Nordwave Great Britain

‘Cry God for England, Harry and St George!’ Those immortal words are from Shakespeare’s Henry V but who was St George and how did he become patron saint of England? St George was a Roman solider who lived in the 3rd century AD. At the end of the century the Emperor Diocletian persecuted Christians and St George was martyred in 303 AD.

The cult of St George was brought to England from the Middle East by the crusaders. (St George was popular with the crusaders because he was a soldier). He is supposed to have appeared to them at Antioch in 1098.