The Welsh Flag — known in Welsh as Y Ddraig Goch ("the red dragon") — stands out as one of the most striking and ancient-looking national flags in the world. It features a bold red dragon on a field divided into white and green. Its design draws on centuries of history, legend, and royal symbolism.
The green and white colours come from the Tudor family. Henry VII (Henry Tudor), who became King of England after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, carried a red dragon standard to symbolise his claimed descent from Cadwaladr (Cadwallader), a 7th-century king of Gwynedd often seen as a legendary last "King of the Britons." Henry presented the dragon banner at St Paul's Cathedral after his victory, helping cement the emblem's link to Welsh identity.
But the red dragon itself goes back much further — deep into myth and early history.
One of the most famous stories appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae. The tale describes the 5th-century king Vortigern trying to build a castle at Dinas Emrys in north Wales. Each night the foundations collapsed, until a young Merlin (yes, that Merlin) revealed two dragons sleeping beneath an underground lake: a red one representing the native Britons (ancestors of the Welsh) and a white one symbolising the invading Saxons. The red dragon eventually triumphed, prophesying victory for the Britons. This powerful legend, echoed in earlier Welsh texts like the Mabinogion and Historia Brittonum (c. 830), helped establish the red dragon as a symbol of resistance and native strength.
Even older roots may trace to the Romans. Roman cavalry units used a military standard called the draco — a dragon-shaped windsock with a metal head — possibly adopted from Dacian warriors after Roman conquests. Some of these units served in Britain, and post-Roman British leaders likely kept the impressive symbol as a battle standard.
Over the centuries the dragon appeared in Welsh heraldry, on banners during battles (including claims it flew at Crécy in 1346), and under leaders like Owain Glyndŵr in his 15th-century rebellion.
Today the flag is instantly recognisable — flown proudly at rugby matches, St David's Day celebrations and on government buildings. Few flags combine such a vivid mix of ancient myth, medieval royal claim and enduring national spirit. Long may Y Ddraig Goch roar!
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