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Flag of the Netherlands

The national flag of the Netherlands (Dutch: de Nederlandse vlag) 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.[9][10][11] As a flag that symbolises the transformation from monarchy to republic, it has inspired both the derivative Russian flag, and after the French Revolution in 1789, the vertically striped French tricolour, both flags in turn influenced many other tricolours.[11][12] During the economic crisis of the 1930s, the old Prince's Flag with the colour orange gained some popularity among some people. 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.[13]

Kingdom of the Netherlands
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
UseNational flag and ensign
Proportion2:3 (not formalised by law)[1]
Adopted1575 (first full colour depiction)[2]
1596 (red replacement for orange)[3][4]
1937 (red reaffirmed)[5]
1949 (colours standardised)[6]
DesignA horizontal triband of red (bright vermilion), white, and cobalt blue
Marine Geus or Prinsengeus[7]
UseNaval jack
Proportion2:3
AdoptedLate 17th c. (in use)[8]
20 April 1931 (formalised)
Design12 segments in the national colours of red (bright vermilion), white, and cobalt blue
Royal Standard of the Netherlands
UseStandard of the Monarch
Proportion1:1
Adopted27 August 1908
DesignOrange field divided in four by a nassau-blue cross, showing bugle-horns of the Principality of Orange and the coat of arms of the Kingdom, surrounded by a crown and the insignia of the Military Order of William.

Description edit

 
Vruntschap of Jan van Hout (1575), the oldest known colour illustration of the Dutch flag. The flag is sticking out at the left of the top panel.

The national flag of the Netherlands is a tricolour flag. The horizontal fesses are bands of equal size in the colours from top to bottom, red (officially described as a "bright vermilion"), white (silver), and blue ("cobalt blue"). The flag proportions (width:length) are 2:3. The colour parameters were defined in November 1958 by the NEN (former HCNN) in as the following:[14][15][16]

Scheme Red White 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 colors are defined using CIE-1931 colour space and Standard illuminant C at a 45° angle.[17]

The Dutch flag is almost identical to that of Luxembourg, except that it is shorter and its red and blue stripes are a darker shade.[18] 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.[19]

Symbolism edit

Each band of colour in the Dutch flag holds some symbolism for the country. The red band symbolizes bravery, strength, valor, and hardiness; the white band, peace and honesty; and the blue band represents vigilance, truth, loyalty, perseverance, and justice.[20]

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 symbolises the people, white the church and blue the nobility.[21]

History edit

Middle Ages edit

 
 The Cross of Burgundy flag

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 edit

 
Dutch ships ramming Spanish galleys off the English coast, 3 October 1602 (Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, 1617)
 
 The Prince's Flag (1570s–1652)

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.[22] The first known full colour depiction of the flag appeared in 1575 (see image). In Ghent in 1577, William was welcomed with a number of theatrical allegories represented by a young girl wearing orange, blue and white.[23] 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.[22]

The colour combination of orange, white, and blue is commonly considered the first Dutch flag.[2] The 400th anniversary of the introduction of the Dutch flag was commemorated in the Netherlands by the issue of a postage stamp in 1972.[24] 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 edit

 
 The Statenvlag (1652–1795)

Red as replacement for orange appeared as early as 1596, 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.[25] It appears that prior to 1664, the red-white-blue tricolour was commonly known as the "Flag of Holland" (Hollandsche Vlag); named after one of the revolting provinces. In 1664, the States of Zeeland, one of the other revolting provinces, complained about this, and a resolution of the States-General introduced the name "States Flag" (Statenvlag), which the red, white and blue tricolour will be known hereafter.[26] 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.[27]

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[28] and the French flag.[29] In turn, these two flags would later influence many others.

Flag of the Batavian Republic edit

 
 Flag of the Batavian Republic (1796–1806)

With the Batavian Revolution in the Netherlands in the last decade of the 18th century, and the subsequent conquest by the French, the name "Prince's Flag" was forbidden and the red-white-blue of the Statenvlag was the only flag allowed, analogous as it was to France's own tricolour, chosen just a few months earlier, ironically influenced by that same Statenvlag.[29] In 1796 the red division of the flag was embellished with the figure of a Netherlands maiden, with a lion at her feet, in the upper left corner. In one hand she bore a shield with the Roman fasces and in the other a lance crowned with the cap of liberty. This flag had a life as short as that of the Batavian Republic for which it was created. Louis Bonaparte, made king of Holland by his brother the Emperor Napoleon, wished to pursue a purely Dutch policy and to respect national sentiments as much as possible.[30] 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 edit

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.[2]

Just before the outbreak of World War II, the Prince's Flag resurfaced again. Some people were convinced that orange, white, and blue were the true colours of the Dutch flag, particularly members of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands.[13] 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' (Dutch: De kleuren van de vlag van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden zijn rood, wit en blauw).[31] It became the shortest decree in history, and was issued by Queen Wilhelmina on 19 February 1937.[32][33]

It was only on 16 August 1949 that the exact colour parameters were defined by the Ministry of the Navy[14] as bright vermilion (red), white and cobalt blue. The pennant is usually added on King's Day (Dutch: Koningsdag, 27 April) or other festive occasions related to the Royal Family.

