Flag of Netherlands

Flag origins

The Netherlands has red, white and blue horizontal bands. A 1937 royal decree specified bright vermilion, bright white and cobalt blue. Its predecessor, the Prince's Flag, used orange, white and blue in connection with William of Orange during the sixteenth-century revolt; records go back to 1572. Orange gradually gave way to red in the seventeenth century. Greater visibility at sea is one traditional explanation, not a conclusively established cause.

Flag story

Orange remains a national color even though it is absent from the flag, reflecting the House of Orange-Nassau and the earlier design. On royal occasions such as King's Day and royal birthdays, an orange pennant may be flown above the tricolor. The pennant and the flag are separate items.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Netherlands — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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