Flag of the Netherlands

The national flag of the Netherlands () is a horizontal tricolour of red, white, and blue. The current design originates as a variant of the late 16th century orange-white-blue Prinsenvlag ("Prince's Flag"), evolving in the early 17th century as the red-white-blue Statenvlag ("States Flag"), the naval flag of the States-General of the Dutch Republic, making the Dutch flag the oldest tricolour flag in continuous use.

During the 1920s and the economic crisis of the 1930s, the old Prince's Flag with the colour orange gained some popularity among Protestants, Orangists, conservative liberals, fascists, and others. To end the confusion, the colours red, white and blue and its official status as the national flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands were reaffirmed by royal decree on 19 February 1937.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:60%; white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"

! Scheme

!style="background:#AD1D25; color:white"| Bright vermilion

! style="background:#FFFFFF;"| White

!style="background:#1E4785; color:white"| Cobalt blue

| Chromatic

| X=18.3 Y=10.0 Z=3.0

| Y=100.0

| X=7.5 Y=6.6 Z=25.3

| CMYK

| 0.83.78.32

| 0.0.0.0

| 77.47.0.48

| RGB

| (173,29,37)

| (255,255,255)

| (30,71,133)

| Hexadecimal

| #AD1D25

| #FFFFFF

| #1E4785

| RAL

| 2002

| 9010

| 5013

In this definition, the colours are defined using CIE-1931 colour space and Standard illuminant C at a 45° angle.

The flag of the Netherlands is similar to that of Luxembourg, but it has a smaller width and it uses slightly darker shades of red and blue. The similarity of the two flags has given rise to a national debate to change the flag of Luxembourg, initiated by Michel Wolter in 2006.

Symbolism

According to heraldic traditions, red symbolizes bravery, strength, valor, and hardiness, white symbolizes peace and honesty, and blue symbolizes vigilance, truth, loyalty, perseverance, and justice.

Another theory as to why the Dutch flag has these colours is because some researchers claim that they used to be a symbol of society: red symbolizes the people, white the church and blue the nobility.

History

Middle Ages

thumb|[[File:FIAV historical.svg|23pxThe Cross of Burgundy flag|border]]

At the end of the 15th century, when the majority of the Netherlands provinces were united under the Duke of Burgundy, the Cross of Burgundy flag of the Duke of Burgundy was used for joint expeditions, which consisted of a red saltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned (knotted) branches, on a white field. Under the later House of Habsburg this flag remained in use.

Prince's Flag

thumb|Dutch ships ramming Spanish galleys off the English coast, 3 October 1602 ([[Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, 1617)]]

thumb|[[File:FIAV historical.svg|23pxThe Prince's Flag (1570s–1652)|border]]

In 1568 provinces of the Low Countries rose in revolt against King Philip II of Spain, and Prince William of Orange (1533–1584) placed himself at the head of the rebels. The etymology of the House of Orange is unrelated to the name of the fruit or the colour. Usage of the colours orange, white and blue (Dutch: Oranje, Wit, Blauw, from French Orange, Blanc, Bleu) was based on the livery of William and was first recorded in the siege of Leiden in 1574, when Dutch officers wore orange-white-blue brassards. The first explicit reference to a naval flag in these colours is found in the ordonnances of the Admiralty of Zeeland, dated 1587, i.e. shortly after William's death.

The colour combination of orange, white, and blue is commonly considered the first Dutch flag. That was based on the fact that in 1572 the Watergeuzen (Gueux de mer, "Sea Beggars"), the pro-Dutch privateers, captured Den Briel in name of William, Prince of Orange. However, it is uncertain whether they took an orange-white-blue flag with them on the event, although they certainly started using an orange-white-blue tricolour somewhat later in the 1570s. It became later known as the Prinsenvlag ("Prince's flag") and served as the basis for the former South African flag, the flags of New York City and the Flag of Albany, New York, all three former dominions of the Dutch Republic.

