Here are three reasons to fly flags in Titchfield on 23April:
1. Saint George’s Day. England marks 23 April for Saint George’s Day. Saint George is the well known Patron Saint of England. That alone is a day worth commemorating, but Titchfield has more to locally celebrate on 23 April.
2. Royal Wedding. On 23 April 1445 Henry VI was married in Titchfield Abbey to Margaret of Anjou. The marriage to Margaret of Anjou was arranged to help keep the peace in France. A lion was brought to the abbey because the beast was identified as a symbol of strength and status. After the ceremony it was returned to the Tower of London where various beasts from foreign fields were kept for show and ceremonies. When you next manage to visit the remains of Titchfield Abbey, imagine a lion shackled in the great hall where you may be standing!
3. Shakespeare. Not many people imagine dying on their birthday, but historians believe William Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564 and died on the same day in 1616. It is thought that Shakespeare was a teacher in Titchfield during 7 lost years (1585-92) before he became a famous play writer. The Third Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley, was Shakespeare’s Patron during this period and the Third Earl lived in in Place House. Place House was built on the remains of Titchfield Abbey after it was destroyed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537. Shakespeare relates to the Third Earl in some of his plays.
A Special Day for Titchfield - Flags must Fly on 23 April.
Fly your flags and get some colours out on 23 April. With All this history in mind, 23 April is a special day for Titchfield. So let’s celebrate the day every year with a choice of flags and banners. You can fly any colour you like, but if you want to mark Saint George’s Day get your Saint George’s flag out or your Union flag or the local new Titchfield flag. The Titchfield flag symbolises our local history, but in particular Titchfield Abbey and Shakespeare for 23 April. The abbey is symbolised by the four towers in a cross and a lion in the middle, and Shakespeare is symbolised with his family spear running down the middle. If you have a Christmas tree stand on your house or premises, you may like to order a 2020 edition Titchfield flag on titchemblem@hotmail.com. Some are already flying. Otherwise get some other colours up on 23 April and let’s celebrate our wonderful history as well as our fantastic NHS and other key workers!