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St. Davids Flag (Wales)

Dewi Sant

by Roy Stilling

Use of the flag
History of the flag
About St. David
Use as a divisional formation sign
Use by Cardiff City football club

Use of the flag

The gold cross on black of St David has, as far as I know, never had an official status in Wales. The nearest to it was that it was used by Anglican churches in Wales before disestablishment in 1921. I have never seen it flying [as of 1995] - the nearest was a banner of the arms of the diocese of St David's which flew from my college on St David's day. The only written reference for the gold-and-black flag I have seen is in the 1961 edition of H. Gresham Carr's Flags of the World, but I cannot give chapter and verse.
Roy Stilling, 21 November 1995

According to H. Gresham Carr's 1961 book, Flags of the World, a black cross on gold was used by Welsh Anglican churches until 1954. '[It] is said to have been taken from the arms of the manors of Llawhaden and Pebidiog (anciently known as Dewisland [NB: Dewi Sant is the Welsh for St David]), of which the early bishops of St David's were barons' (p66). This, of course, is the reverse of the gold cross on black flag previously mentioned.

However, the arms of the bishopric of St David's are a gold cross on black, like the flag mentioned, but with four outline black cinquefoils in the arms of the cross. I spent three years in Wales at university and I too never saw a cruciform flag being flown instead of the Red Dragon. However, on St David's Day (1st March), my college - St David's University College, Lampeter (Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant, Llanbedr Pont Steffan for any Welsh-speakers on the list) - flew a banner of the arms of St David's.
Roy Stilling, 3 September 1996

I live in Cardiff and I read the article on the FOTW website about the St David's Cross flag for Wales (gold cross on black field). Your contributor said 'I have never seen it flying'. It is given pride of place (at the moment anyway) on a tall flagpole on top of the Capitol Building, the biggest shopping centre in Cardiff city, and is placed higher up than the official Welsh flag (the red dragon). I can get a photo to you if you need.
Steve Teggin, 19 February 1998

The last sea-going paddle steamer in the world, Waverley, and her consort, the motor vessel Balmoral, are currently flying the St. David's Cross from their jack staffs when commanded by Welsh Masters, (St. Andrew's Cross is flown when a Scottish Master is in command). The Waverley is owned by Waverley Steam Navigation Ltd., on behalf of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, a registered charity. The Waverley and Balmoral are operated by Waverley Excursions Ltd. on coastal sailings in Britain and Ireland.
Victor Gray, 3 September 2001

The St. David's Cross is flown in Scotland whenever Wales play international rugby in Edinburgh against Scotland.
Robin McNaught, 14 September 2001

The St. David's Cross flag of Wales is now quite often seen a