One of the world’s most influential flags, the flag of France is a vertical tricolor combining a blue, white, and red band. The history of the flag started during the French Revolution, around 1789. It’s difficult to name a single source of the color scheme – most likely, the palette was inspired by several different events and entities.
The interesting thing about the national flag is that there’s no law specifying the hues – just the Constitution vaguely describing it as a combination of blue, white, and red. The original shade of the blue stripe was a dark navy one. In 1976, the blue and red grew lighter.
Both the light and dark versions have been used at the same time, depending on the circumstances. In the summer of 2020, President Emmanuel Macron started using a darker shade for the presidential Élysée Palace, supposedly to reinforce the connection with the French Revolution.
The table below features both versions.
| Source | Scheme | Blue | White | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Defense (darker version) | AFNOR NFX 08002 | A 503 | A 665 | An 805 |
| Embassy to Germany | Pantone | Reflex blue | Safe | Red 032 |
The earliest flag consistently used on the present-day territory of France was presumably the so-called oriflamme, which appeared during the early Middle Ages. It was a long red banner with multiple spikes, from two to five. It is the flag of Saint Denis, or Denis of Paris, a Christian martyr and saint who lived in the 3rd century and was bishop of Paris.
This banner was chosen by the Capetian dynasty, also known as the House of France. It’s one of the world’s oldest and largest royal houses. It has a Frankish origin and is a branch of the Robertians and the Karlings.
The oriflamme was kept in Saint-Denis abbey during the times of peace. When a war started, it was taken out and, as the king of France went into battle, the oriflamme was carried before him. As an alternative to Saint Denis’ flag, Saint Martin’s red cape could be used in the same situation. The banner was believed to have protective power.
The first banner that was more general in its purpose than just the battle flag was the one that King Louis VII adopted leaving for the crusade of 1147. Inspired by the design of the king’s coronation clothes, it was made of dark blue fabric featuring multiple fleurs-de-lis. Fleur-de-lis is one of the best-known heraldic shapes. It represents a lily flower, hence the name (“fleur” and “lis” is translated from French as “flower” and “lily”).
The gold fleurs-de-lis on the flag of King Louis VII were supposed to mean that the chosen ones (the heavenly Jerusalem) helped him.
There is written evidence from 1328 stating that the coat of arms of the House of Valois was dark blue and featured gold lilies with a red outline. Starting from this period, vignettes and manuscripts showing the French kings would depict them wearing a red gown under a blue coat with multiple yellow lily flowers.
Charles V (21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380) slightly modified the flag. He wanted to represent the Holy Trinity, so he only left three fleurs-de-lis on the banner altogether. In this form, the flag lasted for about five centuries – there is evidence it was used as late as 1824, at the funeral of Louis XVIII.
The pattern with three fleurs-de-lis is known in heraldic terminology under the name of France Modern, while the one featuring multiple flowers is called France Ancient.
Throughout the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453), France used a flag based on a white cross, which could be depicted either on a blue or red background. It was opposed to England’s red cross. In the course of time, the blue background became the main standard for French troops. In addition to the white cross on the blue field, the French would use their proper colors in the cantons. Interestingly, the flags of this period inspired some modern ones, for instance that of Quebec.
Joan of Arc had her own banner made of white cloth with lilies scattered all over it. Also, she said, “The world was painted there, with an angel at each side.” There was additionally the “’JHESUS MARIA” lettering and a silk trim. Historians believe that Joan’s flag, nicknamed the King of Heaven’s, inspired a lot of other white flags later used in France.
After the Bourbons came to power in the 16th century, the blue shield featuring three yellow fleurs-de-lis would be often showcased against the backdrop of the dynastic color of the house of Bourbons, white. It was interpreted as a symbol of purity and royal authority.
Also, the Bourbons replaced the green flag of the navy with a simple white flag. The flag for the merchant ships was a white cross against the blue background, which was described as “the old flag of the nation of France.” Additionally, French galleys would use a red flag.
Occasionally, the flag inspired by the main one, with multiple gold fleurs-de-lis, was used, but it featured a plain white background instead of blue.