Statenvlag

thumb|[[File:FIAV historical.svg|23pxThe (1652–1795) and (1795-1806)]]

Red as replacement for orange appeared as early as 1597, but more often after about 1630, as indicated by paintings of that time. Red gradually replaced orange (1630–60) as a sign of political change and growing dissociation of the Republic from the House of Orange. It appears that prior to 1664, the red-white-blue tricolour was commonly known as the "Flag of Holland" (); named after one of the revolting provinces. In 1664, the States of Zeeland, another revolting province, complained about this, and a resolution of the States-General introduced the name "States Flag" (), which the red, white and blue tricolour will be known hereafter. The Dutch navy between 1588 and 1630 had always displayed the Prince's Flag, and after 1663 always the States Flag, with both flag variants being in use during the period of 1630–1662.

The red-white-blue triband flag as used in the 17th century is said to have influenced the designs of both the seminal Russian flag and the French flag. He removed the maiden of freedom from the flag and restored the old tricolour. His pro-Dutch policies led to conflicts with his brother, however, and the Netherlands were incorporated into the French Empire. In 1810 its flag was replaced by the imperial emblems.

Modern flag

In 1813, the Netherlands regained its independence and the Prince of Orange returned from exile and contemporary newspapers report that the red-white-blue flag was flown decorated with an orange Pennon/pennant and solid‐coloured orange flags were displayed in many places in the country as a sign of allegiance of the people to the House of Orange. To end the discussion, a royal decree established the colours of the Dutch flag as: 'The colours of the flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are red, white and blue' (). It became the shortest decree in history, and was issued by Queen Wilhelmina on 19 February 1937.

It was only on 16 August 1949 that the exact colour parameters were defined by the Ministry of the Navy

Netherlands New Guinea

alt=Flag of Netherlands New Guinea|140x140px|[[Morning Star flag|border|thumb]]

The Morning Star flag () represented the Netherlands New Guinea from 1 December 1961 until 1 October 1962 when the territory came under administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA). The flag is commonly used by the West Papuan population including OPM (; Free Papua Movement) supporters to rally self-determination human rights support and is popularly flown on 1 December each year in defiance of Indonesian domestic laws. The flag consists of a red vertical band along the hoist side, with a white five-pointed star in the centre. The flag was first raised on 1 December 1961 and used until the United Nations became the territory's administrator on 1 October 1962.

South Africa

The flag of the Boer Republics, Transvaal, the Orange Free State, Natalia Republic, and the flag of South Africa from 1928 to 1994 are all based on the flag of the Netherlands, or its predecessor the Prince's Flag. These were in turn part of the inspiration for the present South African flag.

File:Flag of South Africa.svg|Flag of South Africa

File:Afrikaner Vryheidsvlag.svg|Flag of the Afrikaners

File:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|23px Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)

File:Flag of Transvaal.svg|23px Flag of the South African Republic (Transvaal)

File:Flag of the Orange Free State.svg|23px Flag of the Orange Free State

File:Flag of Nieuwe Republiek.svg|23px Flag of Nieuwe Republiek

File:Flag of Klein Vrystaat.svg|23px Flag of Klein Vrystaat

File:FlagGriekwalandEast.svg|23px Flag of Griqualand East

File:Flag of Natalia Republic.svg|23px Flag of the Natalia Republic and the Republic of Klip River

File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|Flag of Republic of Swellendam, Lydenburg Republic, Republic of Graaff-Reinet, the Utrecht Republic and the Lydenburg Republic

File:Orania flag.svg|Flag of Orania

</gallery>

As the Prince's Flag was the first created tricolour flag, it (in)directly inspired many historical and modern day tricolour flags. The flags below are directly influenced by the Dutch flag, or its predecessors, in colour use and design as a result of a shared history (as flags of former colonies) or economic relations, which is the case for the Russian flag. See the flags in the former colonies section above for more examples.

Dutch flag-inspired

The modern red-white-blue Dutch flag is the oldest tricolour flag in use, and directly inspired these historical and modern day flags:

File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|Flag of the Netherlands, as reference

File:Flag of France.svg|Flag of France

File:Flag of Paraguay.svg|Flag of Paraguay

File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Hessen-Nassau.svg|23px Flag of Hesse-Nassau

File:Flag of Schleswig-Holstein.svg|Flag of Schleswig-Holstein

File:Flag of Labuan.svg|Flag of Labuan

File:Flag of Johor Bahru.svg|Flag of Johor Bahru

File:Flag of Nimba County.svg|Flag of Nimba County