Luxembourg Flag

The flag of Luxembourg contains three equal sized horizontal stripes. The top layer is red. The middle layer is white. The bottom layer is blue. These are the colors of Luxembourg flag.

The meaning of the Luxembourg flag is taken from a thirteenth century Grand Duke, Count Henry VI. It comes from the Grand Duke’s coat of arms, which shows a red lion on a background of blue and white striped lines. These Luxembourg flag colors share the history of the country. Currently, the flag with the red lion flies as the official ensign for ships registered in Luxembourg. It is also used for the roundel. These differences prevent confusion with the Netherlands flag. The Luxembourg flag has striking similarities to the flag of the Netherlands, which consequently uses a darker shade of blue. The similarity, however, is just a coincidence, there is no historical connection.

The current flag of Luxembourg was enacted on June 23, 1972, although it was first adopted in 1845 after Luxembourg declared independence. The three striped flag is the Luxembourg national flag that citizens can fly. There is current legislation to change the national flag to the ensign flag with the red lion on it. The only concern is that the ensign flag bears similarities to the neighboring Belgium’s flag.

In the eleventh century, the county of Luxembourg was one of the largest among the Holy Roman Empire. In 1354 Luxembourg became a Duchy. In 1482, it became a part of the Hapsburg clan. In the sixteenth century it became a part of the Spanish Netherlands. In 1714 it became a part of Austria. During the Napoleonic Wars, Luxembourg was occupied by France. Luxembourg, at the Congress of Vienna, became a Grand Duchy. In 1839, Belgium acquired much of the Duchy. In 1867, Luxembourg declared independence. Germany ran through Luxembourg during both world wars. In 1960 Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium formed a union of Benelux. In 1964, Prince Jean was the next Grand Duke. In 2000, he gave over rule to his son Henri. Luxembourg was a base member of the European Union. Currently, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has the highest gross domestic product in the world.

Individuals can find pictures of the Luxembourg flag available on any one of several different websites on the internet.