View source for Flag of Belgium

{{short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Not to be confused with|text=the [[flag of Germany]]}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Kingdom of Belgium
| Image = Flag of Belgium.svg
| Use = 111000
| Symbol = {{FIAV|111000}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion = 13:15
| Design = A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red.
| Adoption = {{start date and age|1831|1|23|df=yes}}
| Image2 = Flag of Belgium (civil).svg
| Use2 = 000100
| Symbol2 = {{FIAV|000100}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion2 = 2:3 or similar
| Design2 = A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red.
}} The [[national flag]] of the [[Kingdom of Belgium]] is a [[Tricolour (flag)|tricolour]] consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the [[Duchy of Brabant]], and the vertical design may be based on the [[flag of France]]. When flown, the black band is nearest the pole (at the hoist side). It has the unusual proportions of 13{{ratio}}15, and therefore, unlike the flags of Switzerland and the Vatican City, it is not a perfect square.  

In 1830, the flag, at that time non-officially, consisted of three horizontal bands, with the colors red, yellow and black. On 23 January 1831, the [[National Congress of Belgium|National Congress]] enshrined the tricolor in the [[Constitution of Belgium|Constitution]], but did not determine the direction and order of the color bands. As a result, the "official" flag was given vertical stripes with the colors black, yellow and red.

==Previous flags==
After the death of [[Charlemagne]], the present-day territory of Belgium (except the [[County of Flanders]]) became part of [[Lotharingia]], which had a flag of two horizontal red stripes separated by a white stripe.<ref name=protocole>{{Cite book|title=Noble Belgique, ô Mère chérie - LE PROTOCOLE EN BELGIQUE ''(PROTOCOL IN BELGIUM)'' |last=Van den Bussche |first=E. |year=2008 |publisher=Editions UGA |location=[[Kortrijk|Heule]] |isbn=978-90-6768-935-9|language=fr}}</ref> The territory then passed into Spanish hands, and after the coronation of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]], yellow and red, the colours of Spain, were added. From the 16th century to the end of the 18th century, the colours of what is now Belgium were red, white and yellow.<ref name=protocole/> Occasionally, the red [[Cross of Burgundy flag|Cross of Burgundy]] was placed on the white section of the flag.<ref name=protocole/>

During the [[Austrian Netherlands#Austrian Netherlands|period of Austrian rule]], a number of different flags were tried. Eventually, the Austrian emperor imposed the [[flag of Austria|Austrian flag]]. The population of [[Brussels]] was opposed to this, and, following the example of France, red, yellow and black [[cockade]]s began to appear, those being the colours of [[Duchy of Brabant|Brabant]].<ref name=protocole/> The colours thus correspond to the red lion of [[County of Hainaut|Hainaut]], [[Duchy of Limburg|Limburg]] and [[Duchy of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], the yellow lion of Brabant, and the black lion of Flanders and [[Namur (province)|Namur]].<ref name=protocole/>

==Independence and adoption of current flag==
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| caption_align     = center
| footer_align      = center
| footer            = 
| image1            = Flag of the Brabantine Revolution.svg
| width1            = 150
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = {{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Brabant Revolution]] (1789–1790)
| image2            = 
| width2            = 
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = 
| image3            = Flag of Belgium (1830).svg
| width3            = 150
| alt3              = Turn this sideways and you get the current Belgian flag!
| caption3          = {{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Belgian Revolution]] (1830–1831)
| image4            = 
| width4            = 
| caption4          = 
}}

On 27 August 1830, the day after the rioting at the [[La Monnaie]] theatre and the start of the [[Belgian Revolution]], the [[flag of France]] flew from the [[Brussels town hall|city hall of Brussels]]. The insurgents hastily replaced it with a tricolour of red, yellow, and black horizontal stripes (similar to the one used during the [[Brabant Revolution]]<ref name=protocole/> of 1789–1790 which had established the [[United States of Belgium]]) made at a nearby fabric store. As a result, Article 193 of the [[Constitution of Belgium]] describes the colours of the Belgian nation as ''Red, Yellow, and Black,'' the reverse order shown in the official flag.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

On 23 January 1831, the stripes changed from horizontal to vertical, and on 12 October, the flag attained its modern form, with the black placed at the [[Hoist (flag)|hoist side]] of the flag.<ref name=protocole/>