Display and use edit

 
Added orange pennant on Koningsdag

The flag is customarily flown at government buildings and military bases in the Netherlands and abroad all year round. Private use is more uncommon. Only on national holidays is there widespread private use. At the birthdays or weddings of specific members of the Royal House, an orange pennant is added to the flag. There are special non-holiday festivities or remembrance occasions when the flag is flown, such as at the homes of students who have just graduated. The flag is then often accompanied by the graduate's school bag hung from the tip of the flagpole. The flag can also be displayed at times of sadness at half-mast (or a black pennant is added to the flag when hanging at half-mast is not possible) as a sign of respect or national mourning.

There are a number of flag flying days in the Netherlands. The holidays on which flags are put out by the government, according to the flag instruction, are:

Date Occasion Half-mast? Orange pennant?
31 January (1 February) Birthday of Princess Beatrix No Yes
27 April (26 April) Koningsdag (King's Day), birthday of King Willem-Alexander No Yes
4 May Remembrance of the Dead (flags are put out at 18:00 until sunset, which is at ca. 21:10) Yes No
5 May Liberation Day No No
17 May (18 May) Birthday of Queen Máxima No Yes
Last Saturday of June Veterans' Day No No
15 August (16 August) Formal end of World War II (surrender of Japan) No No
Third Tuesday of September Prinsjesdag (only in The Hague) No No
7 December (8 December) Birthday of the Princess of Orange No Yes
15 December (16 December) Koninkrijksdag (Kingdom Day) No No

The dates mentioned in parentheses are the dates when the flags are put out, should the original scheduled flag day fall on a Sunday, when possible. Exceptions are Remembrance of the Dead and Liberation Day, should one of them fall on a Sunday, the flags are put out anyway.

The prime minister of the Netherlands is responsible for announcing updates to the flag instruction (last given in 2013 when Queen's Day on 30 April became King's Day on 27 April), announcing one-off flag days (last given on 19 March 2019 to remember the Utrecht tram shooting), and announcing one-off modifications to the current flag days (last given in 2020 when the flags were put out at half-mast on 4 May the whole day instead of from 18:00, due to the 75-year anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands and the COVID-19 pandemic).

When a member of the Dutch Royal House is born, the flag instruction will be determined some weeks before the child is expected. In the most recent occasions – in 2003, 2005 and 2007, when Princess Máxima was expecting Princess Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane respectively, it was announced that immediately upon announcement of the birth, the flags would be put out with the orange pennant. However, because Amalia and Ariane were born while darkness already fell (and Amalia was born on a Sunday), the flag day was postponed until the next day.

Flags of current countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands edit

Flag of Aruba edit

 
Flag of Aruba

The national flag of Aruba was officially adopted on 18 March 1976. The blue field represents the sky, the sea, peace, hope, Aruba's future and its ties to the past. The two narrow stripes "suggest the movement toward status aparte". One represents "the flow of tourists to sun-drenched Aruba, enriching the island as well as vacationers", the other "industry, all the minerals (gold and phosphates in the past, petroleum in the early 20th century)". In addition to sun, gold, and abundance, the yellow is also said to represent wanglo flowers. The star has particularly complex symbolism. It is vexillologically unusual in having four points, representing the four cardinal directions. These refer in turn to the many countries of origin of the people of Aruba. They also represent the four main languages of Aruba: Papiamento, Spanish, English, and Dutch. The star also represents the island itself: a land of often red soil bordered by white beaches in a blue sea. The red also represents blood shed by Arubans during war, past Indian inhabitants, patriotic love, and Brazil wood. The white also represents purity and honesty.

Flag of Curaçao edit

 
Flag of Curaçao

The flag of Curaçao is a blue field with a horizontal yellow stripe slightly below the midline and two white, five-pointed stars in the canton. The blue symbolises the sea and sky (the bottom and top blue sections, respectively) divided by a yellow stroke representing the bright sun which bathes the island. The two stars represent Curaçao and Klein Curaçao, but also 'Love & Happiness'. The five points on each star symbolise the five continents from which Curaçao's people come.

Flag of Sint Maarten edit

 
Flag of Sint Maarten

The flag of Sint Maarten is the national flag of the Dutch part of Saint Martin island, which is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was adopted on 13 June 1985. It resembles the war flag of the Philippines.

Flags of former countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands edit

Suriname edit

 
 Flag of Suriname until 1975

The pre-independence flag of Suriname consisted of five coloured stars (from top left clockwise: white, black, brown, yellow, and red) connected by an ellipse. The coloured stars represent the major ethnic groups that comprise the Surinamese population: the original Amerindians, the colonising Europeans, the Africans brought in as slaves to work in plantations and the Indians, Javanese and Chinese who came as indentured workers to replace the Africans who escaped slavery and settled in the hinterland. The ellipse represents the harmonious relationship amongst the groups.

