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Welsh separatists and independentists flags

Cymru

Welsh Tricolour
- variant
White Eagle of Wales flag
Other separatist flags

Welsh Tricolour

[Welsh Tricolour] located by Dafydd Young

The Welsh Tricolour ("Cymru Rhydd Diolch yn Fawr") is attributed to Rhys Gethin II. The Black Star represents unity and remembrance for all who have died fighting for Cymru (Wales). I have often seen the tricolour, but never as an actual flying flag, only as pictures.
Dafydd Young, 29 July 2002

Variant tricolour flag

Leighton Smart

A horizontal tricolour has apparently been used by various groups over the years as a Welsh republican tricolour.
Leighton Smart, 11 February 2003

I believe that the flag always bears a black star in the white stripe and I only know of the vertical version. The horizontal version could be confused with the Bulgarian flag (only changing the order of red and green) and I assume it is less used, at least without a star.
Jaume Ollé, 17 February 2003

I have never seen the 'Welsh tricolour' flag used on your website. The original Welsh tricolour which is occasionally used consists of a blue top, a white middle and a green bottom with the word Cyfiawnder (justice) on the white.
Muiris Mag Ualghairg, 18 April 2003

I have never seen these red, green, white flags with or without a black star - perhaps they are common in the north?
David Barry Lawrence,7 March 2004

The Welsh republican flag originated with the first Welsh Republican Movement (1950's) this flag is the usual Republican Tricolour. Welsh Republican Flag Colours are left to right Green, Red and White, It does not have a black star on it this is a 2002 innovation by Cymru 1400 USA. Unfortunately for a variety of reasons historically Welsh Republicanism was an extremely late development only originating in the 1950's. On 22 February 1797 a French expeditionary force landed at Garreg Gwasted near Fishguard sadly they were greeted by an hostile 'Crown & Country Brit Mob' and not a 'United Welshman Movement'. Wales then was not as Ireland seething with nationalist resentment to English colonial rule to compensate for this in present times some Welsh patriots of a "Republican persuasion" regard 22 February as a might have been "Welsh Republic Day".
G. Gruffydd, 2 March 2005

White Eagle of Wales flag

located by Dafydd Young

This rune-like white-on-black flag apparently is described as the "white eagle of Wales". It is also referred to as Eryr Gwyn. I have never seen this symbol in use, not even alongside the Nationalist slogans that grace walls in Wales. Maybe it had something to do with the Free Wales Army? It appears on the image at this site as well as on the uniform of the 'soldier'.
Dafydd Young, 29 July 2002

The white runic symbol on the black background, is indeed a representation of the Snowdonian Eagle, and was I believe worn on the uniforms of volunteers in the Free Wales Army.
Philip R. Williams, 19 September 2002

The White Eagle of Snowdonia flag was used by units of the Free Wales Army in the 1960's in Wales, as well as other republican groups into the 1990's.
Throughout the '60's and '70's it was widespread across Wales in the form of slogans painted on walls etc, and can still be seen in places.
Leighton Smart, 6 February 2003

The white eagle flag was indeed used by the Free Wales Army (in Welsh Byddin Rhyddid Cymru) however its background was red not black (when the background was used). The symbol is a heraldic symbol for an eagle and represents the eagles of Snowdonia which legend says will defend Wales.
Muiris Mag Ualghairg, 18 April 2003

The white eagle flag is still paraded around by groups like MRC and others hanging on the coattails of the defunct Free Wales Army who also scrawl the badge on walls occasionally, sometimes in its older and more elaborate form which has "feet" and a "tail" and looks like the x commonly used in maths struck through by an archaic s - the one like a long f . One site that I browsed earlier has pictures of one of these neo-fascist rallies displaying all the flags that they can think of, the colour party are dressed in red shirts with black berries with the white eagle symbol on a circular red badge. to search for such material, try entering "Cilmeri" into a search
engine, they have annual rallies there.
David Barry Lawrence, 7 March 2004

The 'White Eagle Cross' originated in the 1960's. It is thought to have been based on heraldic shorthand; many think this was the work of Republican & Romantic Poet Patriot the late Harri Web. The White Eagle Cross was given much publicity by the F.W.A. but in fact it was a "Welsh Symbol of Resistance" used by many Patriots then and since. You will find this symbol painted up all over Wales it is used very much in same way as the French used the 'Cross of Lorraine' during the first war. This 'White Eagle Cross of Welsh Resistance' is also used on Badges and T-Shirts etc.
G. Gruffydd, 2 March 2005

Other separatist flags

located by Dafydd Young

The black flag with the red dragon is the banner of Cymru 1400 (The Welsh Republican Movement).
"Moz", 17 November 2003

During the 1960's there was an attempt to have Plaid Cymru adopt a 'Nationalist Flag'. It was not officially accepted and never made much headway. I have seen many years ago, a design for a "Welsh Separatist Flag" based on the American confederate flag but with a green background, white St Andrews Cross (as confederate flag) and 13 red stars (representing the 13 old Welsh counties). I have not however, seen this in use other than one person's personal home flag.
G. Gruffydd, 2 March 2005