Starting from 1495, the fleur-de-lis pennant that kings used during battles was replaced by the white cornet. There is a documental reference that it was used under Louis XIII (1620).
From the 16th century, the French infantry and merchant ships used the white cross.
In 1627, Cardinal Richelieu suppressed the institute of the Admiralty of France and was declared Grand Master of Navigation. It was part of the tendency aiming to bring all naval authority under one position. Another part of this tendency was the adoption of the white flag with gold fleurs-de-lis. In the center, there was the coat of arms of France supported by two cherubs, from the right and the left. The flag was supposed to emphasize the authority of the King on the Navy.
In 1661, warships were officially ordered to flow a simple white banner. Royal trade ships used a white cross, typically paired with the coat of arms, according to the order from 1689. In 1765, Louis XV ordered all merchant ships to use blue and white ensigns of different types. However, the blue and white flags were most often seen at the entrance of the ports and in front of diplomatic missions abroad, while French ships in the sea would typically have a white flag.
In 1790, the era of the tricolor started, inspired by the French Revolution (1789-1799). The dramatically new ideas brought about by the French Revolution logically required a total overhaul of the country’s heraldic system. Gone were the elaborate fleurs-de-lis, the ancient symbol of monarchy and absolutism. The ideas that were the cornerstone of liberal democracy found their visual representation in a simpler, minimalistic design.
The color palette originally used by the French revolutionaries for their so-called cockades, a circular decoration made out of a ribbon, was borrowed from the flag of the Netherlands. The flag of the French Revolution, in its turn, was based on the colors of the cockades, a combination of blue, red, and white.
Interestingly, Camille Desmoulins, a politician and an important figure of the French Revolution, insisted that his followers use green cockades. However, the militia of Paris wore blue and red cockades. It’s highly possible that in this case, the colors were borrowed from the traditional color scheme of Paris, which only included blue and red.
The reason behind the introduction of the white color remains unknown. According to various sources, it was suggested by:
In the fall of 1790, the Constituent Assembly introduced a flag based on the cockade colors. The order of the stripes was as follows: red, white, and blue.
It was only three years and a half later that the current order was adopted, where the first blue stripe was followed by white and red. The respective recommendations were contained in the resolution issued on 15 February 1794.
Originally, this flag was introduced for the navy and merchant ships because sailors didn’t want to go on using the old white flag. The new design was displayed on all ships since 20 May 1794 and gradually replaced the old flags on land, too. However, on land, other flags were often used, too. While they did feature the revolution-inspired color scheme, the geometry was pretty diverse. For instance, there was a banner featuring a white square paired with two triangles, red and blue, at the corners.
In 1812, the vertical tricolor got the status of the official military flag. Back then, it had a square shape.
In 1813, Austria, Prussia, and Russia joined forces in the War of the Six Coalition and defeated Napoleon. They occupied Paris making Napoleon abdicate in 1814.
As the former emperor went into exile, the Bourbons returned to power bringing back their heraldic symbols. The cockades became white, and so did the flags on the war and merchant ships. The white flag was also used ashore, although it wasn’t supported by any documents. Alternatively, the white flag could be embellished by gold fleurs-de-lis, the old symbol of the French monarchy.
When Napoleon I escaped from Elba on a brig and returned to power in 1815, he brought back the tricolor. The respective decree was passed on 9 March. However, his enemies swiftly formed the Seventh Coalition and defeated him at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.
Starting from 7 July, the white flag was again adopted, following the return of Louis XVIII to Paris. The king intended to get rid of the revolutionary symbolism, including the flag.
As a result of the July Revolution of 1830, Charles X was forced to abdicate in favor of his grandson Henri. Louis Philippe, in his turn, was proclaimed Lieutenant général du royaume, and then eventually became the new king of France, displacing the senior branch of the House of Bourbon. One of the reasons behind this event was that he was extremely popular with the masses, to the point that he was nicknamed the Citizen King.
So it’s only natural that Louis Philippe returned the tricolor, the symbol of liberal democracy. While the flag has been tweaked a couple of times, the basic structure has remained intact ever since.
The industrial and agricultural depression that took place around 1846 resulted in the 1848 Revolutions when Louis Philippe was forced to abdicate. A provisional government came to power and declared the Second Republic.
