Knowra Flag of France Flag of France France’s national flag is a vertical blue, white, and red tricolor. Its revolutionary origins and enduring national use distinguish it from France’s royal banners.
French Revolution : A period of political and social upheaval in France beginning in 1789 that ended the monarchy and reshaped Europe. The flag took shape as revolutionaries replaced royal emblems with symbols of the new political order.
Blue, white, and red : The three colors arranged in vertical bands on France’s national flag. Their combination links Parisian revolutionary colors with white, a color associated with the monarchy.
Flag protocol : Rules and customs governing how flags are displayed, handled, and honored. Protocol determines how the French tricolor is raised and displayed at official ceremonies.
Flag of the Kingdom of France : A white banner associated with the French monarchy and its royal military forces. Its plain white field contrasts with the revolutionary tricolor adopted as France’s national flag.
Cockade of France : A circular rosette of blue, white, and red ribbons worn as a French national emblem. The tricolor flag developed from the revolutionary cockade’s combination of Parisian and royal colors.
Marianne : The female personification of the French Republic, depicted in art, monuments, and official imagery. Like the tricolor, Marianne embodies the revolutionary and republican identity of France.
French National Day : France’s national holiday, observed on 14 July and associated with the French Revolution. Tricolors are prominent in celebrations, including the military parade in Paris.
Flag of the Netherlands : The Dutch national flag, with horizontal red, white, and blue bands. It uses the same three colors but arranges them horizontally rather than vertically.
Marquis de Lafayette : A French aristocrat and military officer who became a leading figure in the American and French revolutions. Lafayette is associated with proposing the cockade’s combination of Parisian blue and red with white.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité : The French national motto, meaning liberty, equality, fraternity. The flag is displayed alongside this motto as a compact expression of republican France.
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