Last modified: 2003-07-12 by santiago dotor
Keywords: spain | españa | coat of arms: quartered (castle: yellow) | coat of arms: quartered (lion: purpure) | coat of arms: quartered (chains: yellow) | banderas | vexilología |
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![[Spain]](../images/e/es.gif)
2:3 | stripes 1+2+1 | 
by Antonio Gutiérrez, taken with permission from the S.E.V. website
Flag and coat-of-arms adopted 19 December 1981
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In 1981 the eagle disappeared from the Spanish national flag, leaving the current red/yellow/red with crowned arms (greatly simplified, including a small oval in the center with three fleurs-de-lis). The crowned pillars flank the shield.
Nick Artimovich, 10 April 1996
The basic design was one of twelve preselected in 1785 for a new war ensign, as King Charles III wanted to further differentiate the Spanish war ensign (up to then plain white with the Spanish arms in the centre) from those of other European countries (mainly Bourbon-ruled ones as France, Parma, Tuscany or Two Sicilies but also the British white ensign), in order to avoid confusion at sea.
Santiago Dotor, 26 May 1999
The current flag (with varying arms) was historically:
Santiago Dotor, 26 May 1999
Most relevant legislation about the Spanish national flag is available online at the SEV website (Spanish text only), from where I have copied this bit:
Real Decreto 2964/1981, de 18 de diciembre (BOE nº 303, de 19 de diciembre de 1981). Escudo y su colocación en la bandera.that is:
Artículo 3º. El escudo de España tendrá una altura equivalente a 2/5 de la anchura de la bandera y figurará en ambas caras de ésta en el centro de la franja amarilla.
Cuando la bandera de España tenga la proporción normal, de longitud igual a tres medios de la anchura, el eje del escudo se colocará a una distancia de la vaina de media anchura de la bandera.
Si la longitud fuera menor a la normal o la bandera tuviere la forma cuadrada, el escudo se situará en el centro de la enseña.
Royal Decree 2964/1981 of December 18th 1981 (published BOE no.303 of December 19th 1981). Coat-of-arms and its placement on the flag.Article 3. The coat-of-arms of Spain shall have a height of 2/5ths the width [i.e. hoist] of the flag and shall appear on both sides of it on the middle [vertically speaking, read on] of the yellow stripe.
When the flag of Spain has the usual proportions, a length of three halves its width, the [vertical] axis of the coat-of-arms shall be placed at a distance from the hoist of half the flag's width.
If the length were smaller than usual [what happens when it is longer?] or the flag were square [a useless precision, since this is an instance of the previous condition...], the coat-of-arms shall be placed on the centre of the flag.
Santiago Dotor, 21 September 2000
[During a recent vacation, I noticed that] in Barcelona, Catalan flags were very common, but were nearly always flown alongside Spanish flags - usually the 'civil' variant without the arms. The Generalitat, the seat of the Catalan government, flew both flags at the same height, with the Spanish flag to the left. The Ajuntament, or Barcelona city council, on the opposite side of the same square, flew the flags of Catalonia, Spain and Barcelona in that order, with the Spanish flag higher than the other two.
Spanish flags in Madrid, unlike Barcelona, normally have the arms. The flag of the Madrid Comunidad Autónoma was common and was often flown along with the Spanish and European flags, the Spanish flag being in the middle and higher than the other two. Somewhat less common, but still not very scarce, was the flag of Madrid city.
In Toledo, the flag of Castile-La Mancha was commonly flown, again often appearing alongside the European and Spanish flags with the latter centered and higher. As in Madrid, the Spanish flags in Toledo are the 'state' version with arms.
In San Sebastián, the Basque flag was very widely flown, usually on its own. In fact, I only saw two Spanish flags in the city — one on the Palacio de Justicia where it appeared along with the Basque and European flags, centred and higher than the others; and the second on the main post office where it was flown to the left of the Basque flag. Interestingly, both the ayuntamiento and the main library flew only the municipal flag of San Sebastián.
Vincent Morley, 9 October 1999
Albert Spratley asked, "Is there a pledge to the flag and/or a national anthem sung to the flag?" The jura de bandera (flag oath) takes place every year when Spanish youths end military service. This is not reserved to them however, and any Spaniard can request attending the ceremony and taking part in the oath. Citizens are not otherwise sworn in to the flag. This is most relevant, as compulsory military service will disappear in Spain in the short term. The national anthem (Prussian score called "Marcha Granadera" or Grenadier March, a gift from King Frederick the Great to King Charles III) is usually played -but not necessarily- when the flag is present and/or raised/lowered. There is no current official lyrics for the anthem.
Santiago Dotor, 26 May 1999
In Spain most flags follow the traditional 2:3 ratio of the national flag. There are exceptions however — the Madrid Community has a 7:11 flag, Castile and Leon a 76:99 flag, Castile-La Mancha a 1:2 flag and the Basque Country a 14:25 flag. Madrid City for instance has both 2:3 and 3:5 official versions of the flag.
Ensigns are generally 2:3. Rank flags as well as the king's and prince's standards are all 1:1. Of course most —if not all— military Colours, cavalry and armoured units' guidons etc. are 1:1.
Santiago Dotor, 14 July 1999
Flag of Spanish National Police is dark blue with emblem.
Jaume Ollé, 25 June 2001
In Spain, the most frequent alternative to flying a flag half mast to indicate mourning is to stitch a small piece of black material (either a short cravatte or a squarish piece of material — occasionally even a black handkerchief) to the centre of the flag. This is done almost only with flags not intended for hoisting, such as long flags displayed horizontally on balconies etc. Flags not intended for hoisting but which would be inappropriately defaced by such an addition (namely military colours) tend to use a black cravatte attached to the finial.
Santiago Dotor, 27 April 2001