The Legend of St George, an extract for All Saints' Day

St George’s Chapel, Windsor, is one of the most famous churches in the UK: resting place of many monarchs, and the venue for one of the most celebrated weddings of recent years – that of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Thousands of tourists who visit Windsor Castle each year also pay a visit to the high medieval Gothic building. But one thing that they won’t see is hidden away in the Deanery next door – something that illustrates the inextricable links between the very nature of England, its patron saint, the martyr George, and its executed monarch Charles I, renowned by many as a holy martyr.

The wooden shield is installed high up on the wall of the Dean’s study. At its centre is a crown with the letters ‘CR’, signi- fying Carolus Rex (Charles I ), while framing the contents of the shield is a garland bearing the words Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (shame on him who thinks evil of it), the motto of the Order of the Garter, the ancient chivalric order whose membership is in the gift of the sovereign. There are leaf-like shapes bearing the names of Garter members, each with its shield, and right at the centre, the cross of St George, England’s flag. While the order is dedicated to St George, few can ever have felt that dedication as strongly as Charles I, who wore his garter badge every day and made 23 April, St George’s feast day, a national holiday.

That George would have become the patron saint of England seems unlikely, given there are home-grown saints such as Alban or Edward the Confessor, but the choice owes much to the country’s military past and its love of a battle on foreign fields.

The legend of St George

Little is known about George. He was said to be of Greek origin, a member of the Praetorian Guard of the Roman emperor Diocletian, and was martyred in 303 for refusing to recant his Christian faith. His cult began in Lydda, now in modern-day Israel, where he was martyred. The story of his slaying of a dragon was first recorded some 1,000 years after his death. The legend suggested that a dragon was terrorizing the city of Silene in Libya where George was stationed. At first the hungry creature was sated by sheep, but when this failed to satisfy him, humans had to be sacrificed. Eventually even the king’s daughter was to be given to the dragon, but George saved her by killing the beast with a lance. The grateful king offered George many treasures as a reward, but he gave them away to the poor, while the people of Silene, amazed at George’s courage, converted to Christianity.

In time, George grew in popularity as he was invoked by Christians caught up in battles, and victory churches were built and dedicated to him, thus spreading his cult further. Although devotion to him in England is evident from the sixth century onwards, his status was confirmed years later, during the eleventh century, when he was invoked by the English as their patron. In the twelfth century, Richard the Lionheart had a vision of St George, promising him victory in battle at the Crusades. By the mid-thirteenth century, St George was proclaimed patron saint of England.