Last modified: 2000-01-07 by antonio martins
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What about inter-war and WWII Hungary, which was technically a
monarchless monarchy? They retained the red-white-green flag with
the traditional arms topped with the Crown of St. Stephen - i.e.
the same as under the Habsburgs.
Roy Stilling, 09 Apr 1996
Technically, Hungary was a Regency under Admiral Horthy. So not only was it a monarchless monarchy, its head of state was an Admiral without a coastline. Hungary was forbidden by the victors of WW1 from putting a Habsburg on the throne, but the royalist constitution was restored after Horthy defeated the Communist junta of Béla Kun in 1919. When in 1921 (?) there were two attempts (March, October) by the Habsburg heir to return to Budapest there was armed resistance from Horthy’s forces, who sent the Habsburgs packing. Horthy’s official title as Regent was “His Serene Highness”, I believe, which seems an inappropriate title for so volatile an individual (although to be fair, steering a middle course between Germany and Russia in the 1930s would probably have been beyond any politician in Central Europe.)
When the Germans took over Hungary in 1944 and imposed a pro-Nazi regime, Horthy was arrested. He survived the war and lived in exile (in Portugal, I think) living long enough to see the 1956 uprising.
Anyway, in flag terms, Hungary used its red-white-green tricolour, with the state flag having the royal coat of arms on the white — i.e., the same arms restored after the Communist regime fell in 1989 — even though Hungary is now a republic!
Stuart Notholt, 09 Apr 1996
Hungary 1941: The ensign is a red white green horizontal
tricolor with the state arms on the white stripe. The arms are
hard to see in my copy and very complex. I think they are per-quarter
with another shield in the center that is the one described
earlier. Surrounding the shield are on the right side an oak
branch for glory, and on the left side an olive branch for peace.
It is topped by the crown of St Stephen, first Hungarian king,
the crown with the bent cross on top.
Nathan Augustine, 05 Dec 1995