Netherlands Antilles edit

 
  Flag of the Netherlands Antilles from 1959 to 1986
 
  Flag of the Netherlands Antilles from 1986 to 2010, after the secession of Aruba

Within the flag of the Netherlands Antilles there were five stars that symbolise the five islands that made up the country. While the colours red, white and blue refer to the flag of the Netherlands. A six-star version was used until 1986 when Aruba became its own country within the Kingdom. This original version was adopted on 19 November 1959. This flag fell into disuse when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on 10 October 2010. The islands of Sint Maarten and Curaçao obtained their separate country status within the Kingdom and the islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are now overseas entities of the Netherlands.

Flags of former colonies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands edit

Dutch West India Company edit

New Holland (Brazil) edit

The flag of Dutch Brazil, or New Holland, also known as the flag of Dutch Brazil, was the flag used by the Vereenigde West-Indische Compagnie (English: Dutch West India Company) for the territories that were under its control in Brazil from 1630 until 1654.

The flag consists of three horizontal stripes in the colours of the flag of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (red, white and blue) and it displays a monogram on the central stripe and a crown on the upper stripe, both gold-coloured. The origin of the monogram as well as its initials and its meaning is not known.

New Netherland (United States) edit

The orange-white-blue Prince's Flag directly inspired historical and modern day flags in the former Dutch colony of New Netherland in what is today the East Coast of the United States. The colony of New Netherland used the Statenvlag of the Dutch Republic, and was one of the territories under control of the Dutch West India Company. The flag of New York City, originally called New Amsterdam, was designed after the Prince's Flag. Furthermore, the flags of other counties, cities, and institutions in this region are designed after the Prince's Flag, such as Albany (originally Beverwijck), Schenectady County, New York, and Jersey City.

Dutch East India Company edit

Netherlands East Indies edit

 
Flag of Indonesia

For the majority of the existence of the Netherlands East Indies the flag of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (English: Dutch East India Company) was used. When the VOC became bankrupt and was formally dissolved in 1800, its possessions and debt were taken over by the government of the Batavian Republic. The VOC's territories became the Netherlands East Indies and were expanded over the course of the 19th century to include the whole of the Indonesian archipelago. As such, the flag of the Batavian Republic and Kingdom of the Netherlands were used.

 
The Yamato flag, made by ripping the blue band off the Dutch flag

The flag of the Netherlands has been said to be the origin of the Indonesian flag. To symbolise the intention of forcing out the Dutch, the Indonesian nationalists would rip apart the Dutch flag. They tore off the bottom third of the flag, and separated the red and white colours from the blue colour.[34]

Netherlands New Guinea edit

 
Flag of West Papua

The Morning Star flag (Indonesian: Bintang Kejora) 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 (Organisasi Papua Merdeka; 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 center. 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 edit

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.

Other related flags edit

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.[35] See the flags in the former colonies section above for more examples.

Dutch flag-inspired edit

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

  • The design of the French flag was adopted after the French Revolution, where the revolutionaries were influenced by the horizontally striped red-white-blue flag of the Netherlands.[12][11]
  • The flag of Hesse-Nassau is identical to that of the Netherlands. The Dutch royal house originates from the Duchy of Nassau.
  • The flag of Nimba County, Liberia similar to the Dutch flag, superimposed with Liberian flag in the canton.
  • The flag of Labuan and flag of Johor Bahru in Malaysia similar to the Dutch flag, with a crescent and star in the center.
  • The flag of Chin National Front in Myanmar similar to the Dutch flag, with two hornbills in the center.

Pan-Slavic colours edit

The Russian flag in turn is believed to have influenced many flags of other Slavic countries, resulting in many red-white-blue styled tribands in other parts of Europe. Peter the Great of Russia was building a new Russian Navy mostly on Dutch standards; therefore the merchant flag of Russia at sea would be the inverted colours of the Dutch flag.[11]

Prince's Flag-inspired edit

The orange-white-blue Prince's Flag directly inspired many historical and modern day flags. Especially flags in the former colonies of New Netherland and South Africa are designed after this flag. See the flags in the former colonies section above for more examples.

