55 French Flag Facts Interesting List About The Tricolor

Did you know that the flag of France of today did not look the same before?

Before the rule of Napoleon I, the French flag was royal white. After the Parisian militia overthrew the Bourbon dynasty, the white flag was teamed with red and blue bands.

The rulers that ruled France largely influenced the French flag's form, color, and design. The French Revolution took off as the Parisian militia marched through the Bastille Palace, uprooting the Bourbon Dynasty to put an end to oppression and instill democracy. The first 'Tricolore,' meaning a three-colored flag, was introduced by Napoleon I, wherein the colors red, blue, and white were incorporated in the flag. However, the French flag underwent variations until 1848, when the official flag of France was approved as the 'Tricolore' with equal bands of blue, white, and red in it. Jacques-Louis David was the person behind the vibrant design of the French flag.

Keep reading to discover more facts about the French flag! If you like reading this article, why not read South Africa flag facts and Germany flag facts to learn interesting facts about them and much more.

History Of French Flags

Being an old country, different forms of the flag of France have been used over the centuries. The form, color, and design of the flags largely depended upon the ruler who ruled France at a given point in time. Like any flag, the French flag holds great significance for the country's people. Hence, the official flag of France today is a representation of today's time. Let us learn about the evolution of the French flag.

Before the French Revolution, France once had a plain white flag, a representation of strength and purity through the national color of France, which was replaced by the French tricolor during Napoleon's rule. On July 14, 1789, the Parisian militia, who fought at the Bastille Palace, had worn cockades of blue and red colors.

One of the most significant French leaders, Marquis de Lafayette, suggested making the white color a part of the National Guard uniform. The subsequent victory of the revolution in France in 1790 led to the addition of the colors, blue and red, to the plain white flag as a symbol of unbroken unity approved by the French Constituent Assembly. The motive behind the inclusion of red and blue along with the white color in the national tricolor of France was to instill national harmony among the people. The sequence of the colors was red-white-blue with unequal vertical bands, 30:33:37 proportions.

Four years later, on February 15, 1794, the sequence of the colors was rearranged to equal vertical bands of blue, white, red, which are still found on the national flag of France today. This tricolor was replaced by the plain white flag from 1815-1830 after the Bourbon Dynasty overthrew Napoleon I in the Battle of Waterloo. Once again, in 1830, the French tricolor was restored as the Bourbon Dynasty was defeated at the July Revolution of 1830 when King Louis Philippe had ascended the throne. Although the French Navy was allowed to stick to the unequal proportions of the color bands, no ruler or government was powerful enough to replace France's flag after that.

French Revolution Role In The French Flag

The French Revolution holds great significance in the lives of the people of France. The massive revolution took place for nearly ten years, from May 5, 1789, till November 9, 1799. During these years, France had undergone significant changes, and as mentioned earlier, the form, color, and design of the French flag largely depended upon the different rulers who ruled France. Let us delve into some facts about the French Revolution and its impact on France without much adieu.

Until the French Revolution, France had a white flag that represented strength and purity. However, as the Parisian militia arrived at the Bastille palace on July 14, 1789, French revolutionaries overthrew King Louis XVI and paved the way for a new beginning in France. After that, the national flag of France, which was royal white, was replaced by the French tricolor. The colors blue and red were added to the white flag as the Parisian militia wore these colors at the Battle of Bastille.

Initially, the proportion of the color bands was unequal, that is, 30:33:37, and the sequence of color was red, white, and blue. The proportion and sequence of the bands were redone in 1794, wherein the flag had equal vertical bands of blue on the left, followed by white in the middle and red on the right. On June 18, 1815, at the concluding stages of the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon I was overthrown by the Bourbon Dynasty, and the version of the white flag of France was restored. Fifteen years later, during the July Revolution of 1830, when the Bourbon dynasty was again overthrown by the French ruler Louis Philippe, the tricolor was reinstated. This led to the decline of the Bourbon dynasty and the beginning of a new era in France.

Why were the colors blue and red chosen for France's national flag?

The French Constituent Assembly first approved the French flag that we see today in 1848. However, the French flag has undergone variations over the centuries. The variations, as we know, were dependent upon the rulers who ruled the country at the given time. Let us delve into the significance of incorporating the red and blue bands on the white flag.

At the very beginning, during the rule of the Bourbon Dynasty, the French flag was royal white. It was the symbol of this dynasty and represented strength and purity. The white color also symbolized the Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc, two extremely important and culturally significant figures in French history. The Parisian militia overthrew the Bourbon Dynasty in 1789. These men had worn red and blue cockades on their heads alongside the blue and white rosettes worn by the common people as a symbol of unity. The National Guard wore blue, red, and white-colored rosettes. Hence, the blue and red bands in the French flag represent the city of Paris.

The official flag of France is widely known as the 'Tricolore' for the incorporation of each band of the colors blue, white, and red. Although in different colors, flags of many countries across the globe resemble the French flag, such as Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Luxembourg, Italy, Romania, and Mexico.

Who were Lafayette and Jacques-Louis David?

Marquis de Lafayette was the Commander of the National Guard of France formed in 1789 before the Battle of Bastille. He was the one to suggest the incorporation of white in the otherwise red and blue cockades of the army. His suggestion aimed to raise national unity and strength.

One of the preeminent painters of the French Revolution era, Jacques-Louis David, was the one who had designed the official French flag almost 250 ago.

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