Principality of Albania (1913-1914)

Last modified: 2002-03-02 by ivan sache
Keywords: eagle: double-headed (black) | arrow | star (white) | royal standard | crown prince | princess | peacock | crown | civil ensign |
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by Jaume Ollé

• Monarchy, 1914
• Royal standard
• Princess flag
• Heir prince flag
• Civil ensign

See also:

• Albania
• Albania: Historical flags
• Albania: Historical flags before independence
• Albania during First World War (1914-1920)

Monarchy, 1914

Kemal transferred power to an International Commission (January 1914) and Essad also agreed to dissolve his government and to be integrated in the government formed by the powers.

On 29 July 1913 the powers recognized Albania as an independent state and decided to appoint a sovereign. Essad's flag was adopted as the national flag before 7 March 1914 when Prince Wilhelm of Wied, the appointed sovereign, entered Durrës. Wied's flag was an order to the heraldist Emil Dopler Jr., who presented him the drawings (five of them) on 17 February 1914.

Wied's government was short-lived. A revolt broke up on 23 May 1914 and the prince immediately abandoned the palace and took refuge on the Italian ship Misurata, where his flag flew. On 5 September 1914, he left the country (keeping his claim to the throne) and never returned to Albania. The International Commission of the Powers was again in charge of the country, making fly together the flags of the member states: France, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia.

Jaume Olle, 15 July 1996

Royal standard

by Jaume Ollé

During his brief reign, Wied used the above royal standard.

Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

The peacock was the family coat of arms of the princes of Wied and became also those of the State. It is reported that the flag with the peacock still flies over the castle of Neuwied.

Mario Fabretto, 28 August 1998

Princess's flag

by Jaume Ollé

A dynastic standard for the princess was also adopted.

Jaume Ollé, 15 July 1996

Crown prince's flag

by Jaume Ollé

A dynastic standard for the crown prince (the crown prince, Karl Viktor, was only 10 months old when the family left the country) was also adopted.

Jaume Ollé ,15 July 1996

Civil ensign

by Jorge Candeias & Jaume Ollé

by Jorge Candeias, after Jaume Ollé's original

After 1914, the Albanian ensign kept the classical design of the Ottoman era, with the addition of a white star to the centre. The designer of the flags of this period, the heraldist E. Dopler, made the star with an unusual shape, but in reality normal stars were used.

Jaume Ollé ,15 July 1996