Flag of the Netherlands: history and modernity

The Royal flag of the Netherlands consists of three equivalent horizontal strips. The upper one is red, the middle one is white, the lower one is blue. It is not difficult to see the similarity of the Dutch flag to the modern Russian one, only the location of the bands is different.

Curious similarity

Considering the flag of the Netherlands, a photo of the Russian should sometimes be kept in front of you. The combination of red and white stripes will create a curious chess. It is interesting that such an ornamental composition was on the crest of the Croats in those days when they defeated the Venetians. But this is by the way, although the flag of the Netherlands was born as a result of a popular uprising. Interestingly, the colors, similar to the Netherlands, for the Russian flag was chosen personally by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. To sew the banner, which rose above the first Russian warship "Eagle", were purchased "kindyak-alaya", white and blue cloth.

History of the banner

The first flag of the Netherlands, won by him in the struggle for independence with Spain, was the first time raised during the Eighty Years War, the birthprince of the Prince of Orange, also consisting of three bands of three colors: the royal orange, white and blue. For the banners were used the colors of the livery of Prince of Orange - Nassau Willem I. This orange color inherited by the prince of Orange, white, denoted the struggle of the gözes for freedom and power, blue (azure) - the color of the county of Nassau.

The orange strip was replaced by the red one as a result of the 1648 revolution. The flag of the Netherlands with the red strip remained state even after the restoration of the monarchy in Holland, in 1815. Moreover, it should be noted that the return of the orange color to the state banner was not allowed by Napoleon's brother, Louis Bonaparte, who stated that "In the Kingdom of Holland, there is no place for the orange."

Perhaps the change of the orange color on the flag to red was also practical. The first tone burns out on the sun much faster than the second because of the different mineral composition of the dyes used. For the same reasons, the azure color of Nassau was changed to blue. The Prince's flag (the so-called flag with an orange strip) became the base for the flag of the South African Union (1910-1961) and the South African Republic (1928-1994). Now the Prince's banner is very popular among Dutch nationalists and supporters of the idea of the great Holland.

Other symbols of the Netherlands

In addition to the main cloth, on holidays in the Netherlands you can see three more banners: the standard of the Queen, the GUI of the Navy and the flag of the Minister of Defense. Often a banner of the country hangs next to one of them. To create an idyllic image of the Netherlands flag only state is sometimes not enough.

The standard of the queen is a blue cross on an orange field. In the center is the royal coat of arms, the lion under the crown. In 4 fields, on which the cross is divided by the standard - post horns.

Gyuss Navy is a white field, separated by two oblique crosses - blue and red - so that the blue and red sectors form irregularly shaped diamonds.

Flag of the Minister of Defense - four oblique orange stripes on the left side of the violet field.