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Belgium

België, Belgique, Belgien

Origin of colors
Horizontal bands
The Lion of Brabant
Naval Jack
Flags and arms of the Belgian provinces

Origin of colors

The colours were taken from the flag of Brabant, a province in the Low Countries (the Netherlands + Belgium ), which extended from Walloon province Brabant Wallon, over Vlaams Brabant (and Brussels) and Antwerpen in Flanders, and in the Netherlands the province of Noord-Brabant. The flag of Brabant was a golden (yellow) lion climbing the hoist, on a black surface, and its tongue and nails were red. It also features on the arm of the kingdom of Belgium. Probably, the ordering of the colours in vertical bands was based on the French flag, since the colours of the Dutch flags were ordered in horizontal bands, and the founding of Belgium was actually a separation from the Netherlands.

From Filip Van Laenen

Horizontal bands

The Belgian colours are nowadays in vertical bands, but a few months ago I saw some drawings about the Belgian revolution of 1830 (separation from the Dutch kingdom which has its colours in horizontal bands), and some flags waived on the drawings had the colours in horizontal bands, others in vertical bands. It seems that in the early days of that revolution, it didn't matter whether the colours were ordered vertically or horizontally, as long as they were black-yellow-red. But perhaps later on the vertical bands were favoured because the French flag has its colours in vertical bands too, and the young Belgian nation was very French- minded.

Filip Van Laenen, 1995-OCT-20

These horizontal tribands were already used in an earlier revolution, in december 1789 when the Belgians raised (not succesfully) against the Habsburgers (Austrians). I've got a drawing of it, the colours arranged red/black/yellow. On 25 august 1830 (after the performance of Auberts freedom opera "La Muette de Portici") began the revolt against the Dutch king William I. The next day a French (!) flag was hoisted on the city hall of Brussels. Two men (Lucien Jottrand and Edouard Ducpètiaux) remembered the colours used in 1789 and made two flags horizontal red/yellow/black; one to replace the French flag, and with one they marched through the streets. On 23 january 1831 the Provisional Gouvernment decreed:

"The flag of Belgium is red, yellow and black. These colours are arranged vertical".

But in article 124 of the Belgian constitution of 4 february 1831 no order of colours was given. On 13 september 1831 the minister of Navy decreed:

"Black must be placed on the hoist, yellow in the middle and red on the fly".

This flag was last confirmed on 28 january 1936.

Mark Sensen, 1995-OCT-20

The lion of Brabant

Its description is: Sable, a Lion Rampant Or, Nails and Tongue Gules. This lion features on the arms of the Belgian kingdom, and several arms of the provinces, like Walloon Brabant (Brabant wallon), Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), and the Dutch province North-Brabant (Noord-Brabant).

Filip Van Laenen

Naval Jack

The naval jack is the same as the national flag. [bro68]

Pascal Vagnat, 1996-MAY-02

Flags and arms of the Belgian provinces

Here follows a list of the arms and flags of the Belgian provinces. They all have ratios 1:1.

Antwerp (Antwerpen): Flag: Vertical yellow-red-white; Arm: At the upper right side, a two-headed eagle sable on or, on the lower left side a city silver on gules, ont the right side eagle sable on or, three piles gules on or, at the bottom a pile azure on silver
Brabant: Flag: Horizontal black-yellow; Arm: In Sable, Lion Ramapnt Or, Nailed and Tongued Gules
Note: This province ceased to exist on 1995-JAN-01, and was split up into the provinces Walloon Brabant and Flemish Brabant, together with the Brussels' Capital Region
East-Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen): Flag: yellow-black; Arm: Lion rampant sable, tongued and nailed gules, on or
Flemisch Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant): Arm: In Sable, Lion rampant Or, Nailed and Tongued Gules, Escutcheon in Gules, Fess of Silver
Hainault (Hainaut): Flag: horizontal red-yellow-blue; Arm: Quartered, left top side and right bottom side, lion rampant sable, tongued and nailed gules, on or; right top and left bottom side lion rampant gules, tongued and nailed azure on or
Liège: Flag: horizontal red-yellow; Arm: Quartered, left top side perron or, flanked by an L and G or, on gules, right top side fess silver on gules, right bottom side five fesses gules on or, bottom one above two horns gules and silver on or, left bottom side two above one lions rampant sinople, crowned or, tongued and nailed gules, on silver
Limburg: Flag: Horizontal white-red; Arm: In Silver, Lion Rampant Gules, Double-tailed, Nailed, Tongued and crowned Or
Luxemburg (Luxembourg): Flag: horizontal red-white-blue (like the Grand-Duchy); Arm: Lion rampant gules, crowned, nailed and tongued or, on six fesses azure on silver.
Namur: Flag: horizontal red-black-yellow; Arm: Lion rampant sable, crowned, tongued and nailed gules, on or, behind a bend of gules
Walloon Brabant (Brabant wallon): Arm: Lion rampant or, tongued and nailed gules, on sable, in the upper corners a cock gules on or
West-Flanders (West-Vlaanderen): Horizontal yellow-red; Arm: Left side escutcheon gules, six rays of azure on or, right side lion rampant sable, tongued and nailed gules, on or

The descriptions of the flags from Mark Sensen, arms from Filip Van Laenen

Although the provinces in theory do have a flag different from their arms, I cannot recall that I ever saw such flag. Usually, a flag-version of the arm is used in stead. Filip Van Laenen

The arms of the Belgian province of Luxembourg is identical to that of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, though having a different ratio: the arm of the Grand-Duchy has a ratio 5:7. Zeljko Heimer, 1995-SEP-19