St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard
The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on
their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. St George is a popular figure, although very little is
actually known about him. He is believed to have been born in Cappadocia in what is now
Turkey
George became a soldier in the Roman army, but refused to follow the emperor's orders to
renounce his Christian faith. St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against
the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in
England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw
him in a vision and were victorious.
One of the best-known stories about Saint George is
his fight with a dragon. But it is highly unlikely that
he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that
he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St
George is known throughout the world as the
dragon-slaying patron saint of England. In the Middle
Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent
the devil The slaying of the dragon by St George was first credited to him in the twelfth
century, long after his death. It is therefore likely that the many stories connected with St
George's name are fictitious,
He was tortured and executed in Palestine on 23rd April 303. By coincidence Shakespeare
was born on this date in 1564 and died on the same date in 1616.
• St George is associated with chivalry, courage and honour. King Edward III adopted St
George as the patron of the Knights of the Garter, a new order of chivalry. The medal
awarded for acts of gallantry in battle, shows George on horseback slaying the dragon
