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Who Was St. George?
Although St George is the patron saint of England, very little is actually known about him. He is thought to have been a Tribune in the Roman army who was beheaded after protesting about the Emporer’s treatment of Christians. Indeed this story supports his image as a brave defender of the poor and vulnerable.
Among churches dedicated to St George was one at Doncaster in 1061. George was adopted as the patron saint of soldiers after he was said to have appeared to the Crusader army at the Battle of Antioch in 1098.
A holiday in honour of St George, to be kept on 23 April, was declared by the Synod of Oxford in 1222; and St George had become acknowledged as Patron Saint of England by the end of the fourteenth century. In 1415, the year of Agincourt, St George's Day became a great feast to be observed like Christmas Day. In 1778 the holiday reverted to a simple day of devotion for English Catholics.
The banner of St George, the red cross on a white background, was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers in the reign of Richard 1, and later became the flag of England and the White Ensign of the Royal Navy.
The legend of George and the Dragon was popularised by the ‘Legenda Sanctorum’ (Readings on the Saints), published in 1265 although the story’s origin remains obscure. It may represent a christianised version of the Greek legend of Perseus.
In 1348, George was adopted by Edward III as principal Patron of the Knights of the Garter and it is believed that he was proclaimed Patron Saint of England around this time. The insignia of the Order shows St George on horseback slaying the dragon.
St George's Chapel in Windsor has remained the official seat of the Order.
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