The Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom, does not include Wales because of historical reasons. In 1536, Wales was annexed into the Kingdom of England through the Laws in Wales Acts, although it maintained its own judicial system, taxation, and other distinct characteristics. When the Union Jack was created in 1707, Wales was considered part of the Kingdom of England, and its representation was not included on the flag.
Despite several petitions to the College of Arms between 1897 and 1945 to add the Welsh dragon to the royal coat of arms or the Union Jack, they were rejected. The main reasons were that Wales was not considered a kingdom and did not have its own national flag.
However, in 1959, Wales finally adopted its own national flag, which satisfied the need for representation and acknowledgement. Since then, there have been no significant calls to include Wales on the Union Jack. Today, most Welsh people seem to be satisfied with their own national flag, and the idea of adding the Welsh dragon to the Union Jack does not appear to be a priority.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. England and Scotland united in 1707 after the English throne ran out of offspring a century earlier.
2. Ireland was attached to the United Kingdom in 1801, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
3. The modern United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
4. The Union Jack was created from the flags of the three original kingdoms: England, Scotland, and Ireland.
5. Wales was not included on the Union Jack because it was legally a part of the Kingdom of England.
6. In 1536, the country and dominion of Wales was established, and its borders are still in use today.
7. The Laws of 1536 formally annexed Wales into the Kingdom of England, but Wales maintained its own judicial system.
8. The people of Wales paid different taxes than those in England, and many acts of parliament were made explicitly for Wales.
9. The English coat of arms featured the Greyhound of Richmond for Henry Tudor and the Red Dragon of Cadwallider for Wales.
10. In 1603, James VI of Scotland (also James I of England) removed the Welsh dragon from the English coat of arms and replaced it with a Scottish unicorn.
11. Queen Anne formally united the two kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1707, with Ireland being added later.
12. Between 1897 and 1945, the College of Arms was petitioned five times to consider adding the Welsh dragon back to the royal coat of arms, but was rejected.
13. The reasons for rejection were that Wales had never been a kingdom and did not have its own national flag.
14. However, there were kingdoms that controlled all of Wales, and some Welsh kings were even called the King of Wales.
15. The title "Prince of Wales" was first given by King Owen of Gwyneth in 1165, and it was not a demotion from king.
16. In 1945, Wales had no national flag, and the Red Dragon had been a symbol of the Welsh for centuries.
17. The modern flag of Wales was officially adopted in 1959, after decades of unofficial use.
18. The Welsh had their own representation for the first time in over 350 years with the adoption of their national flag.
19. Calls for the inclusion of the Welsh on the Union Jack essentially stopped after the adoption of the Welsh flag.
20. Many Welsh people today do not want to be included on the Union Jack, and are satisfied with their own national flag.