Flag of Spain
The flag of Spain, as it is defined in the Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the height of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle stripe color was called by the archaic term gualda ; hence the flag's nickname la Rojigualda. The middle stripe bears the coat of arms of Spain, being mandatory in several cases.
The origin of the current flag of Spain is the naval ensign of 1785, Pabellón de la Marina de Guerra, by Decrée of Charles III of Spain, where it is also referred as national flag. It was chosen by Charles III among 12 different flags designed by Antonio Valdés y Bazán. The flag remained marine-focused for most of the next 50 years and flew over coastal fortresses, marine barracks and other naval properties. During the Peninsular War, the bicolor flag was used by marine regiments fighting inland, and began to be also used in Army camps and raised by many Spaniards as a symbol of resistance. In 1843, during the reign of Queen Isabella II of Spain, the flag was adopted by all the Armed Forces.
From 18th century to nowadays, the color scheme of the flag remained intact, with the exception of the Second Republic period ; the only changes affected to the coat of arms.
Spanish flag legal framework and specifications
- Spanish Constitution of 1978, establishing the national flag:
- Act 39/1981, regulating the use of the flag.
- Royal Decree 441/1981, establishing the detailed technical specifications of the colors of the flag.
- Royal Decree 1511/1977, establishing the Regulations on flags, banners and emblems
- Royal decree of 19 July 1913, abolishing the 5-stripe Spanish merchant flag and establishing the plain triband – the national flag without the coat of arms – as the Spanish merchant flag.
Colors
The nearest Pantone shades are 7628 C and 7406 C.
Design
The basic design of the current flag of Spain with the coat of arms is specified by rule 3 of the Royal Decree 1511/1977, which states the following:- The coat of arms of Spain has a height equal to of the hoist and will figure on both sides of the flag.
- When the flag is of regular proportions, having a length equal to of the width, the coat of arm's axis is placed at a distance from the hoist equal to of the flag's height.
- If the flag's length is less than normal, the coat of arms is placed at the centre of the flag.
Flag protocol
The flag must only be flown horizontally. It can be flown from public buildings, private homes, businesses, ships, town squares, or during official ceremonies. While the flag should be flown from sunrise to sunset, government offices in Spain and abroad must fly the flag on a 24-hour basis; during the night, and in poor light, it must be properly lit. The flags must conform to the legal standards, and cannot be soiled or damaged in any way.For mourning activities, the flag can be flown in either of the following ways. The first method, commonly known as half-masting, is performed when the flag is hoisted to the top of the flagpole, then lowered to the pole's one-third position. The other method is to attach a black ribbon to a flag that is permanently affixed to a staff. The ribbon itself is ten centimetres wide and it is attached to the mast so that the ends of the ribbon reach the bottom of the flag. During the funeral ceremony, the flag may be used to cover the coffins of government officials, soldiers and persons designated by an act of the President; these flags are later folded and presented to the next of kin before interment.
When flying the Spanish flag with other flags, the following is the order of precedence: the national flag, flags of foreign states, the flag of Europe, international NGOs, military and government standards, autonomous communities flags, city flags and any others. When foreign flags are used alongside the Spanish flag, the flags are sorted according to the countries' names alphabetically in the Spanish language. The only exception is when the congress or meeting held in Spain dictates a different language to be used for sorting. The flag of Europe has been hoisted since Spain became a member of the Union. While not mentioned by name in the law, the flag of NATO can also be used in Spain, since it belongs to that organization.
When unfurled in the presence of other flags, the national flag must not have smaller dimensions and must be situated in a prominent, honourable place, according to the relevant protocol.
Other flags currently in use
Civil authorities
Some high-ranking officials of the Spanish state are entitled to display a flag representative of their status: the Presidents of the Congress and of the Senate, and the President and members of the Council of Ministers.Yacht ensign
The Yacht ensign is the flag of Spain charged with the royal crown in blue in the centre of the yellow stripe. This flag was first established in 1875 by Royal Decree, which provided that the central stripe would display the royal crown ; this flag apparently continued to be used following the creation of the Spanish Republic in 1931, but the royal crown was changed to a blue mural crown or a blue coronet; the current version — depicting the royal crown in blue — was introduced following the restoration of the monarchy.Naval jack
The Spanish naval jack is hoisted at the prow of all Navy ships when docked or anchored in foreign waters, from sunrise to sunset. In national waters it is hoisted on Sundays, festivities and in presence of a foreign warship as soon as it moors at the dock. The national flag is always hoisted at the stern, when sailing, and from sunrise to sunset, when docked. It is a square flag composed of 4 quarters, matching those of the coat of arms. The current version of the jack was adopted in the early 1980s.- First quarter, for Castile: Gules, a tower Or, masoned sable and ajouré azure;
- Second quarter, for León: Argent, a lion rampant gules crowned, langued and armed or;
- Third quarter, for Aragon: Or, four pallets gules;
- Fourth quarter, for Navarre: Gules, a cross, saltire and orle of chains linked together Or, a centre point vert.
Flags for Armed Forces
Royal Standards of Spain
The King of Spain uses a flag known as the Royal Standard. The Royal Standard of Spain consists of a crimson square with the Coat of arms of the King in the centre. It is usually flown at the King's official residence, the Palacio de la Zarzuela, other Spanish royal sites, or displayed on his official car as small flags. It is regulated by clause 2 of Royal Decree 527/2014, 20 June, an amendment to Title II of Spanish Royal Decree 1511/1977 adopting Flags, Standards, Guidons, Insignia and Emblems Regulation.The Royal Guidon, the monarch's military personal ensign, is described by Rule 1 of Royal Decree 527/2014, an amendment to Title II, Rule 1 of Spanish Royal Decree 1511/1977. It is nearly identical to the Royal Standard except that the Royal Guidon has a Gold fringe. It is made of silk taffeta. The size of the guidon is. It is the personal command ensign or positional flag of the monarch, and is carried near him.
The heir to the crown, the Princess of Asturias, has her own standard and guidon. The Standard of the Princess of Asturias is regulated by Royal Decree 284/2001 that modified the Title II of Spanish Royal Decree 1511/1977. The Standard of the Princess of Asturias consists of a light blue square flag with the coat of arms of the Princess of Asturias in the center. The Guidon is identical to the Standard except that the Royal Guidon has a gold fringe. It is made of silk taffeta. The size of the guidon is. It has fallen into disuse because of the Princess's young age.
History
While the concept of a national flag did not exist in the Middle Ages, the symbol of Spain was the Royal Shield. It was frequently made up of other different flags, full of images and symbols that represented all the values that the troops or the King defended.Standard of the Catholic monarchs
In Spain the medieval kingdoms which merged in the sixteenth century had their own heraldic symbols and their navies used to display their own flags and standards on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, where the Aragonese and Castilian Crowns had their respective areas of influence. The flag of the Crown of Aragon was a yellow flag with four red stripes. The Crown of Castile, since the final union between the kingdoms of Castile and León in 1230, used a alternating the Castilian and Leonese emblems. Aragonese and Castilian flags and coats of arms merged when the Catholic monarchs created the new symbols of their personal union of the crowns in 1475.The banner of Castile and León was the first European symbol to arrive in the New World.