List of French flags explained

This list includes flags that either have been in use or are currently used by France, French Overseas Collectivites, the Sui Generis Collectivity and the French Overseas Territory.

The French Society of Vexillology is the authority on the flying of flags in France and maintains the only official register of flags for the country.^[1] It was established in 1985 and as part of the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques operates under the authority of the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. The Breton Vexillology Society holds a similar role within Brittany.

National flags

Date	Party	Description
2020–present;	National flag of the French Second Republic, Second French Empire, French Third Republic, French State, Provisional Government of the French Republic, French Fourth Republic, and the French Fifth Republic. Originally adopted on 15 February 1794 and interchangeable with the lighter version introduced in 1976.	A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 3:2).
1976–2020	An interchangeable lighter version of the national flag of the French Fifth Republic from 1976.^[2] This version was abandoned by President Emmanuel Macron in July 2021 in favor of the version with darker shades.^[3] ^[4] ^[5]	A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 3:2).
1976–2020	Flag of France (vertical)
2020–present;	Modern Flag of France

Standards

Presidential Standards

Date	Party	Description
1880–present		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1).
1880–present	The Presidential and Prime Minister Standard of France (variant)	A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 3:2).
1887–1894		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "C".
1894–1895		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "CP".
1895–1899		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "FF".
1899–1906		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "EL".
1906–1913		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "AF".
1913–1920		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "RP".
	1920		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden"PD".
1920–1924		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "AM".
	1924–1931		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "GD".
1931–1932		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "PD".
1932–1940		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "AL".
1940–1944		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red with the axe and 7 golden stars.
1947–1954		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "VA".
1958–1959		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "RC".
1959–1969		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 3:2) with the red Cross of Lorraine. A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with the golden "CG" and the red Cross of Lorraine.
1969–1974		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red with the golden "GP".
1974		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red with the golden "AP".
1975–1981		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red with the golden fasces.
1982–1995		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red with the golden oak tree.
1982–1995		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red with the golden "FM".

Ministers Standards

Flag	Date	Party	Description
	1880–1958	Flag of the Governor Colony	A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red on swallow tail blue ensign. (proportions 1:2).
	1976–present		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) on a blue ensign.

Royal Standards

Flag	Date	Party	Description
	early 17th century–1789 1814–1830
	1643–1715
	1715–1789
	1804–1815
	1815–1830	Royal Standard of Louis XVIII and Charles X.
	1830–1848
	1870–1873	Imperial standard of Napoléon III
	1873–1879
	1827–1877

Military

Flags of the French Military

Flag	Date	Use	Description
			A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red (proportions 1:1) with a golden emblem.
	10 August 1939–present		Originally the marque of the Chief of the National Defence.^[6]
	1916–present

Army

Flags of the French Army

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	10 August 1939–present		Marque given to the chief of staff.
	1791–1796

Navy

Flags of the French Navy

Date	Use	Description
10 August 1939–present		Marque given to the chief of staff.
1794–18141853–present		A vertical tricolour of blue, white, and red, but with bars in proportion 30:33:37
1848–1910
16th century–?
?–1790	Naval Flag of the Kingdom of France (Galley Ensign)
1790–1794		A white flag with a bordered, first version of the French tricolore on the top-left honour quadrant
1638–1790 1814–1830	Naval ensign of Kingdom of France	A pure white flag
1943–1945		The argent rhomboid field is defaced with a gules Lorraine cross.
10 August 1939–present	Flag of the Admiral of the French Navy
10 August 1939–present	Flag of the Vice-Admiral D'escadre of the French Navy
	Flag of the Vice-Admiral of the French Navy
	Flag of the Contre-Admiral of the French Navy
	Flag of the Capitaine de Vaisseau of the French Navy (Division)
	Flag of the Capitaine de Vaisseau of the French Navy (Unit)
	Flag of the Harbour Commanding Officer
	Flag of the Senior Merchant Navy Captain in the harbour
	Pennant

Air Force

Flags of the French Air Force

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	10 August 1939–present		Marque given to the chief of staff.
	1916–1917

Civil Ensign

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	17th century	Civil Ensign of Kingdom of France
	?–1790	Civil ensign of Kingdom of France
	?–1790
	1923–19451945–1949
		French pilot boat flag

Vexillology Associations

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	2016–present
	1996–present	Flag of Breton Vexillological Society

Regional and territorial flags

See main article: Flags of the regions of France.

City flags

See main article: List of communal flags in France.

