Tory columnist calls for Wales to be included in Royal coat of arms
A prominent Conservative columnist has called for Wales to be included in the Royal coat of arms to bolster support for the Union.
Writing on the Conservative Home website, Henry Hill describes the move as an “easy win: by finally incorporating Wales into the imagery of the monarchy.”
Mr Hill also suggests the creation of a “dedicated national order of chivalry” for Wales but rules out changes to the Union Flag as “a step too far”.
Hill, the deputy editor of the website, argues in his article that “an important and oft-neglected front in the fight for the future of the United Kingdom is the small things which lend a British flavour to everyday life.”
Wales is not represented on the Union Jack because when the flag was created in 1606 it had already been annexed by England.
It is also absent from the Royal Standard which was created in 1603 with the Union of the Crowns.
Wales had been declared a Principality of England and therefore did not warrant its own symbol on the flag along with England, Scotland and Ireland.
Royal emblems
The Sovereign’s coat of arms shows the various Royal emblems of parts of the United Kingdom: the three lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and the harp of Ireland in the third – again excluding Wales.
It is surrounded by a garter bearing the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense (‘Evil to him who evil thinks’), which symbolises the Order of the Garter, an ancient order of knighthood.
The shield is supported by the English lion on the left and Scottish unicorn on the right and is surmounted by the Royal crown. Below it appears the motto of the Sovereign, Dieu et mon droit (‘God and my right’).
The plant badges of England, Scotland and Ireland – rose, thistle and shamrock – are often displayed beneath the shield.
Separate Scottish and English quarterings of the Royal arms originate from the Union of the Crown.
The Scottish version of the Royal coat of arms shows the lion of Scotland in the first and fourth quarters, with that of England being in the second. The harp of Ireland is in the third quarter.
Generous
Mr Hill writes: “That is obviously no longer Wales’ modern status. And whilst changing the national flag would be a step too far (not least for simple design reasons), there is no reason that the King’s coat of arms should not be updated.
“It would be a simple and generous gesture – and very fitting for a man who held the post of Prince of Wales as long as His Majesty.
“In fact, ministers should go further: it’s time to create a dedicated national order of chivalry for Wales too.
“At present, the UK’s two most senior orders are the Order of the Garter, dedicated to St George and England’s national order, and the Order of the Thistle, which is Scotland’s. The third-ranked, the Order of St Patrick, is dedicated to the third kingdom, but has been dormant since 1922.
“I have long argued that the Government should revive the Order of St Patrick, especially in the wake of the bruising row over the sea border and attendant unionist disquiet. After all, why should it be dormant when Northern Ireland remains part of the kingdom, and “Northern Irish people continue to make outstanding contributions to the UK in the armed forces, sport, statecraft and more?”
“The same argument applies in the Welsh case. The creation of a knightly order would be fair recognition of Wales’ place in the United Kingdom and bestowing it a chance to honour the contributions of Welsh people to British public life.
“People have floated this idea before: David Lloyd George was, unsurprisingly, an advocate, and there was a proposal to create an Order of St David (Order of the Daffodil and Order of the Dragon are obvious alternatives) in 1968. David TC Davies should be the Secretary of State who finally gets it done.”
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mother of god which centuary does this clown belong in.certainly not this one.
The Twenty Dim-th Century
To little and far too late think about All the Welsh soldiers sailors and airmen and Women that have died in the wars fighting under the union jack and didn’t know that they were not even represented on the flag or the Royal Standard absolutely Disgusting
It would be good Mr Dunbar if you considered other people’s opinions and thought about them
What a load of Tory Bo***ox! Changing English designed symbols relating to the Germano/English Royalty will not stop Cymru feeling opressed by Tory Colonialist policies. If they want to strengthen the Union, how about paying up on a number of promises – Funding equal to that lost from the EU, our share of the HS2 commuter railway compensation fund, etc. etc. That inflow of much needed cash might help soften a few hearts who are drifting towards Independence.
No thank you!
Nobody takes Mr Hill’s views seriously, not even Mrs Hill.
No thanks, better for Wales to become a republic.
Oh thank you Henry Hill for that suggestion. Doesn’t the public school system breed intellectual titans. Love your brother Harry by the way. To have that warm fluffy feeling inside at the very thought of Wales finally being included in the royal standard after 458 fun-filled years held hostage by Russia’s mini-me England riveting. I’d rather poke my eyes out than see Wales demeaned further.
We have our own royals and their royal standards, perhaps Carlo would like to fly one of those instead? They are a lot more relevant than any of that Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha nonsense.
But what about all the cost of design, changing all of the old stuff, they cant afford to pay nurses and doctors who are on strike in England, and you want to waste money, shame on you.
Dim diolch gwboi! You know where you can stick Charlie the Turd….
I’m not a fan of Henry Hill, neither am I a tory, or unionist by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m not sure why people here are attacking him. What if he made a comment like “Wales has no business being on the Royal Standard because its a Principality,” Would you condemn him? I fully support Welsh self-determination & I’m not a fan of the Royal family, however until the day arrives when we vote to become independent we should be demanding for equality for Wales. This means parity with the other UK nations in terms of powers, privileges,… Read more »
Not worth bothering they’ll only have to take them off again when wales becomes the independent nation it deserves to be and it’s inhabitants wake up and see how better of they will be
something you are clearly not.
Henry Hill is one of the leading Conservative influencers, who is admired across Westminster. He knows that Wales has to be further embedded in the UK state structure because when the UK eventually implodes Wales needs to be well and truly locked into what will be the new nation-state of EnglandandWales.