England

==National symbols==
{{Main|National symbols of England}}
[[File:Royal Arms of England (1198-1340).svg|thumb|upright|alt=A red shield tapers to its bottom end; on it are three stylised golden lions with blue claws.|The [[Royal Arms of England]]]]

The St George's Cross has been the national [[flag of England]] since the 13th century. Originally the flag was used by the maritime [[Republic of Genoa]]. The English monarch paid a tribute to the [[Doge of Genoa]] from 1190 onwards so that English ships could fly the flag as a means of protection when entering the Mediterranean.
A red cross was a symbol for many [[Crusaders]] in the 12th and 13th centuries, and became associated with [[Saint George]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannia.com/history/stgeorge.html |title=St. George&nbsp;– England's Patron Saint |publisher=Britannia.com |access-date=1 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308175508/http://www.britannia.com/history/stgeorge.html |archive-date=8 March 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since 1606 the St George's Cross has formed part of the design of the [[Union Flag]], a Pan-British flag designed by King [[James I of England|James I]].<ref name="flaghistory" /> During the [[English Civil War]] and [[Interregnum (England)|Interregnum]], the [[New Model Army]]'s standards and the [[English Commonwealth|Commonwealth's]] [[Great Seal of the Realm#Commonwealth|Great Seal]] both incorporated the flag of Saint George.<ref>{{cite book|last=Good|first=Jonathan|title=The Cult of Saint George in Medieval England |url={{GBurl|id=dP8LAQAAMAAJ}} |page=149 |year=2009 |publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=978-1-84383-469-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of England, 1651 |website=Getty Images |date=18 January 2014 |url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-great-seal-of-the-commonwealth-of-england-1651-news-photo/463967983 |access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Tudor Rose.svg|left|thumb|alt=A red and white flower.|upright|The [[Tudor rose]], England's [[national flower|national floral emblem]]]]
There are numerous other symbols and symbolic artefacts, both official and unofficial, including the [[Tudor rose]], the nation's [[national emblem|floral emblem]], and the Three Lions featured on the [[Royal Arms of England]]. The Tudor rose was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of the [[Wars of the Roses]] as a symbol of peace.<ref name="Flowers">{{cite web |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page828 |title=National flowers |date=13 January 2003 |publisher=Number10.gov.uk |access-date=8 August 2009 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080909053639/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page828 |archive-date=9 September 2008}}</ref> It is a [[syncreticism|syncretic]] symbol in that it merged the white rose of the [[House of York|Yorkists]] and the red rose of the [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrians]]. It is also known as the ''Rose of England''.<ref name="Rose">{{cite web |url=http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s245/st74325.htm |title=England's Rose&nbsp;– The Official History |last=Smith |first=Jed |date=3 June 2005 |website=Museum of Rugby, Twickenham |publisher=RugbyNetwork.net |access-date=8 August 2009}}</ref> The [[oak]] tree is a symbol of England: the [[Royal Oak]] symbol and [[Oak Apple Day]] commemorate the escape of King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] after his father's execution, when he hid in an oak to avoid detection by the parliamentarians before safely reaching exile.

The Royal Arms of England, a national [[coat of arms]] featuring three lions, originated with [[Richard the Lionheart]] in 1198. It is [[blazon]]ed as ''gules, three lions passant guardant or'' and it provides one of the most prominent symbols of England. England does not have an official national anthem, as the United Kingdom as a whole has ''[[God Save the King]]''. However, ''[[Jerusalem (hymn)|Jerusalem]]'', ''[[Land of Hope and Glory]]'' (used for England during the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]]),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/node/143569 |title=Jason Cowley loves the Commonwealth Games |work=New Statesman |access-date=5 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011102925/https://www.newstatesman.com/node/143569 |archive-date=11 October 2013 }}</ref> and ''[[I Vow to Thee, My Country]]'' are often considered unofficial [[National anthem of England|English national anthems]]. England's [[National Day]] is 23 April which is [[St George's Day in England|Saint George's Day]]: Saint George is the patron saint of England.<ref name="St. George">{{cite news |date=23 April 1998 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/82166.stm |title=The Great Saint George Revival |work=BBC News |access-date=5 September 2009}}</ref>