The flag of England is the St George’s Cross.  The design originally appeared during the middle ages and was used to identify English ships in the Mediterranean.  The St. George’s cross eventually became the symbol to identify knights of the crusade, and became independent of nationality.  The earliest record of the use of this symbol as a flag was at sea in 1545.  Used to identify the Kingdom of England, this flag was incorporated, along with the St. Andrew’s cross of Scotland, to form the Union Flag.  When Great Britain and Ireland united to form the United Kingdom in 1801, the flag of St. Patrick was incorporated as well, creating the current Union Jack.  This flag is primarily used  to represent England, however in recent years the flag of St. George has become a more common representation of England, particularly at worldwide sporting events.