Cross of Burgundy-inspired edit

  • The flag of Shanghai Municipal Council in Shanghai International Settlement included multiple flags to symbolize the countries have participated in the creation and management of this enclave in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The Dutch flag was put along with old Swedish civil ensign (spread vertically), the Austrian flag and old Spanish merchant ensign at the lower shield, and all of them were upside down.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Neerlandia. Jaargang 61". dbnl (in Dutch). Neerlandia. 1957. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Poels, Jos (August 2011). "The Orange Pennant: The Dutch Response to a Flag Dilemma" (PDF). Proceedings of the 24th International Congress of Vexillology, Washington, D.C., USA: 888.
  3. ^ State, Paul F. (2008). A Brief History of the Netherlands. Infobase Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 9781438108322.
  4. ^ Complete Flags of the World. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 2008. p. 121. ISBN 9781405338615.
  5. ^ "Flag of the Netherlands". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Bijlage H Maten en categorieën vlaggen Koninklijke Marine". Overheid (Dutch Government) (in Dutch). Appendix H, chapter 2. Retrieved 28 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ^ "Maritieme kalender (April 20, 1931)" (in Dutch). Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  8. ^ Ham, Willem van (2016). "De Prinsengeus: een vlag voor de boeg" (PDF). Vlag! (19): 19. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Europe: Netherlands — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. CIA. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  10. ^ Worthington, Daryl (17 October 2016). "Why Are So Many Flags Red, White and Blue?". New Historian. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d Flag, nation and symbolism in Europe and America. London: Routledge. 2007. p. 27. ISBN 978-1134066964.
  12. ^ a b "Flags That Look Alike | Britannica". www.britannica.com.
  13. ^ a b Poels, Jos (August 2011). "The Orange Pennant: The Dutch Response to a Flag Dilemma" (PDF). Proceedings of the 24th International Congress of Vexillology, Washington, D.C., USA: 892.
  14. ^ a b "Ceremonieel & protocol – Ministeriële- en Defensie publicaties". Overheid (Dutch Government) (in Dutch). Appendix H, section 2. Retrieved 28 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. ^ "Flags of the World (2006)". Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  16. ^ NEN 3055
  17. ^ "Ceremonial and protocol – Ministry of Defense". Overheid (Dutch Government) (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  18. ^ "Flag of the Netherlands". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  19. ^ "Change the Luxembourg flag?". luxtimes.lu. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  20. ^ "Dutch Flag". Vexillology Matters. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  21. ^ Margriet, Redactie (27 April 2021). "Dít is de verklaring van de kleuren van de Nederlandse vlag". Margriet (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  22. ^ a b Jean Rey, Histoire du drapeau, des couleurs et des insignes de la Monarchie française vol. 2, 1837, p. 515.
  23. ^ Jean Rey, Histoire du drapeau, des couleurs et des insignes de la Monarchie française vol. 2, 1837, p. 516.
  24. ^ "Ontwerp, postzegels Nederland 1972 Nederlandse vlag – Geheugen van Nederland". www.geheugenvannederland.nl. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  25. ^ Eriksen, Thomas Hylland; Jenkins, Richard (18 October 2007). Flag, Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-06696-4.
  26. ^ JC de Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandse zeewesen, deel 1. 's Gravenhage, 1833, p. 75.
  27. ^ C. de Waard, "De Nederlandsche vlag" in: Het Vaderland (1900).
  28. ^ Hulme, Frederick Edward (1 January 1897). The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry and Associations. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465543110. Greenway, H. D. S. (19 August 2014). Foreign Correspondent: A Memoir. Simon and Schuster. p. 228. ISBN 9781476761329.
  29. ^ a b Eriksen, Thomas Hylland; Jenkins, Richard (18 October 2007). Flag, Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America. Routledge. p. 23. ISBN 9781134066964.
  30. ^ Nicholls, David (1999). Napoleon: A Biographical Companion. ABC-CLIO. pp. 34. ISBN 9780874369571.
  31. ^ Poels, Jos (28 April 2000). "Rood-wit-blauw of oranje boven". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  32. ^ Wilhelmina en De Minister van Staat, Minister van Koloniën, Voorzitter van den Raad van Ministers (19 februari 1937): .
  33. ^ ANP-bericht 24 februari 1937
  34. ^ Indonesian flags at Flags of the World Retrieved on 27 May 2011.
  35. ^ Eriksen, Thomas Hylland; Jenkins, Richard (2007). Flag, Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America. Routledge. p. 23. ISBN 9781134066964. Retrieved 29 January 2019.

