“I’ve just done a deep dive on the British Flag which I think you’ll find very interesting… the Red Cross…
St. George is believed to have been born in Lydda (modern-day Lod, in present-day Israel/Palestine) during the late 3rd century CE. At that time, this area was part of the Roman province of Syria Palaestina.
His Parents:
Father: His father was said to be from Cappadocia, a region in modern-day Turkey.
Mother: His mother was traditionally said to be from Lydda, in Palestine.
So…
Patron saint of: Palestine (among others)
Father from: Cappadocia (modern Turkey)
Mother from: Lydda (modern Lod, in present-day Palestine/Israel)
St. George was not English.
He never set foot in Britain, as far as historical records or legends suggest.
St. George was Middle Eastern — not British.
A Middle Eastern Immigrant as England’s Patron Saint
Born in what is now Palestine
The son of immigrants (from Cappadocia and Palestine)
And yet, he stands as a symbol of British identity, nationalism, and even military pride.
Meanwhile, in Modern Britain...
In recent years, the UK’s political stance toward:
Palestine
Immigration
Refugees from the Middle East
has grown increasingly hostile.
This includes:
Restrictive immigration policies, especially for people from the Middle East and North Africa.
Tough rhetoric on asylum seekers crossing into the UK.
Debates over multiculturalism, integration, and “British values”.
Dismissive stance on Palestinian statehood and rights, even amid significant human suffering and mass genocide…
So here we are:
The national flag bears the cross of a Palestinian-born saint.
British soldiers have marched under that flag in countless wars, often in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, refugees from that same region are often turned away or vilified in public discourse.
If St. George were alive today, he would likely be:
A Middle Eastern Christian man under scrutiny at UK borders
Possibly denied a visa or asylum
Profiled, marginalized, or treated with suspicion
Caught in the middle of political debates on immigration and "Britishness"
Yet, he remains the face of English pride, his red cross flown on St. George’s Day, at football matches, and in military ceremonies.
St. George’s story challenges us to question how we define national identity, and who gets to belong. The fact that a Palestinian-born immigrant is the symbolic heart of English nationalism should force a deeper reflection on:
The contradictions in national myth-making
The politics of exclusion
And the forgotten origins of the very figures we celebrate.
It's a quiet historical irony, but one that speaks volumes in today’s political climate.
Personally, I think it’s fitting that England’s patron saint isn’t from here at all.
It reflects what this country has become, and what it should continue to be:
a multicultural nation shaped by people from all over the world.
Rather than shy away from that truth, we should embrace it.
St George stands as a reminder that national identity isn’t about bloodlines or borders, it’s about the values we choose to live by.
So the next time you see the Red Cross on a flag or painted in a roundabout remember it is tied to a Palestinian-born saint, a man of mixed heritage, an immigrant.
Whether they realise it or not, that flag already tells a story of inclusion.
It belongs to all of us, not just those with Anglo-Saxon surnames and four-generation family trees.
I hope this makes you think.
