Hoard (a huge treasure of Anglo-Saxon gold) was on display there. You can also spot the cross on street signs in Tamworth, which was the old capital city of Mercia.
Some people think the colours of the cross and its link to Saint Alban might be connected to Saint Andrew. There was a chapel dedicated to Saint Andrew very close to the Abbey of Saint Alban a long time ago. This might be part of how the design came about.
The Flag of Mercia
In 2014, a slightly darker version of the Saint Alban's Cross was officially registered. It became known as the Flag of Mercia by the Flag Institute. The Flag Institute is an organization that registers and keeps track of flags.
They have a rule that they can't register the exact same flag for two different places. Since the Saint Alban's Cross was already registered for the City of St Albans, they couldn't use it again for Mercia. So, they chose a darker version for Mercia. This darker flag is often the one you see flying to represent Mercia, like the one at Tamworth Castle.
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