Why Does the Union Jack Look Like That?
Summary
This episode explores the vexillology and history behind the Union Jack, tracing its origins to the patron saints of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Hosts Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton explain how St. George’s, St. Andrew’s, and St. Patrick’s crosses were combined, while noting Wales’s exclusion due to its prior annexation by England. The discussion covers King James I’s initial union of the crowns and the 1801 Act of Union that finalized the flag’s design.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Whole Foods Market and Thumbtack
Quick-fire quiz on UK nations, saints, and flags
Introduction to vexillology and patron saints
St Andrew and the origin of the Scottish flag
St George, the Crusades, and the English flag
St Patrick and the Irish diagonal cross
St David and the absence of Wales on the flag
The Battle of Orewyn Bridge and Welsh annexation
King James VI and the first Union Flag design
The 1801 Act of Union and the final flag design
Listen ad-free on Castria