Largest cities

Date	City	Description
1945–present	Paris	See main article: Flag of Paris. In the center is the coat of arms of Paris.Red is identified with Saint Denis, blue with Saint Martin.
13th century–present	Marseille	See main article: Flag of Marseille. The flag dates from the time of the crusades. The cross is a symbol of the crusades
?–present	Lyon	See main article: Flag of Lyon.
14th century–present	Nice	Flag of the County of Nice (1108–1176)
?–present	Nantes	White cross of the Kingdom of France on the black cross of Brittany
1262–present	Strasbourg	Colors of Alsace

Political flags


Flag	Date	Party

	2021–present


	2011–present	Lys noir^fr
	2011–present	Ligue du Midi ^oc
	2011–present
	2010–present
	2009–present
	2000s–present	Identitarian movement
Link to file<	-- Do NOT display a non-free flag image here. See talk page for more information -->	1998–present
	1994–present
	1983–present
	1977–present
	1964–present

	2013–2014
	2008–2011
	1991–2019
	2016–2017
	2005–2016
	1968–2013
	1961–1962
	1941–1945
	1936–1945
	1934–1944
	1933–1944
	1927–1939
	1791–1792
	1790–1795

Monarchist flags

These flags have a long tradition among French monarchists.^[7]

Separatist movements flags

Flag	Date	Party	Description

	2001–present
	1971–1980
	1931–1944
	1907

	2018–present	Democratic Organization of the People of Occitania^oc
	1969–1976
	1959–present

	1972–1981

	1978–present
	1963–1970s

	1990–present	Pro-Unification of Saint Martin flag

	1992–present	Build the Martinique Country and Movement of Democrats and Ecologists for Sovereign Martinique^fr
Link to file<	-- Do NOT display a non-free flag image here. See talk page for more information -->	1984–present	National Council of People's Committees^fr
	1984–present
	1978–present

	1984–present
	1953–present

	1986–present

	1991–present

	2016–present

Ethnic groups flags

Many cultural groups, which identify themselves mostly by language, use traditional flag of the regions of its origin. Such flags are not listed here.

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	11th century–present		Flag of Alsace
	?		Sun of the Alps
	1894–present		Ikurriña
	1923–present		Flag of Brittany
	1923–present		Senyera serves as a flag of Pyrénées-Orientales
	1188?–present		Flag of Gascony
	13th century–present		Flag and coat of arms of Normandy
	19th century–present		Occitan cross
	?–present
	1847–present		Duchy of Savoy#Flag
	?–present
	?–present
	2010–present		Flags of New Caledonia
	1837–present		Flag of the Gambier Islands
	1980–present		Flag of the Marquesas Islands
	1788–present		Flag of French Polynesia
	1985–present
	1985–present		Flag of the Austral Islands
	1985–present		Flag of Wallis and Futuna

Historical flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1790–1794
	14 July 1790	Revolutionist flag
	21 January 1793	Revolutionist flag
	7 May 1794	Revolutionist flag
	1814–1830
	1848
	1940–1944
	1943–1944

Kingdom of France

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	10th century–12th century
	12th century–13th century
	14th century–16th century
	1365–1792 1815–1830
	1791–1814
	1793–1800	Type of Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée flag
	1715–1789	State Flag by the Kingdom of France under the absolute monarchy.
	1365–1794	The Royal Banner of early modern France or "Bourbon Flag" was the most commonly used flag in New France.^[8] ^[9] ^[10] ^[11]
	1124–1356
	1124–1356	Oriflamme (variant)
	9th century	Oriflamme (variant)
	9th century	Oriflamme (variant)
	9th century	Oriflamme (variant)

Colonial flags

See main article: French colonial flags.

Alsace

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Adopted 11th century
	1912–1918	Flag of Alsace-Lorraine, adopted on 25 June 1912 and flag of the Republic of Alsace-Lorraine (1918)
	1871–1918
	982–1803

Brittany

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	939–1547
	939–1547
	14th century–16th century	Breton Army Flag and Ensign
	1351

Burgundy

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	918–1482
	14th century

Corsica

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	14th century
	?–1755	Flag of Corsica
	1794–1796

Normandy

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	911–1469
	1035–1087	William the Conquerors gonfalon	William the Conquerors personal gonfalon held by Eustace II, Count of Boulogne in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Occitania

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Medieval
	9th century–1620
	602–1453
	778–1271
	1108–1176
	1274–1791
	1848–1849
	1944

French Guiana

Date	Use	Description
2010–2015	Flag of the Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana
Colonial	Unofficial French Guiana	Banner of arms of French Guiana.

