Flag of France

The national flag of France is a tricolour with three vertical bands of blue, white, and red. This design was chosen during the French Revolution and has been used as France's flag ever since. It replaced older royal flags and became a symbol of the new ideas of freedom and equality.

Before this, France used many different flags, including one with a blue shield and gold fleurs-de-lis on a white background. During the early days of the revolution, people in Paris wore a blue and red ribbon, and added white to represent the nation. This ribbon idea later became the basis for the flag we see today.

The flag was officially adopted in 1790, and after a short time when an older flag was used again, it returned and has stayed since. Today, France uses a specific navy blue version of the flag, especially at important places like the Élysée Palace. The French flag has inspired many other countries around the world.

Design

Article 2 of the French constitution of 1958 states that "the national emblem is the tricolour flag, blue, white, red". The flag of France has three vertical stripes: blue on the left, white in the middle, and red on the right.

Over time, there have been two versions of the flag with slightly different shades of blue and red. A darker version is usually used by town halls and public buildings, while a lighter version has sometimes been used by the government. In 2020, President Emmanuel Macron chose the darker shade for the Élysée Palace to honor the French Revolution. Both versions have been used for many years.

The flag’s shape is one and a half times as wide as it is tall. Usually, the three stripes are all the same width, but the French Navy uses stripes in the ratio of 30 (blue), 33 (white) and 37 (red). Sometimes a flag with a narrower white stripe is used for TV events so that all three colors can be seen clearly.

Symbolism

Blue and red are the old colors of Paris, used on the city's coat of arms. Blue is linked to Saint Martin, and red to Saint Denis. During a big event in 1789, the people of Paris wore blue and red on their hats. White has been an important color on French flags for a long time. It was added to the blue and red to make the design represent the whole nation, creating the special French symbol known as the cockade of France.

These colors might also stand for different groups in old France: white for leaders, red for noble people, and blue for ordinary citizens. The flag brings together these colors to show unity and a shared spirit beyond differences. After a sad event in Paris in 2015, many famous places around the world showed the French flag colors to show support for those affected.

History

Kingdom of France

Further information: Coat of arms of France § History

In the early Middle Ages, the oriflamme, a red flag with spikes, was used as a symbol by French kings. This flag, linked to Saint Denis, was carried into battle. Later, French kings used different colored flags, often with gold fleurs-de-lis. During the Hundred Years' War, France used a white cross on a blue background as its main flag.

The Tricolore

The French tricolour flag, with its blue, white, and red vertical stripes, began during the French Revolution. It came from the blue and red colors of Paris, with white added to represent the nation. This flag was officially adopted in 1790 and has been France's national flag since then, even after changes in government. Today, the tricolour remains a proud symbol of France.

Regimental flags

During the Hundred Years' War, French soldiers began using white crosses to tell themselves apart from English soldiers who wore red crosses. These early flags influenced many designs later on.

Some famous regimental flags include the Ancien Régime flag of the Régiment d'Auvergne, the La Sarre Regiment (Régiment de la Sarre), the King's Regiment (Régiment du Roi), and the Queen's Regiment (Régiment de la Reine). The flag of General Lévis in North America is now the official flag of the city of Lévis, Quebec. These old flags also inspired the flag of Quebec, shown here with the Compagnies Franches de la Marine. Later, the regimental flag of the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard in 1812 and the current flags of the 1st and 2nd Regiments of the Légion étrangère carried on these traditions.

Naval flags

Main article: French ensigns

The French Navy used different flags before and after 1789. The current naval flag was introduced on 17 May 1853. There were also special flags for merchant ships, such as the one designed in 1689.

 Naval ensign prior to 1789 and 1814–1830.



 The merchant flag of France (1689 design)



 The present ensign of France introduced on 17 May 1853

Colonial flags

Further information: French colonial flags and French Colonial Empire

Many places ruled by France used either the regular French flag or a special regional flag. Some places had their own unique designs, such as:

• Flag of Tonkin (French protectorate) and Annam in French Indochina
• Flag of Laos in French Indochina
• Flag of the Sip Song Chau Tai, French Indochina (1948–1955)
• Flag of French Sudan (1958–1959), present-day Mali
• Flag of French Togoland (1956–1960), present-day Togo
• Flag of Gabon (1959–1960)
• Flag of Madagascar under French protection (1885–1895)
• Merchant flag of the French protectorate of Morocco (1912–1956)
• Flag used by some military units based in the French protectorate of Tunisia
• Briefly used flag of the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon in 1920
• Flag of the State of Aleppo, in the French Mandate of Syria (1920–1924)
• Flag of the State of Damascus, in the French Mandate of Syria (1920–1924)
• Flag of the State of Syria, in the French Mandate of Syria (1924–1930)
• Flag of the State of Alawites, in the French Mandate of Syria
• Flag of Jabal ad-Druze, in the French Mandate of Syria
• Flag of the State of Greater Lebanon during the French mandate 1920–1943
• Flag of Republic of Independent Guyana (1886–1887)
• Unofficial flag of Saint Barthélemy
• Flag of New Hebrides (Vanuatu) under the Anglo-French Joint Naval Commission (1887–1906)
• Flag of the French Protectorate of Wallis and Futuna (Uvea) (1860–1886)
• Present unofficial flag of Wallis and Futuna
• Flag of the Kingdom of Tahiti under the Protectorate of France (1845–1880)
• Flag of the French protectorate of Rurutu in French Polynesia (1858–1889)
• Flag of French Polynesia
• Flag of the French protectorate of Saar (1947–1956)
• Flag of the French colonial governor
• Flag of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
• Unofficial flag of Louisiana (1861)