Recent weeks have seen thousands of St George's and union flags being flown in villages, towns and cities around England. But what's the real history behind those symbols? In this episode of our fortnightly podcast charting the history behind breaking news stories, regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss their origins. Plus what a set of 17th-century diaries tell us about life during a tumultuous period of history.

Read more about Alice Thornton's 17th-century diaries here: https://thornton.kdl.kcl.ac.uk

History Behind the Headlines is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. Find out more at ⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠.

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This episode was hosted by Matt Elton with regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter and produced by Jack Bateman.

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