Happy St George's Day! For hundreds of years, 23 April has been a day to wave St George's crosses and celebrate all things English. However, he has not always been the patron saint of England. Until the 14th Century, this part was played by St Edmund, the King of East Anglia who defended his country and his church against the Viking invasion and died as a martyr, shot by Viking arrows "as if he were a hedgehog". Edmund's heroic death quickly led to his canonisation and his adoption as a patron saint, but King Edward III brought St George to prominence when he established the order of the Garter, as knights from the crusades brought back stories of this warrior saint, even though he never set foot in England...Recently a campaign by Radio Suffolk tried to reestablish Edmund as the patron saint of England, and even wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, but sadly their request was rejected.
PS: If you are interested, St Edmund's day is 20 November!
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