There were attempts to introduce a red flag, made by revolutionaries in Paris. However, as France already had its symbol of freedom, the red flag didn’t become popular. Instead, a tricolor combining blue, red, and white stripes was adopted.
The order of the stripes was inspired by the fête of the Fédération and the cockades of the Empire. However, the Government members were ordered to wear the cockades made of a red ribbon, and the red banner was also placed at the flagstaff.
On 28 February, Marc Caussidière, the delegate of the Republic to the Police Department, signed an order formally introducing a blue-red-white flag. His decision was informed by the draft of 1794 made by a painter David. However, violent protests started, so on March 5 the same year the old flag was restored.
During World War II, the Vichy France regime, officially the French State, retained the tricolor. However, the head of the state, Philippe Pétain, introduced his personal version featuring an axe made with a star-studded marshal’s baton.
A different flag was adopted by the opposing organization, the Free French Forces, which was a resistance government formed upon the dissolution of the Third Republic during World War II. Based on the French tricolor, this banner had a red Cross of Lorraine in the center.
Another interesting episode took place in 1852 after Napoleon III was overthrown. The Third Republic was proclaimed and the new parliament, the National Assembly, was elected, based on the royalist majority. The Assembly suggested the throne to Henri, Comte de Chambord, from the House of Bourbons. Henri, in his turn, claimed that he would only accept the offer if the revolutionary tricolor was replaced by the historical flag of the Bourbons, plain white. As the French people couldn’t agree to this, the monarchy wasn’t restored and the country remained a republic.
The final steps were the constitutions of 1946 and 1958, which formally ratified the flag combining “blue, white, and red” as the national emblem.
In some unofficial sources, the colors of the flag are said to stand for certain flowers. The blue symbolizes cornflowers, the white is for marguerites, while the red is for poppies. However, that’s not what these colors mean, historically. The actual meaning of the flag stems from the situation when it was first used, in the context of the French Revolution, as the symbol of liberal democracy.
Blue and red have additional symbolism as the colors of Paris seen on the city’s arms. Blue is the color of Saint Martin, while red represents Saint Denis, the two saints associated closely with the history of France.
The combination of red and blue was used for the cockades of the Paris militia during the storming of the Bastille in 1789, which was an important event in the history of the world liberal democracy.
Lafayette mentioned white as the “ancient color of France,” because it was extensively used by the Royal House of Bourbon. During the revolution of 1789, white began to be associated with the republic, despite its monarchical origins.
Interestingly, supporters of the Duc d’Orléans also used a combination of red, white, and blue derived from the colors of his livery.
Additionally, blue and red represent the patroness of France, the Virgin Mary. Some historians dig even deeper and see these colors as the symbols of the three main estates of the Ancien Régime.
On a more modern note, we can consult the official site of the French government. It claims that the white stripe represents the color of the king, while blue and red were borrowed from the coat of arms of Paris.
The ratio is 2:3 for most versions of the flag, with the only exception – the navy flag featuring stripes of equal widths. Originally, the widths of the stripes weren’t the same, but in the following proportions: 30 (blue), 33 (white), and 37 (red).
Although during the reign of Napoleon I, there was an attempt to return to equal proportions, the navy eventually returned to the 30:33:37 banner. The reason why it has been the preferred option is that when the cloth flaps in the wind, the proportions are distorted.
While the flag of France has a democratic feel, the coat of arms, on the opposite, extensively uses the country’s monarchical symbols. The very combination of the colors, gold over the blue background, reminds of one of the first flags used on the territory of modern-day France.
In the center of the shield, there is a lictor’s fasces. That’s a bundle of birch rods with a prominent axe, which was used for sacrifices. The symbol goes back to Roman tradition, where it stood for the power of magistrates and represented accord with the Roman Republic.
Branches of laurel and oak can be seen on both sides. The oak is used as the country’s national tree, symbolizing strength and endurance. The laurel is an ancient symbol of triumph originating in the Ancient Greek tradition.
A gold banner goes around the lector’s fasces featuring the lettering “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” (“Liberty, equality, fraternity”), the country’s national motto.