External links edit

flag, netherlands, flag, holland, redirects, here, flags, provinces, called, holland, flag, north, holland, flag, south, holland, confused, with, flag, luxembourg, national, flag, netherlands, dutch, nederlandse, vlag, horizontal, tricolour, white, blue, curre. Flag of Holland redirects here For the flags of the provinces called Holland see flag of North Holland and flag of South Holland Not to be confused with the Flag of Luxembourg The national flag of the Netherlands Dutch de Nederlandse vlag 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 9 10 11 As a flag that symbolises the transformation from monarchy to republic it has inspired both the derivative Russian flag and after the French Revolution in 1789 the vertically striped French tricolour both flags in turn influenced many other tricolours 11 12 During the economic crisis of the 1930s the old Prince s Flag with the colour orange gained some popularity among some people 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 13 Kingdom of the NetherlandsFlag of the Kingdom of the NetherlandsUseNational flag and ensignProportion2 3 not formalised by law 1 Adopted1575 first full colour depiction 2 1596 red replacement for orange 3 4 1937 red reaffirmed 5 1949 colours standardised 6 DesignA horizontal triband of red bright vermilion white and cobalt blueMarine Geus or Prinsengeus 7 UseNaval jackProportion2 3AdoptedLate 17th c in use 8 20 April 1931 formalised Design12 segments in the national colours of red bright vermilion white and cobalt blueRoyal Standard of the NetherlandsUseStandard of the MonarchProportion1 1Adopted27 August 1908DesignOrange field divided in four by a nassau blue cross showing bugle horns of the Principality of Orange and the coat of arms of the Kingdom surrounded by a crown and the insignia of the Military Order of William Contents 1 Description 1 1 Symbolism 2 History 2 1 Middle Ages 2 2 Prince s Flag 2 3 Statenvlag 2 4 Flag of the Batavian Republic 2 5 Modern flag 3 Display and use 4 Flags of current countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands 4 1 Flag of Aruba 4 2 Flag of Curacao 4 3 Flag of Sint Maarten 5 Flags of former countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands 5 1 Suriname 5 2 Netherlands Antilles 6 Flags of former colonies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 6 1 Dutch West India Company 6 1 1 New Holland Brazil 6 1 2 New Netherland United States 6 2 Dutch East India Company 6 2 1 Netherlands East Indies 6 2 2 Netherlands New Guinea 6 2 3 South Africa 7 Other related flags 7 1 Dutch flag inspired 7 1 1 Pan Slavic colours 7 2 Prince s Flag inspired 7 3 Cross of Burgundy inspired 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksDescription edit nbsp Vruntschap of Jan van Hout 1575 the oldest known colour illustration of the Dutch flag The flag is sticking out at the left of the top panel The national flag of the Netherlands is a tricolour flag The horizontal fesses are bands of equal size in the colours from top to bottom red officially described as a bright vermilion white silver and blue cobalt blue The flag proportions width length are 2 3 The colour parameters were defined in November 1958 by the NEN former HCNN in as the following 14 15 16 Scheme Red White BlueChromatic X 18 3 Y 10 0 Z 3 0 Y 100 0 X 7 5 Y 6 6 Z 25 3CMYK 0 83 78 32 0 0 0 0 77 47 0 48RGB 173 29 37 255 255 255 30 71 133 Hexadecimal AD1D25 FFFFFF 1E4785RAL 2002 9010 5013In this definition the colors are defined using CIE 1931 colour space and Standard illuminant C at a 45 angle 17 The Dutch flag is almost identical to that of Luxembourg except that it is shorter and its red and blue stripes are a darker shade 18 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 19 Symbolism edit Each band of colour in the Dutch flag holds some symbolism for the country The red band symbolizes bravery strength valor and hardiness the white band peace and honesty and the blue band represents vigilance truth loyalty perseverance and justice 20 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 symbolises the people white the church and blue the nobility 21 History editMiddle Ages edit nbsp nbsp The Cross of Burgundy flagAt 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 edit nbsp Dutch ships ramming Spanish galleys off the English coast 3 October 1602 Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom 1617 nbsp nbsp The Prince s Flag 1570s 1652 Main article Prince s Flag 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 22 The first known full colour depiction of the flag appeared in 1575 see image In Ghent in 1577 William was welcomed with a number of theatrical allegories represented by a young girl wearing orange blue and white 23 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 22 The colour combination of orange white and blue is commonly considered the first Dutch flag 2 The 400th anniversary of the introduction of the Dutch flag was commemorated in the Netherlands by the issue of a postage stamp in 1972 24 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 edit nbsp nbsp The Statenvlag 1652 1795 Main article Statenvlag Red as replacement for orange appeared as early as 1596 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 25 It appears that prior to 1664 the red white blue tricolour was commonly known as the Flag of Holland Hollandsche Vlag named after one of the revolting provinces In 1664 the States of Zeeland one of the other revolting provinces complained about this and a resolution of the States General introduced the name States Flag Statenvlag which the red white and blue tricolour will be known hereafter 26 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 27 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 28 and the French flag 29 In turn these two flags would later influence many others Flag of the Batavian Republic edit nbsp nbsp Flag of the Batavian Republic 1796 1806 With the Batavian Revolution in the Netherlands in the last decade of the 18th century and the subsequent conquest by the French the name Prince s Flag was forbidden and the red white blue of the Statenvlag was the only flag allowed analogous as it was to France s own tricolour chosen just a few months earlier ironically influenced by that same Statenvlag 29 In 1796 the red division of the flag was embellished with the figure of a Netherlands maiden