==Design and specifications==
The official guide to protocol in Belgium states that the national flag measures {{cvt|2.6|m|ft|1}} tall for each {{cvt|3|m|ft|1}} wide,<ref name=protocole/> giving it a ratio of 13:15. Each of the stripes is one-third of the width of the flag. The yellow is in fact yellow and not the darker gold of the [[flag of Germany]], which is a black-red-gold tricolour, striped horizontally.
=== Colours ===
The colours of the Belgian flag are:
{{Pantone table|Black|115 C|032 C}}

==Variants==
[[File:RoyalPalaceBrusselsFlag.jpg|thumb|The flag on the [[Royal Palace of Brussels]]]]
[[File:Hasselt Stadhuis 3.JPG|thumb|The 2:3 ratio is more commonly displayed on town halls. Pictured: town hall of [[Hasselt]].]]

=== National flag and civil ensign ===
The national flag has the unusual proportions of 13:15.
The 2:3 flag is the [[civil ensign]], the correct flag for use by civilians at sea.{{cn|date=June 2025}}<gallery>
File:Flag of Belgium.svg|Flag of Belgium
File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg|Civil flag of Belgium 
</gallery>

=== Government Ensign of Belgium ===
The Belgian government ensign is used by state-owned vessels and government agencies operating at sea, including customs, police, and coast guard vessels, as well as official transport ships for Belgian authorities and maritime service vessels like those for pilotage, hydrography, and lighthouse maintenance. It distinguishes these ships from civilian vessels (which use the national flag) and navy.

The Belgian government ensign consists of a vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red defaced by a lion [[rampant]] ensigned by a crown, both [[Sable (heraldry)|sable]] (black), the lion armed and [[langued]] [[gules]] (red).<gallery>
File:Government Ensign of Belgium.svg|Government Ensign of Belgium
</gallery>

===Naval ensign and jack===
The [[naval ensign]] of Belgium has the three [[national colours]] in a [[saltire]], on a white [[Glossary of vexillology#Flag elements|field]], with a black crown above crossed cannons at the top and a black anchor at the bottom. It was created in 1950, shortly after the [[Belgian Navy]] was re-established, having been a section of the British [[Royal Navy]] during [[World War II]], and it is reminiscent of the [[white ensign|White Ensign]] of the Royal Navy.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

There is also an official Belgian [[naval jack]], which is the same as the national flag, [[:File:Naval Jack of Belgium.svg|except in a 1:1 ratio]], making it square.{{cn|date=June 2025}}<gallery>
File:Naval Jack of Belgium.svg|Naval Jack of Belgium
File:Belgian Navy commissioning pennant.svg|Belgian Naval pennant
File:Naval auxiliary ensign.gif|The Belgian [[Naval ensign|Naval Auxiliary Ensign]]
</gallery>

===Royal standard and flags on the royal palaces===
The [[List of Belgian flags#Royal Standards|royal standard of Belgium]] is the personal standard of the current king, [[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe]], and features his [[monogram]], an 'F' (for the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] 'Filip'), crossed with a 'P' in the four corners. The designs of royal standards of past monarchs have been similar.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

The flags are flown above the palaces when the monarch is in Belgium, not necessarily just in one of the palaces. The flags are not flown if the monarch is on a state visit overseas or on holiday outside of Belgium. There have been exceptions to this rule, but, in general, presence or absence of the flag is a reasonably reliable indicator of whether or not the monarch is in the country.<gallery>
File:Flag of Belgium (with crown).svg|Flag of Belgium (with crown)
File:Royal Standard of King Philippe of Belgium.svg|Royal Standard of [[Philippe of Belgium|King Philippe of Belgium]]
</gallery>

=== Military flags of Belgium ===
The flags of the Belgian [[Belgian Land Component|Land]], [[Belgian Air Component|Air]], and [[Belgian Navy|Naval]] Components represent their different branches in the [[Belgian Armed Forces|Belgian military]]. 

The flag of the [[Belgian Land Component]] was adopted on september 1st 1982 The flag is white with the Army shield topped by a Royal crown. The Army shield is red with a black embattled wall. The shield is charged with a raised sword hold by two hands, the sinister one being bare and the dexter one covered with a gauntlet. The dexter hand is placed over the sinister one. The sword and the hands are all yellow.The Royal crown is yellow with a red cap, decorated with white pearls and gems. The number, shape and colour of the pearls and gems vary from flag to flag

The flag of the [[Belgian Air Component|Belgian Air Force]] was adopted on 4 February 1948. The flag of the [[Belgian Air Component]] is the badge of the air force and [[roundel]] of the Air force on a blue field.

