Yes, Wales is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Historically, though, it was a principality incorporated into the Kingdom of England, which is why it is not represented separately on the Union Jack.

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Why Isn't Wales on the Union Jack?

Q: Why isn't Wales on the Union Jack?

Wales isn't on the Union Jack because, when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already part of the Kingdom of England. The flag combines the crosses of three kingdoms - England, Scotland and Ireland - and Wales, as a principality within England, was already represented by St George's Cross.

Q: What are the three crosses on the Union Jack?

The Union Jack combines the Cross of St George for England (a red cross on white), the Cross of St Andrew for Scotland (a white diagonal saltire on blue), and the Cross of St Patrick for Ireland (a red diagonal saltire on white).

Q: Does Wales have its own flag?

Yes. Wales flies the Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch), officially adopted as the national flag in 1959, as well as the Cross of St David, a yellow cross on a black field.

Q: Could Wales ever be added to the Union Jack?

It has been proposed many times, especially around the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, with designs suggesting the Welsh dragon or St David's cross be added. The flag has never been changed, however.

It's one of the most-asked questions about the UK flag: England, Scotland and Ireland are all there — so where is Wales? The short answer is a quirk of history. When the Union Flag was designed, Wales was already part of the Kingdom of England, so it never got a symbol of its own.

The short answer — the Union Jack joins the crosses of three kingdoms: England, Scotland and Ireland. By the time the first flag was created in 1606, Wales had long been absorbed into the Kingdom of England — so it was counted as part of England, represented by St George's Cross, rather than getting its own emblem.

What the Union Jack is actually made of

The Union Flag isn't one design but three older flags layered together — the crosses of the patron saints of the three kingdoms that formed the United Kingdom.

St George

England · included

St Andrew

Scotland · included

St Patrick

Ireland · included

St David

Wales · left out

The flag was built up in two stages: St George and St Andrew were combined in 1606 after the crowns of England and Scotland were united, and St Patrick's saltire was added in 1801 when Ireland joined. Wales's own St David's Cross — a yellow cross on black — was never part of the design. See the full story of the Union Jack →

Why Wales was left out

The reason is that the Union Flag represents kingdoms, and Wales was never a separate kingdom by the time the flag existed. Wales was conquered by Edward I in the 1280s, and then formally incorporated into the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Acts of 1535 and 1542 under Henry VIII. From then on, Wales and England were a single legal entity — in law, the combined territory was even referred to simply as "England" for centuries.

So when the crowns of England and Scotland were joined in 1603 and the first Union Flag followed in 1606, Wales wasn't seen as one of the uniting kingdoms — it was already inside one of them. It's the same reason Wales has no symbol on the Royal Standard, while England (three lions), Scotland (a rampant lion) and Ireland (the harp) all do.

Wales has its own flags instead

Being absent from the Union Jack hasn't left Wales short of flags — if anything, it has the most recognisable one of all.

Y Ddraig Goch — the Red Dragon 🐉 — Wales's national flag, a red dragon on a green-and-white field, was only officially adopted in 1959, but the dragon as a Welsh symbol is far older, linked to Welsh princes and the Tudor kings. Crucially, it's a dragon, not a cross — so it would never have fitted the Union Flag's design of layered crosses in the first place. It's also, arguably, the most famous animal on any flag. See other flags with animals →

Wales also has the Cross of St David (the yellow-on-black cross above), flown especially on St David's Day, 1 March. Between the dragon and St David's Cross, Wales is one of the few UK nations with more than one widely flown flag.

Could Wales ever be added?

The question comes up again and again — and it flared up in particular around the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, when people realised that if Scotland ever left the UK, St Andrew's Cross might be removed and the flag redesigned. Various designs have been proposed over the years that would work in the Welsh dragon or St David's colours. So far, none has been adopted, and the Union Jack remains exactly as it was set in 1801. Changing it would be a significant constitutional and heraldic undertaking — so for now, the dragon stays off.

Frequently asked questions

Why isn't Wales on the Union Jack?

Because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already part of the Kingdom of England. The flag joins the crosses of three kingdoms — England, Scotland and Ireland — so Wales was represented through England's St George's Cross.

What are the three crosses on the Union Jack?

St George (England, red cross on white), St Andrew (Scotland, white diagonal saltire on blue) and St Patrick (Ireland, red diagonal saltire on white).

Does Wales have its own flag?

Yes — the Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch), official since 1959, and the Cross of St David, a yellow cross on black.

Could Wales ever be added to the Union Jack?

It's been proposed many times, especially around the 2014 Scottish referendum, but the flag has never been changed.

Is Wales a country?

Yes, Wales is one of the four countries of the UK — but historically a principality within the Kingdom of England, which is why it isn't separately on the flag.

Related guides

Cross designs shown are simplified for clarity. The Union Flag has been in its current form since 1801.