Flag of the City of London
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Proportion | 1:2 |
---|---|
Design | A centred red cross on a white background with a red sword in the upper left quarter |
Use | Flag of Lord Mayor of the City of London |
The flag of the
This flag does not represent Greater London as a whole, only the historical City of London which covers approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km2). All references in this article relate to that city, not Greater London.
Symbolism and history
The flag is a
Some believe the sword is a dagger that commemorates the dagger of Sir William Walworth, former Lord Mayor of London, which killed Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants' Revolt, in 1381. A verse at Fishmongers' Hall may explain the relationship:
Brave Walworth, Knight, lord mayor that slew
Rebellious Tyler in his alarmes;
The king therefore did give him in lieu
The dagger to the city armes.
However this is now considered a fable, as the sword on the arms was already in use several months before the killing of Tyler (the arms were introduced in April; and Tyler was stabbed in June).[2]
The earliest mention of the City's coat of arms was on 17 April 1381 when the old seal was deemed "ill-befitting the honour of the City" and a replacement commissioned by Walworth. Both St Paul and
Usage
The flag flies from various buildings in the city such as the formal buildings of Guildhall (the seat of power in the city) and Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London (the Lord Mayor has a variant of the flag, defaced with his coat of arms).
It can also be seen on sites outside the city that are administered by the
The flag is used on the
See also
- Coat of arms of the City of London
- Armorial of London
- Flag of Greater London
- Flag of the City of Genoa
References
- ^ "Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art: Chimerical Creatures of the Dragon and Serpent kind: The Heraldic Dragon". sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ a b c The City Arms, City of London Corporation, hosted by webarchive
External links
- The City Arms, City of London Corporation, hosted by webarchive