Page 125 - (DK) Complete Flags of the World

Europe

The Netherlands

Ratio: 2:3 Adopted: February 19, 1937 Usage: National and Civil

Blue and white In the mid-17th
originally century, red, rather
represented than orange, was
faith in God made the official color

Europe
Independent from Spain in the 16th century, the
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Netherlands was a republic until the Napoleonic
'ERMANY
"ELGIUM
Wars and became a kingdom in 1814.
The first Stadtholder, or ruler, of the by Royal Decree in 1937. As the
r
r
Dutch Republic was William of first revolutionary flag, it has had
Orange, who joined with Dutch a seminal influence throughout
nationalists and led the struggle for the world, particularly on the
independence from Spain. Pan-Slavic colors of Russia.
Until about 1800, in the case of
THE PRINSVLAG both the orange- and red-striped
Partly out of respect for him, the first versions, the number of stripes and
flag adopted by the Dutch, was a their order frequently varied.
horizontal tricolor of orange, white,
and blue (see page 6). It became ARMS OF THE NETHERLANDS
known as the Prinsenvlag and was The Dutch coat of arms depicts a
g
based on the livery of William of golden lion on a blue shield, holding
Orange. The orange dye was a sword and a sheaf of arrows. It is
particularly unstable and tended to a combination of the coat of arms
turn red after a while, so in the of the Dutch Republic and that of
mid-17th century, red was made the the House of Orange. The seven
official color. The flag has flown arrows represent the seven original
since then, but was only confirmed provinces in the Netherlands.

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