The 

national symbols of England are things which are emblematic, representative or otherwise

characteristic of England or English culture. Some are established, official symbols; for example,
the Royal Arms of England, which has been codified in heraldry. Other symbols may not have official
status, for one reason or another, but are likewise recognised at a national or international level.
The national flag of England, known as St George's Cross, has been England's national flag since the 13th
century. Originally the flag was used by the maritime state the Republic of Genoa. The English
monarch paid a tribute to the Doge of Genoa from 1190 onwards, so that English ships could fly the flag
as a means of protection when entering the Mediterranean. A red cross acted as a symbol for
many Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated with Saint George, along with
countries and cities, which claimed him as their patron saint and used his cross as a banner.[1] Since 1606
the St George's Cross has formed part of the design of the Union Flag, a Pan-British flag designed by
King James I.
The Royal Banner of England[3] (also known as the Banner of the Royal Arms, the Banner of the King)
is the English banner of arms; it features the Royal Arms of England. This Royal Banner differs from
England's national flag, St George's Cross, in that it does not represent any particular area or land, but
rather symbolises the sovereignty vested in the rulers thereof.
The Barbary lion is a national animal of England. The population is currently extinct in the wild, having
been made victim to the Holocene Extinction. In the Middle Ages, the lions kept in the menagerie at
the Tower of London were Barbary lions.[6] English medieval warrior rulers with a reputation for bravery
attracted the nickname "the Lion": the most famous example is Richard I of England, known as Richard
the Lionheart.[7] Lions are frequently depicted in English heraldry, either as
a device on shields themselves, or as supporters. They also appear in sculpture, and sites of national
importance. The lion is used as a symbol of English sporting teams, such as the England national cricket
team.
The oak (specifically, the English oak) is the national tree of England,[8] representing strength and
endurance. The Royal Oak and Oak Apple Day commemorate the escape of King Charles II from the
grasps of the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 (the last battle of
the English Civil War); he hid in an oak tree to avoid detection before making it safely into exile.
The Major Oak is an 800–1000 year old oak in Sherwood Forest, fabled as the principal hideout of Robin
Hood.
The rose is England's national flower. A Tudor rose is officially used, signifying the unification of the
warring parties of the Wars of the Roses under the Tudor dynasty. The red rose representing The House
of Lancaster, the White, the House of York. A red rose is often substituted, & is used, for instance, in the
emblems of the English Golf Union and England national rugby union team.
Fish and chips has been a recognisable cultural and culinary symbol of England since the mid-19th
century.[8] A strong contender for the unofficial title of England's national dish, it remains hugely
popular as an affordable and nutritious takeaway meal.
The Royal Arms of England[15] is a coat of arms symbolising England and the English monarchs.
[16] Designed in the High Middle Ages, the Royal Arms was subject to significant alteration as the
territory, politics and rule of the Kingdom of England shifted throughout the Middle Ages. However, the
enduring blazon, or technical description, is "Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and
langued Azure", meaning three horizontally positioned, identical gold lions facing the observer, with blue
tongues and claws, on a deep red background. Although officially subsumed into the heraldry of
the British Royal Family in 1707, the historic Royal Arms featuring three lions continues to represent
England on several coins of the pound sterling, forms the basis of several emblems of English national
sports teams (such as the England national football team), and endures as one of the most recognisable
national symbols of England.

St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior Crown Jewels of
the United Kingdom, often being used as the coronation crown.[20] Since 1952, two-dimensional
representations of the crown have been used in coats of arms, badges, and various other insignia to
indicate the authority of the monarch throughout the Commonwealth realms.
The Tudor rose, which takes its name from the Tudor dynasty, was adopted as a national emblem of
England around the time of the Wars of the Roses as a symbol of peace.[21] It is a syncretic symbol in
that it merged the white rose of the Yorkists and the red rose of the Lancastrians - cadet branches of
the Plantagenets - who went to war over control of the royal house. It is also known as the Rose of
England.
AEC Routemaster bus: Double-decker bus designed by London Transport and built by the Associated
Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles; popular with the public, and a perennial favourite
with tourists.
Rolls-Royce Limited motor cars (1906–1973) and the Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet ornament: the original
English company established a reputation worldwide for superior engineering quality and all-round
elegance, earning widespread recognition for producing the "best car in the world".
London taxi / black cab / Hackney carriage: Inimitable and timeless taxi design. Only licensed hackney
carriages can pick up passengers on the street and without pre-booking. London's traditional black cabs
are specially constructed vehicles designed to conform to the standards set out in the Conditions of
Fitness. Traditional London taxi drivers are licensed and must have passed an extensive training course
(the Knowledge).
King Arthur: legendary sovereign of Britain who defeated Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th
centuries and appears in an international cycle of chivalric romances (known as the Matter of Britain). It
is unknown of legends of King Arthur began, but the literary persona of Arthur began with Geoffrey of
Monmouth's pseudo-historical Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), written in the
1130s. It is also unknown whether the figure Arthur was based on a historical person and his historical
basis has been long debated by scholars.
Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore
Saint George (280–303 AD): the patron saint of England.
Edmund the Martyr (841 – 869) was King of East Anglia and the patron saint of England until the 15th
century. He is known for supposedly refusing to denounce his faith after being captured by the Great
Heathen Army as they advanced in to East Anglia, which ultimately lead to his death.
Alfred the Great (848/49 – 899) was King of Wessex, becoming the dominant ruler in England.

Queen Victoria (1819–1901): her reign (1837–1901) is known as the Victorian era; it was a period of
great industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change, and was marked by a grand expansion
of the British Empire.
Winston Churchill (1874–1965): voted top of the BBC's 2002 100 Greatest Britons poll, Churchill is
among the most influential people in English history.
Queen Elizabeth II (born 1926): the current Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth
realms.
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in
London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. The tower is officially known
as Elizabeth Tower: it was renamed in 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Previously
it was known simply as the Clock Tower. "Big Ben" has become one of England's most prominent
symbols.
Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of
the United Kingdom. The palace is often the site of state occasions, and has been a focal point at times of
national celebration and mourning.
Coldstream Guards: The oldest regiment in the Regular Army in continuous active service, its origin lies
in the English Civil War when Oliver Cromwell gave Colonel George Monck permission to form his own
regiment as part of the New Model Army.
Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance normally accompanied by music. It involves rhythmic
stepping and choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins.
Morris dancers may use sticks, swords and handkerchiefs when dancing. The earliest known, surviving
English record of Morris dancing is dated to 1448.
The White Cliffs of Dover: The cliffs have great symbolic value in England because they
face Continental Europe across the narrowest section of the English Channel, where invasions have
historically threatened and against which the cliffs form a symbolic guard. Before air travel, crossing
from Dover was the primary route to the continent, so the cliffs also formed the first or last sight of
England for those making the journey.