List of Belgian flags explained

This is a list of flags used in Belgium.

National flag

Ensign

FlagDateUseDescription
1831–present Civil ensign of Belgium A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red with a 2:3 ratio.
1950–present State ensign of Belgium A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red defaced by a lion rampant ensigned by a crown, both sable (black), the lion armed and langued gules (red).

Military

FlagDateUseDescription
1950–present The Army badge, crowned, on a white field
The Air Component badge and roundel on a blue field.
A yellow saltire on a white field, bordered above and below in red and to the left and right in black, charged on the top with a crown above crossed cannons and on the bottom by a fouled anchor.
Naval jack of the Belgian Navy A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red with a 1:1 ratio.
Pennant of the Belgian Navy

Sub-national

Regions and communities

Flag Administrative division Adopted Description
2015 Flag of the Brussels-Capital Region
1973 Flag of Flanders
1991–present
(French Community)
1998–present
(Walloon Region)
Flag of Wallonia
1990 Flag of the German-speaking Community of Belgium

Provinces

Flag Administrative division Adopted Description
1997
1999
1996
1996
2018 Azure and white horizontal stripes with the crowned red lion[1]
1995 Flag and coat of arms of Walloon Brabant
1997

Municipalities

Royal standards

Monarch

Each royal standard for a monarch is a square rouge ponceau banner of the royal arms, personalised with the king's cypher in each corner.

FlagDateUse
1831–1865Royal standard of Leopold I
1865–1909Leopold II
1909–1934Albert I
1934–1951
1951–1993
1993–2013
2013–present

Historical flags

FlagDateUseDescription
800-888Imperial Orilflamme of CharlemagneA 3 pointed green field with 8 golden crosses and 6 flowers.
early 1400s[2] Imperial Banner of the Holy Roman EmperorAn Imperial Eagle displayed with a halo sable armed and langued gules
862–1797Flag of the County of FlandersA yellow flag with a black lion in the center.
900–1477Flag of the County of HainautA yellow quartered banner with black and red lions.
1183–1794Flag of the Duchy of BrabantA golden lion on a black field.
1482–1714Flag of Spanish NetherlandsA white flag with the cross of Burgundy.
1713–1740Flag of the Archduchy of AustriaA yellow field with a black double headed eagle with a crown on top and carrying the tricolored arms of Austria on his chest.
1781–1786[3] Flag of the Austrian NetherlandsA tricolour, with three equal horizontal bands of red, white and gold with the arms of Austria.
1789–1790 Flag of the Brabant RevolutionA tricolour, with three equal horizontal bands of red, black and yellow.
~1790s Flag of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, also of the Republic of LiègeA bicolour, with two equal vertical bands of red and yellow.
1830–1831 Flag of the Belgian RevolutionA tricolour, with three equal horizontal bands of black, yellow and red.
Fanion of the Belgian Legion during the French intervention in MexicoTricolour of the Mexican Empire, superimposed with the Belgian tricolour to top left.
1883–1920 Flag of Neutral MoresnetA tricolour, with three equal horizontal bands of black, white and blue.

Colonial

FlagDateUseDescription
1908–1960 A blue flag with yellow five-pointed star.
1936–1960[4] A vertical tricolour of black, yellow, and red, with a yellow star in the upper left canton on a blue field.

Political flags

FlagDateUseDescription
2004–present Flag of the (Flemish Interest)
1999–present Flag of the Nation
1978–present Flag of the Socialist Party
1978–2004 Flag of the
1949–1983 Red odal on black background.
1935–1945 Flag of the Rexist Party
1933–1944 Flag of the
1931–1941 Flag of the Verdinaso
Flemish as adopted by certain parts of the Flemish Movement
Flag of the
Flag of the [5]

House flags of Belgian freight companies

FlagDateUseDescription
1895–Present
1871–1935

Other

FlagDateUseDescription
1957–present A Dutch tricolour superimposed with a rampant lion and black square
1955–present Flag of EuropeA circle of 12 5-pointed gold (yellow) stars on a blue field.

Notes and References

  1. Official email response from the Greffe of the Province of Luxembourg, May 2, 2018
  2. Web site: "The flags of the Belgians through history" plate . 2022-12-14 . www.crwflags.com.
  3. Web site: Austrian Netherlands (1713–1786) . 2022-12-14 . www.crwflags.com.
  4. Web site: Congo pre-independence – Governors-General flags (1885–1960) . 2022-12-14 . www.crwflags.com.
  5. Web site: QU'EST-CE QUE WALLONIE LIBRE ? . Wallonie Libre . fr.