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Royal flags (The Netherlands)

Koninklijke vlaggen (Nederland)

Last modified: 2019-05-25 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal |
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[Royal flag of the Netherlands] from Shipmate's Flagchart
Adopted 27 August 1908


Other royal flags: See also:

Royal flag since 1908

The royal standard (or royal flag as it's called officially) consists of a square orange field with a Nassau-blue cross (1/5th of the width) all over. In each quarter a bugle of blue, garnished with silver and hanging on a red cord. In the center of the cross the shield of the national/royal arms (including the royal crown), surrounded by the ribbon and badge of the Military Order of William. Adopted 27 august 1908.
Mark Sensen, 3 May 1997 and 17 March 1999

"The Royal Standard of the Netherlands was established on 27 August 1908. The field is square and orange, charged with a cross over all of 'Nassau' blue. In each quarter is a 'Nassau' blue bugle, garnished with silver and hung on red cords. In the centre is the royal shield, which is blue with a rampant lion holding a sword in one paw and a bundle of arrows in the other, and strewn with billets, all in gold, surrounded by the ribbon and badge of the Order of William and ensigned with the Royal Crown."
Santiago Dotor, 16 February 2000

"In addition to the Royal Standard there is also a Coronation Standard, only used at Coronation ceremonies, consisting of a white banner charged with the Royal Arms."
Santiago Dotor, 16 February 2000

At the site of the Netherlands royal house I read that the Netherlands royal standard is flown above the royal palaces whenever the Queen is in the country, not only when she is physically in the palace concerned.
Joseph McMillan, 20 May 2002

The palaces where the royal standard is flown are Paleis Huis ten Bosch where Queen Beatrix and Price Claus live, and Paleis Noordeinde where they work. Both are in The Hague. The third palace, Het Koninklijk Paleis ("The Royal Palace") in Amsterdam, which mainly has a representative function, isn't mentioned, so probably the royal standard isn't flown there.
Mark Sensen, 20 May 2002

Formally, The Netherlands has not had a Queen, but a female King. This can also be seen in the shape of the Royal Standard, where the shape of a standard for a prince is rectangular while that of a princess is forked, the Royal Flag is always square, regardless of whether it represents a male or a female King.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 30 April 2015

However, as it turns out King Willem-Alexander does use a different flag. The shape of the flag is indeed square, but his flag is different in two details: The rosette in the ribbon has become a bow. And the tassels on the bugles now hang straight down.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 2 April 2019


Princesses' Standard

[Princesses flag] image by Mark Sensen, 25 March 2004
Adopted 10 November 1955 (Princess Beatrix)
Adopted 5 September 1960 (Princesses Irene, Margriet and Marijke [Christina])

"The Standard of Princess Beatrix [nowadays Queen Beatrix], established on 10 November 1956, is the same shape as the others [sic -- 'the others' are different in shape!] but has a triangle cut out of the fly. The field is likewise orange with a blue cross and has the crowned shield on an orange disc in the centre. In the first quarter is a Nassau bugle as in the Royal Standard, and in the lower hoist a red rose of Lippe [standing for Queen Beatrix' parents Arms]." (Also illustrated). The flag formerly used by Princess Beatrix is still in use by her royal sisters. A flag for the heir-presumptive, Prince Willem Alexander, is being designed. Source: Barraclough, Flags of the World, 1981, page 246.
Santiago Dotor, 16 February 2000


Standard of Prince Maurits (and his brothers)

Prince Mauritz image by Mark Sensen, 25 March 2004
Adopted 25 January 1988

Even though Princess Juliana was an only child, Princess Beatrix wasn't. And her sisters had children as well. Princess Margriet married Pieter van Vollenhoven, who did not receive a title of Prins (Prince) at that wedding, though considering the currently laws he now has that title, and probably is not represented by a standard because of that. Their sons, Prins Maurits and his brothers, are represented by yet another standard, orange with cross pierced disk-shaped Nassau blue, crowned shield inside the gap, horns of Oranje, and ... a white star (six-pointed) for Van Vollenhoven. This star was chosen because the coat of arms of Vollenhoven consists of five stars.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 20 February 2000

On 29 May 1998, Prins Maurits married Marilène van den Broek. Neither she nor their children were granted a personal standard. Until King William-Alexander ascended to the throne, Maurits and Marilène were part of the Royal House.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 2 April 2019