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Belgium

België, Belgique, Belgien

by António Martins

Flag adopted 3 September 1831, coat of arms adopted 17 May 1837

History of the flag
The Royal Standard
Proposal to protect the Belgian flag

See also:

Other links:

Flags of the Low Countries by Filip Van Laenen

History of the flag

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 arms 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.

Filip Van Laenen

Horizontal vs. vertical 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, 20 October 1995

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 Auber's 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 the 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, 20 October 1995

The flag in the Constitution

Translation of an article published in De Standaard (2 November 1999):

"Black, yellow, red, starting from the pole. That's how we've always known the Belgian flag. But if you read the Constitution, this isn't correct, says Karel Rimanque, professor at the Univerisity of Antwerpen. Article 193 of the so often revised Constitution still says:

The Belgian Nation chooses as its colours red, yellow and black.

Rimanque: "In 1830 too, they used to describe the flag starting from the pole. Thus, our flag is different: red at the pole, yellow in the middle, and black at the fly.'' Does this mean that the Constitution has been broken for all 168 years? Was it interpreted wrongly at the beginning and did nobody ever notice the error? "Anyway, either we have to correct this article, or we have to correct our flag,'' says Karel Rimanque.

Filip Van Laenen, 2 November1999

In a painting from c. 1832 of the Post Office Packet P.S. Salamander and the topsail schooner Union off Ostend, there are two flags flying from buildings on shore.

The Belgian flag has the red and black reversed.
Dark blue with red canton at the hoist.

David Prothero, 30 November 1999

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

The Royal Standard

by Mario Fabretto

Standard of His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgian
(Son of the late Léopold III / Leopold III and younger brother of the late Baudouin I / Boudewijn I.)

Proposal to protect the Belgian flag

Until now, Belgium did not have a law protecting the flag against disrespectful use of the flag, like e.g. burning or stepping on it. A proposal to protect the flag is underway.

The national confederation of the political prisonners and right-having of Belgium wanted a change in this situation. Two Walloon deputies, Duquesne from the PRL (Parti réformateur libéral) and Mairesse from the PSC (Parti social-chrétien) made a proposal to complete the penal code to protect the national flag of Belgium.
An Article 282 bis would punish to jail from eight days up to one year and a 100 to 1,000 Francs fine (times 60 [the actual multiplier] = 6,000 to 60,000 FB, making it an equivalent to US$200 to US$2,000) anybody who, during a public demonstration or in any place open to the public, would voluntarily show disrespect for the national flag, by tearing it, setting it on fire, speaking about it in a degrading manner, or by delivering it to injuring acts.
(in French: " [toute personne qui aura] volontairement manqué de respect à l'égard du drapeau national en le lacérant, ou en y mettant le feu, ou en proférant des paroles dégradantes, ou en se livrant à des actes ou gestes injurieux ")
Source: La Libre Belgique, May 14, 1997.

[Personal comment: it has become some sort of a tradition to step on the Belgian national flag or to tear in parts in pro-Flemish demonstrations, to express the wish to end the Belgian State. I do not think it is a coincidence that this proposal was made by two Walloon deputies.]

Filip Van Laenen, 16 May 1997