Le Drapeau Tricolore The Flag of France

Flags are patriotic symbols that have been used for royal/national representation since the middle ages. Each dynasty that came to power in France brought forward its rendition of a National Flag until the French Revolution. In present times, Le Drapeau Tricolore or the French National Flag, is present on all government buildings. It is showcased during all official ceremonies, both public and military ceremonies. It is also used as the backdrop whenever the French President addresses his citizens. It is also seen along with other flags (mostly with the Flag of Europe) during international summits and meetings. 

History of the Flag of France

During the early middle ages, the Flag of Saint Dennis – The Oriflamme, was used to represent the French territories. Then during the later middle age, the House of Valois incorporated a flag with a blue background and golden Fleur de Lys bordered in red. 

When the hundred years war broke out between England and France, the flag that represented France had a ‘white cross on a blue or red background’. When the Bourbon monarchy came to power, the navy adopted the plain white flag. They believed that white was a symbol of purity and royalty. The Kingdom of France was represented by a white banner with 86 Fleur de Lys during the Bourbon Monarchy. This could be represented with or without the Coat of Arms, which was blue. 

During the French Revolution, the public used to wear cockades comprising of 2 colours – blue and red. The blue and red colours were specifically chosen because they represented the colours of Paris and its Coat of Arms. The white colour was later added to the cockade to nationalise the design. This tricoloured cockade became the basis of the French National Flag or Le Drapeau Tricolore.

Post the French Revolution, Le Drapeau Tricolore with vertical coloured stripes of Red-White-Blue was adopted as the National Flag. But the colours were soon reversed to vertical coloured stripes of Blue-White-Red. The vertical stripes of equal width were influenced by the flag of the Netherlands from the 17th century.

When the Bourbon monarchy was restored for a short period from 1814 to 1830, the blue and red colours were removed again to restore the old ‘White’ flag of France, which symbolised the royal authority.

Specifications of the Flag of France

Le Drapeau Tricolore, or the National Flag of France, was designed by Jacques-Louis David. The vertical coloured stripes are in the sequence of blue, white and red. The flag must have coloured stripes of equal width. The size ratio of the flag must be 2:3. The naval flag of France also has the same colours in the same order but with a width ratio of 30:33:37.

Significance of the Flag of France

Traditionally, the colours red and blue were the colours of the city of Paris, and white was the colour which symbolises the royalty of the Bourbon monarchy. This is how the 3 colours of the French National Flag came into existence. Le Drapeau Tricolore, or the French National Flag, also signifies all the values of the French Revolution, i.e., liberty, equality, fraternity, as well as democracy, secularism, and modernisation. Many countries in Europe (Belgium, Italy, Romania, etc.) and former African colonies of France (Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, etc.) and other countries all around the world adopted some variation of the French tricolour flag. This made the French National Flag one of the most influential flags in the world.

There are other speculations about the 3 colours on the French Flag. Some claim that blue and red were chosen because these are the colours of the ‘Virgin Mary’, while others claim it to be the colours of the Oriflamme. Some also explain that the 3 colours might represent the 3 tiers/classes of society during the Bourbon monarchy, namely clergy, nobility, and bourgeoisie. 

Conclusion

France has had a very long history with different flags and dynasties since the middle ages. The modern French National Flag or Le Drapeau Tricolore of the Fifth Republic was adopted in 1794. It is one of the most influential flags in the world. No historian has proved the exact origin of the Tricolour. But, there have been various explanations for the significance of its colours. It is widely accepted that Le Drapeau Tricolore or the French National Flag signifies the values of the French Revolution, i.e., liberty, equality, and fraternity. The French Tricolour stands as a symbolic opposition to monarchical and clerical rules as well as the totalitarian ideals of communism and fascism.