with a lion at her feet in the upper left corner In one hand she bore a shield with the Roman fasces and in the other a lance crowned with the cap of liberty This flag had a life as short as that of the Batavian Republic for which it was created Louis Bonaparte made king of Holland by his brother the Emperor Napoleon wished to pursue a purely Dutch policy and to respect national sentiments as much as possible 30 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 edit 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 2 Just before the outbreak of World War II the Prince s Flag resurfaced again Some people were convinced that orange white and blue were the true colours of the Dutch flag particularly members of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands 13 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 Dutch De kleuren van de vlag van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden zijn rood wit en blauw 31 It became the shortest decree in history and was issued by Queen Wilhelmina on 19 February 1937 32 33 It was only on 16 August 1949 that the exact colour parameters were defined by the Ministry of the Navy 14 as bright vermilion red white and cobalt blue The pennant is usually added on King s Day Dutch Koningsdag 27 April or other festive occasions related to the Royal Family Display and use edit nbsp Added orange pennant on KoningsdagThe flag is customarily flown at government buildings and military bases in the Netherlands and abroad all year round Private use is more uncommon Only on national holidays is there widespread private use At the birthdays or weddings of specific members of the Royal House an orange pennant is added to the flag There are special non holiday festivities or remembrance occasions when the flag is flown such as at the homes of students who have just graduated The flag is then often accompanied by the graduate s school bag hung from the tip of the flagpole The flag can also be displayed at times of sadness at half mast or a black pennant is added to the flag when hanging at half mast is not possible as a sign of respect or national mourning There are a number of flag flying days in the Netherlands The holidays on which flags are put out by the government according to the flag instruction are Date Occasion Half mast Orange pennant 31 January 1 February Birthday of Princess Beatrix No Yes27 April 26 April Koningsdag King s Day birthday of King Willem Alexander No Yes4 May Remembrance of the Dead flags are put out at 18 00 until sunset which is at ca 21 10 Yes No5 May Liberation Day No No17 May 18 May Birthday of Queen Maxima No YesLast Saturday of June Veterans Day No No15 August 16 August Formal end of World War II surrender of Japan No NoThird Tuesday of September Prinsjesdag only in The Hague No No7 December 8 December Birthday of the Princess of Orange No Yes15 December 16 December Koninkrijksdag Kingdom Day No NoThe dates mentioned in parentheses are the dates when the flags are put out should the original scheduled flag day fall on a Sunday when possible Exceptions are Remembrance of the Dead and Liberation Day should one of them fall on a Sunday the flags are put out anyway The prime minister of the Netherlands is responsible for announcing updates to the flag instruction last given in 2013 when Queen s Day on 30 April became King s Day on 27 April announcing one off flag days last given on 19 March 2019 to remember the Utrecht tram shooting and announcing one off modifications to the current flag days last given in 2020 when the flags were put out at half mast on 4 May the whole day instead of from 18 00 due to the 75 year anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands and the COVID 19 pandemic When a member of the Dutch Royal House is born the flag instruction will be determined some weeks before the child is expected In the most recent occasions in 2003 2005 and 2007 when Princess Maxima was expecting Princess Amalia Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane respectively it was announced that immediately upon announcement of the birth the flags would be put out with the orange pennant However because Amalia and Ariane were born while darkness already fell and Amalia was born on a Sunday the flag day was postponed until the next day Flags of current countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands editFlag of Aruba edit nbsp Flag of ArubaMain article Flag of Aruba The national flag of Aruba was officially adopted on 18 March 1976 The blue field represents the sky the sea peace hope Aruba s future and its ties to the past The two narrow stripes suggest the movement toward status aparte One represents the flow of tourists to sun drenched Aruba enriching the island as well as vacationers the other industry all the minerals gold and phosphates in the past petroleum in the early 20th century In addition to sun gold and abundance the yellow is also said to represent wanglo flowers The star has particularly complex symbolism It is vexillologically unusual in having four points representing the four cardinal directions These refer in turn to the many countries of origin of the people of Aruba They also represent the four main languages of Aruba Papiamento Spanish English and Dutch The star also represents the island itself a land of often red soil bordered by white beaches in a blue sea The red also represents blood shed by Arubans during war past Indian inhabitants patriotic love and Brazil wood The white also represents purity and honesty Flag of Curacao edit nbsp Flag of CuracaoMain article Flag of Curacao The flag of Curacao is a blue field with a horizontal yellow stripe slightly below the midline and two white five pointed stars in the canton The blue symbolises the sea and sky the bottom and top blue sections respectively divided by a yellow stroke representing the bright sun which bathes the island The two stars represent Curacao and Klein Curacao but also Love amp Happiness The five points on each star symbolise the five continents from which Curacao s people come Flag of Sint Maarten edit nbsp Flag of Sint MaartenMain article Flag of Sint Maarten The flag of Sint Maarten is the national flag of the Dutch part of Saint Martin island which is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands It was adopted on 13 June 1985 It resembles the war flag of the Philippines Flags of former countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands editSuriname edit nbsp nbsp Flag of Suriname until 1975Main article Flag of Suriname The pre independence flag of Suriname consisted of five coloured stars from top left clockwise white black brown yellow and red connected by an ellipse The coloured stars represent the major ethnic groups that comprise the Surinamese population the original Amerindians the colonising Europeans the Africans brought in as slaves to work in plantations and the Indians Javanese and Chinese who came as indentured workers to replace the Africans who escaped slavery and settled in the hinterland The ellipse represents the harmonious relationship amongst the groups Netherlands Antilles edit nbsp nbsp Flag of the Netherlands Antilles from 1959 to 1986 nbsp nbsp Flag of the Netherlands Antilles from 1986 to 2010 after the secession of ArubaMain article Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Within the flag of the Netherlands Antilles there were five stars that symbolise the five islands that made up the country While the colours red white and blue refer to the flag of the Netherlands A six star version was used until 1986 when Aruba became its own country within the Kingdom This original version was adopted on 19 November 1959 This flag fell into disuse when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on 10 October 2010 The islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao obtained their separate country status within the Kingdom and the islands Bonaire St Eustatius and Saba are now overseas entities of the Netherlands Flags of former colonies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands edit nbsp nbsp Flag of the Dutch East India Company nbsp nbsp Flag of the Dutch West India Company nbsp nbsp Flag used by the Dutch West India Company in Dutch BrazilDutch West India Company edit New Holland Brazil edit The flag of Dutch Brazil or New Holland also known as the flag of Dutch Brazil was the flag used by the Vereenigde West Indische Compagnie English Dutch West India Company for the territories that were under its control in Brazil from 1630 until 1654 The flag consists of three horizontal stripes in the colours of the flag of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands red white and blue and it displays a monogram on the central stripe and a crown on the upper stripe both gold coloured The origin of the monogram as well as its initials and its meaning is not known New Netherland United States edit The orange white blue Prince s Flag directly inspired historical and modern day flags in the former Dutch colony of New Netherland in what is today the East Coast of the United States The colony of New Netherland used the Statenvlag of the Dutch Republic and was one of the territories under control of the Dutch West India Company The flag of New York City originally called New Amsterdam was designed after the Prince s Flag Furthermore the flags of other counties cities and institutions in this region are designed after the Prince s Flag such as Albany originally Beverwijck Schenectady County New York and Jersey City nbsp Flag of Schenectady County nbsp Flag of Albany New York nbsp Flag of The Bronx nbsp Flag of Ulster County New York nbsp Flag of New York City nbsp Flag of Manhattan nbsp Flag of the mayor of New York City nbsp Flag of the New York City Council nbsp Flag of Jersey City New Jersey nbsp Flag of Jersey City New Jersey nbsp Flag of Westchester County New York nbsp Flag of Nassau County New York nbsp Flag of Sussex County Delaware nbsp Flag of Hofstra University nbsp Flag of Brooklyn New York Not inspired by the Dutch flag but contains the Old Dutch words Een Draght Maekt Maght Dutch Eendracht maakt macht English Unity makes strength a motto was originally used by the Dutch Republic Dutch East India Company edit Netherlands East Indies edit nbsp Flag of IndonesiaFor the majority of the existence of the Netherlands East Indies the flag of the Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie English Dutch East India Company was used When the VOC became bankrupt and was formally dissolved in 1800 its possessions and debt were taken over by the government of the Batavian Republic The VOC s territories became the Netherlands East Indies and were expanded over the course of the 19th century to include the whole of the Indonesian archipelago As such the flag of the Batavian Republic and Kingdom of the Netherlands were used nbsp The Yamato flag made by ripping the blue band off the Dutch flagThe flag of the Netherlands has been said to be the origin of the Indonesian flag To symbolise the intention of forcing out the Dutch the Indonesian nationalists would rip apart the Dutch flag They tore off the bottom third of the flag and separated the red and white colours from the blue colour 34 Netherlands New Guinea edit nbsp Flag of West PapuaMain article Flag of West Papua The Morning Star flag Indonesian Bintang Kejora 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 Organisasi Papua Merdeka 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 center 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 edit 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 nbsp Flag of South Africa nbsp nbsp Flag of South Africa 1928 1994 nbsp nbsp Flag of the Orange Free State nbsp nbsp Flag of Nieuwe Republiek nbsp nbsp Flag of Klein Vrystaat nbsp nbsp Flag of the South African Republic Transvaal nbsp nbsp Flag of Griqualand East nbsp nbsp Flag of the Natalia Republic nbsp nbsp Republic of Klip River nbsp Flag of Republic of Swellendam nbsp Republic of Graaff Reinet nbsp Flag of Utrecht Republic nbsp Lydenburg Republic nbsp Flag of OraniaOther related flags editAs 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 35 See the flags in the former colonies section above for more examples Dutch flag inspired edit The modern red white blue Dutch flag is the oldest tricolour flag in use and directly inspired these historical and modern day flags nbsp Flag of the Netherlands as reference nbsp Marine Geus Naval Jack nbsp Flag of France nbsp Flag of Benelux nbsp nbsp Flag of Hesse Nassau nbsp Flag of Nimba County nbsp Flag of Labuan nbsp Flag of Johor BahruThe design of the French flag was adopted after the French Revolution where the revolutionaries were influenced by the horizontally striped red white blue