French Polynesia

Austral Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1858–1889
	1889–1900	Flag of Kingdom of Rurutu
	1856–1891
	1891–1900	Flag of Kingdom of Rimatara

Marquesas Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1837–1842
	1835

Society Islands

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1820–1845
	1837–1842	Flag of Kingdom of Bora Bora
	1842–1895	Flag of Kingdom of Bora Bora
	1847–1888	Flag of Kingdom of Huahine
	1847–1880
	1880–1888	Flag of Kingdom of Raiatea
	1822–1829
	1829–1843	Flag of Kingdom of Tahiti
	1843–1880	Flag of Tahiti Protectorate

Tuamotus

Martinique

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1766–2018
	2019–2021	Flag of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique

Wallis and Futuna

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1842–1860
	1860–1886	Flag of Kingdom of Uvea
	1886–1887	Flag of Kingdom of Uvea
	1837–1858	Royal Standard of Uvea
	1858–1887	Royal Standard of Uvea
	1887–1910	Unofficial flag of Wallis and Futuna
	1910–1974	Unofficial flag of Wallis and Futuna
	1974–1985	Unofficial flag of Wallis and Futuna

Other historical flags

Date	Use	Description
1419	Flag of Dauphin Charles (future Charles VII) upon his entry (adventus) into Bourges on 14 March 1419. According to Anselme d'Ysalguier (from Toulouse) eyewitness.
	Huguenot battle flag

1870
1871		A plain red flag

Flag proposal

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1871	A proposed flag of France, possible design by Henri d'Artois, comte de Chambord.
	ca. 2010	Proposal by Hervé, Baron Pinoteau for the flag of a restored Kingdom of France under legitimist Bourbon branch.

Associations

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	?–present?
	1967–
	1896–1935	French Society of Sea Works

French shipping company

Date	Use	Description
1976–2016
1912–1962
1903–1988	Caen Naval Company^fr
1883–1990
1881–1933		They used the flag of Marseille.
1872–?
1851–1977
1836–1979
1664–1794

References

Web site: adhésion et renouvellement. 22 December 2016. French Society of Vexillology. La Société française de vexillologie (SFV) est ouverte sans condition de nationalité à quiconque s’intéresse à l’étude des drapeaux et des pavillons sous tous leurs aspects (usage, histoire, symbolisme, fabrication, etc.) et adhère aux règles et principes énoncés dans ses statuts..
Web site: À propos du bleu du drapeau tricolore . About the blue of the tricolor flag . . fr.
Web site: 14 November 2021 . Emmanuel Macron a changé la couleur du drapeau français . Emmanuel Macron has changed the color of the French flag . CNEWS . . fr.
Web site: de Raguenel . Louis . 14 November 2021 . INFO EUROPE 1 : Emmanuel Macron a changé la couleur du drapeau français . INFO EUROPE 1: Emmanuel Macron has changed the color of the French flag . . fr.
Web site: Epstein . Jake . 15 November 2021 . France changed the color of its flag – and no one noticed for over a year . 2022-12-22 . Insider.
Web site: Marques, honneurs, saluts et visites dans les forces navales et à bord des bâtiments de la marine militaire. gallica.bnf.fr. fr. 10 August 1939. 29 February 2020.
1485647873660407809. OAanmoen. French royalists marched in Paris this weekend to mark the death of King Louis XVI and demand the return of the mon…. 24 January 2022.
Book: New York State Historical Association. Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association with the Quarterly Journal: 2nd-21st Annual Meeting with a List of New Members. 1915. The Association. It is most probable that the Bourbon Flag was used during the greater part of the occupancy of the French in the region extending southwest from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi, known as New France... The French flag was probably blue at that time with three golden fleur – de – lis .... .
Web site: Fleur-de-lys | The Canadian Encyclopedia. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. At the time of New France (1534 to the 1760s), two flags could be viewed as having national status. The first was the banner of France – a blue square flag bearing three gold fleurs-de-lys. It was flown above fortifications in the early years of the colony. For instance, it was flown above the lodgings of Pierre Du Gua de Monts at Île Sainte-Croix in 1604. There is some evidence that the banner also flew above Samuel de Champlain’s habitation in 1608. ..... the completely white flag of the French Royal Navy was flown from ships, forts and sometimes at land-claiming ceremonies..
Web site: INQUINTE.CA | CANADA 150 Years of History ~ The story behind the flag. inquinte.ca. When Canada was settled as part of France and dubbed "New France," two flags gained national status. One was the Royal Banner of France. This featured a blue background with three gold fleurs-de-lis. A white flag of the French Royal Navy was also flown from ships and forts and sometimes flown at land-claiming ceremonies..
Book: . The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada. 1948. 350–351. During the French régime in Canada, there does not appear to have been any French national flag in the modern sense of the term. The "Banner of France", which was composed of fleur-de-lys on a blue field, came nearest to being a national flag, since it was carried before the king when he marched to battle, and thus in some sense symbolized the kingdom of France. During the later period of French rule, it would seem that the emblem...was a flag showing the fleur-de-lys on a white ground.... as seen in Florida. There were, however, 68 flags authorized for various services by Louis XIV in 1661; and a number of these were doubtless used in New France.