The flag of the [[Belgian Navy]] was adopted on 2nd of march 1950. The ensign reminds the White Ensign of the Royal Navy, from which the Belgian Navy was re-established.The [[St. Andrew's cross (philately)|St. Andrew's cross]] was derived from the [[Cross of Burgundy]], which decorated the ensigns of the Belgian ships during the Burgondian rule. The colours of the cross are the national colours.The crossed cannons highlight the military status of the ensign. The crown is the emblem of the kingdom, The anchors symbolize the ship's crews.<gallery>
File:Flag of the Belgian Army.svg|Flag of the [[Belgian Land Component]]
File:Air Force Ensign of Belgium.svg|[[Belgian Air Component|Air Force]] Ensign of Belgium
File:Naval Ensign of Belgium.svg|Naval Ensign of Belgium
</gallery>

=== Historical flags ===
Belgium has had several flags throughout [[History of Belgium|its history]], reflecting different periods of smaller and bigger kingdoms such as the [[Duchy of Brabant]] (1183 – 1795) and the [[County of Flanders]] (863 – 1794) ... Or full rule over all Belgians like the [[Austrian Netherlands]] (1556 – 1715), [[Spanish Netherlands]] (1715 – 1795) and much more up until the independence of [[Belgium]] in 1831 after the [[Belgian Revolution|Belgian revolution]].<gallery>
File:Oriflamme of Charlemagne.png|Imperial Orilflamme of [[Charlemagne]]  (800 – 888) 
File:Generieke vlag van Vlaanderen.svg|Flag of [[County of Flanders|the County of Flanders]] (863 – 1794)
File:LuikVlag.svg|Flag of [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège|the Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]  (980 – 1795) 
File:Generieke vlag van Henegouwen.svg|Flag of [[County of Hainaut|the County of Hainaut]] (1071 – 1795)
File:Hertogdom Brabant vlag.png|Flag of [[Duchy of Brabant|the Duchy of Brabant]] (1183 – 1795)
File:Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg|Flag of [[Spanish Netherlands|the Spanish Netherlands]]  (1556 – 1715) 
File:Austrian Low Countries Flag.svg|Flag of [[Austrian Netherlands|the Austrian Netherlands]]  (1715 – 1795) 
File:Flag of the Brabantine Revolution.svg|Flag of [[United Belgian States|the United Belgian States]]  (1789 – 1790) 
File:Flag of Belgium (1830).svg|First Belgian flag  (1830 – 1831) 
File:Flag of Belgium.svg|Belgian flag  (1831 – present)  
</gallery>

=== Revolutionary flags ===
These flags were used during Belgian (or Brabantian) revolution, when the Belgian people fought for their independence:<gallery>
File:Flag of the Brabantine Revolution (with lion).png|Flag during the [[Brabant Revolution|Brabant revolution]], with lion  (1789 – 1790) 
File:Flag of the Liege Volunteers 1830.png|Flag of volunteers of Liege (1830 – 1831)
</gallery>

==Protocol==
[[File:Belgian Senate, Brussels.jpg|thumb|The flag on the [[Belgian Federal Parliament]] building]]
As Belgium is a [[federal state]], the flag of Belgium and the flags of the [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|communities or regions]] in principle occupy the same rank.<ref name=protocole/> Nonetheless, when flags are raised and lowered or carried in a procession, the national flag takes precedence over all the others.<ref name=protocole/>

The order of precedence is:<ref name=protocole/>
#The national flag of Belgium
#The flag of the [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|community or region of Belgium]]
#The [[European flag|European Flag]]
#The flags of the [[provinces of Belgium]], in alphabetical order in the local language, if more than one is flown
#The flag of the [[List of municipalities of Belgium|municipality]]

If there is a visiting [[head of state]], that country's flag may be set second in precedence, all other flags dropping a rank.<ref name=protocole/>

==See also==
{{portal|Belgium}}
* [[List of Belgian flags]]
* [[Flag of Flanders]]
* [[Flag of Wallonia]]
* [[Flag of Brussels]]
* [[Driekleur trikot]]
* [[Coat of arms of Belgium]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|National flag of Belgium}}
{{Clear}}

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{{Flag of Europe}}

{{Belgium topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belgium, Flag of}}
[[Category:Flags of Belgium| ]]
[[Category:National flags]]
[[Category:National symbols of Belgium|Flag]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1831]]
[[Category:Tricolor flags]]
[[Category:Vertically symmetrical flags]]