flag of the Netherlands 12 11 The flag of Hesse Nassau is identical to that of the Netherlands The Dutch royal house originates from the Duchy of Nassau The flag of Nimba County Liberia similar to the Dutch flag superimposed with Liberian flag in the canton The flag of Labuan and flag of Johor Bahru in Malaysia similar to the Dutch flag with a crescent and star in the center The flag of Chin National Front in Myanmar similar to the Dutch flag with two hornbills in the center Pan Slavic colours edit See also Pan Slavic colours The Russian flag in turn is believed to have influenced many flags of other Slavic countries resulting in many red white blue styled tribands in other parts of Europe Peter the Great of Russia was building a new Russian Navy mostly on Dutch standards therefore the merchant flag of Russia at sea would be the inverted colours of the Dutch flag 11 nbsp Flag of Russia as reference nbsp Flag of Croatia nbsp Flag of the Czech Republic nbsp Flag of Slovakia nbsp Flag of Slovenia nbsp Flag of Serbia nbsp nbsp Flag of Yugoslavia 1918 1941 Prince s Flag inspired edit See also Prince s Flag The orange white blue Prince s Flag directly inspired many historical and modern day flags Especially flags in the former colonies of New Netherland and South Africa are designed after this flag See the flags in the former colonies section above for more examples nbsp Prince s Flag as reference nbsp Variant on the Prince s Flag nbsp nbsp Flag of the Orange Free State nbsp Naval jack Brielse Geus nbsp nbsp Flag of South Africa 1928 1994 nbsp Flag of New York City nbsp Flag of OraniaCross of Burgundy inspired edit nbsp Cross of Burgundy as reference nbsp nbsp Flag of Shanghai Municipal Council Shanghai International Settlement c 1917 1943 The flag of Shanghai Municipal Council in Shanghai International Settlement included multiple flags to symbolize the countries have participated in the creation and management of this enclave in the Chinese city of Shanghai The Dutch flag was put along with old Swedish civil ensign spread vertically the Austrian flag and old Spanish merchant ensign at the lower shield and all of them were upside down See also editFlags of provinces of the Netherlands List of Dutch flags Flags of the Dutch royal family Dutch national flag problemReferences edit Neerlandia Jaargang 61 dbnl in Dutch Neerlandia 1957 Retrieved 28 January 2019 a b c Poels Jos August 2011 The Orange Pennant The Dutch Response to a Flag Dilemma PDF Proceedings of the 24th International Congress of Vexillology Washington D C USA 888 State Paul F 2008 A Brief History of the Netherlands Infobase Publishing p 51 ISBN 9781438108322 Complete Flags of the World Dorling Kindersley Limited 2008 p 121 ISBN 9781405338615 Flag of the Netherlands Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 3 February 2019 Bijlage H Maten en categorieen vlaggen Koninklijke Marine Overheid Dutch Government in Dutch Appendix H chapter 2 Retrieved 28 January 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint location link Maritieme kalender April 20 1931 in Dutch Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum Archived from the original on 14 September 2012 Retrieved 26 August 2010 Ham Willem van 2016 De Prinsengeus een vlag voor de boeg PDF Vlag 19 19 Retrieved 28 January 2019 Europe Netherlands The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency www cia gov CIA Retrieved 28 January 2019 Worthington Daryl 17 October 2016 Why Are So Many Flags Red White and Blue New Historian Retrieved 28 January 2019 a b c d Flag nation and symbolism in Europe and America London Routledge 2007 p 27 ISBN 978 1134066964 a b Flags That Look Alike Britannica www britannica com a b Poels Jos August 2011 The Orange Pennant The Dutch Response to a Flag Dilemma PDF Proceedings of the 24th International Congress of Vexillology Washington D C USA 892 a b Ceremonieel amp protocol Ministeriele en Defensie publicaties Overheid Dutch Government in Dutch Appendix H section 2 Retrieved 28 January 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint location link Flags of the World 2006 Retrieved 11 June 2019 NEN 3055 Ceremonial and protocol Ministry of Defense Overheid Dutch Government in Dutch Retrieved 11 June 2019 Flag of the Netherlands Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 28 January 2019 Change the Luxembourg flag luxtimes lu 11 December 2017 Retrieved 29 January 2019 Dutch Flag Vexillology Matters Retrieved 18 July 2021 Margriet Redactie 27 April 2021 Dit is de verklaring van de kleuren van de Nederlandse vlag Margriet in Dutch Retrieved 1 July 2022 a b Jean Rey Histoire du drapeau des couleurs et des insignes de la Monarchie francaise vol 2 1837 p 515 Jean Rey Histoire du drapeau des couleurs et des insignes de la Monarchie francaise vol 2 1837 p 516 Ontwerp postzegels Nederland 1972 Nederlandse vlag Geheugen van Nederland www geheugenvannederland nl Retrieved 4 February 2019 Eriksen Thomas Hylland Jenkins Richard 18 October 2007 Flag Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America Routledge ISBN 978 1 134 06696 4 JC de Jonge Geschiedenis van het Nederlandse zeewesen deel 1 s Gravenhage 1833 p 75 C de Waard De Nederlandsche vlag in Het Vaderland 1900 Hulme Frederick Edward 1 January 1897 The Flags of the World Their History Blazonry and Associations Library of Alexandria ISBN 9781465543110 Greenway H D S 19 August 2014 Foreign Correspondent A Memoir Simon and Schuster p 228 ISBN 9781476761329 a b Eriksen Thomas Hylland Jenkins Richard 18 October 2007 Flag Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America Routledge p 23 ISBN 9781134066964 Nicholls David 1999 Napoleon A Biographical Companion ABC CLIO pp 34 ISBN 9780874369571 Poels Jos 28 April 2000 Rood wit blauw of oranje boven NRC in Dutch Retrieved 28 January 2019 Wilhelmina en De Minister van Staat Minister van Kolonien Voorzitter van den Raad van Ministers 19 februari 1937 Koninklijk Besluit nr 93 Zell am See ANP bericht 24 februari 1937 Indonesian flags at Flags of the World Retrieved on 27 May 2011 Eriksen Thomas Hylland Jenkins Richard 2007 Flag Nation and Symbolism in Europe and America Routledge p 23 ISBN 9781134066964 Retrieved 29 January 2019 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to National flag of the Netherlands Netherlands at Flags of the World Retrieved from 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