Flag of France

Quick Facts: Who was Flag of France?

Subject:

Flag of France

Known for:

The French tricolour flag, symbolizing the nation's revolutionary spirit and unity.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The national flag of France (French: Drapeau national de la France) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue (hoist side), white, and red. The design was adopted during the French Revolution and has remained the national flag since then, with only minor variations in shade and proportion. The tricolour scheme was later adopted by many other nations in Europe and elsewhere, and, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, has historically stood "in symbolic opposition to the autocratic and clericalist royal standards of the past". Before the tricolour was adopted the royal government used many flags, the best known being a blue shield and gold fleurs-de-lis (the Royal Arms of France) on a white background, or state flag. Early in the French Revolution, the Paris militia, which played a prominent role in the storming of the Bastille, wore a cockade of blue and red, the city's traditional colours.

Career & Major Achievements

According to French general Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, white was the "ancient French colour" and was added to the militia cockade to form a tricolour, or national, cockade of France. This cockade became part of the uniform of the National Guard, which succeeded the militia and was commanded by Lafayette. The colours and design of the cockade are the basis of the Tricolour flag, adopted in 1790, originally with the red nearest to the flagpole and the blue farthest from it. A modified design by Jacques-Louis David was adopted in 1794. The royal white flag was used during the Bourbon Restoration from 1815 to 1830; the tricolour was brought back after the July Revolution and has been used since then, except for an interruption for a few days in 1848.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Since 1974, there have been two versions of the flag in varying levels of use by the state: the original (identifiable by its use of navy blue) and one with a lighter shade of blue. Since July 2020, France has used the older variant by default, including at the Élysée Palace. Article 2 of the French constitution of 1958 states that "the national emblem is the tricolour flag, blue, white, red". No law has specified the shades of these official colours. In English blazon, the flag is described as tierced in pale azure, argent and gules.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1790: 1790 Milestone — The colours and design of the cockade are the basis of the Tricolour flag, adopted in 1790, originally with the red nearest to the flagpole and the blue farthest from it.
2. 1794: 1794 Milestone — A modified design by Jacques-Louis David was adopted in 1794.
3. 1815: 1815 Milestone — The royal white flag was used during the Bourbon Restoration from 1815 to 1830; the tricolour was brought back after the July Revolution and has been used since then, except for an interruption for a few days in 1848.
4. 1958: 1958 Milestone — Article 2 of the French constitution of 1958 states that "the national emblem is the tricolour flag, blue, white, red".
5. 1974: 1974 Milestone — Since 1974, there have been two versions of the flag in varying levels of use by the state: the original (identifiable by its use of navy blue) and one with a lighter shade of blue.
6. 2020: 2020 Milestone — Since July 2020, France has used the older variant by default, including at the Élysée Palace.

Notable Quotes by Flag of France

“liberté (freedom: blue), égalité (equality: white), fraternité (brotherhood: red)”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Flag of France

True or False: “The original royal standard of France featured the tricolour colors prominently.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Before the tricolour, the royal arms were typically a blue shield with gold fleurs-de-lis on a white background.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Smith — Historical peer (Died in 1790) (1790): Scottish philosopher and economist, considered the father of modern capitalism.
• Alphonse de Lamartine — Historical peer (Born in 1790) (1790): French poet, author, and statesman whose career spanned revolutionary fervor and republican ideals.
• Anacharsis Cloots — Historical peer (Died in 1794) (1794): Prussian nobleman and internationalist anarchist, pivotal figure in the French Revolution.
• André Chénier — Historical peer (Died in 1794) (1794): Emotive French poet, precursor to Romanticism, tragically linked to the French Revolution.
• Ada Lovelace — Historical peer (Born in 1815) (1815): Pioneering mathematician recognized as the first computer programmer.
• Adolph Menzel — Historical peer (Born in 1815) (1815): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.
• Abdulaziz — Historical peer (Born in 1830) (1830): Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, whose reign spanned major reforms and decline.
• Adam Weishaupt — Historical peer (Died in 1830) (1830): German philosopher, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, and legal scholar.
• Albert I of Monaco — Historical peer (Born in 1848) (1848): Prince of Monaco, devoted to science, exploration, and modernizing the state.
• Augustus Saint-Gaudens — Historical peer (Born in 1848) (1848): Pioneering American sculptor embodying the ideals of the American Renaissance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Flag of France