Netherlands Flag

The flag of the Netherlands has three equal sized horizontal stripes. The top stripe is red. The middle stripe is white, and the bottom stripe is blue.

What is the meaning of the Dutch flag? The red stripe which was originally orange, along with the white and blue stripes, are based on the heraldic colors, or the coat of arms of Prince William of Orange, who led the fight for Dutch independence. This is the meaning of the Dutch flag.

The Netherlands flag was enacted on February 19, 1937. The Netherlands flag was originally orange, white and blue and had up to nine stripes. The Dutch flag is nicknamed the 'Prince's Flag' and is based on the heraldic colors, or the coat of arms of Prince William of Orange, who led the fight for independence against Spanish rule in 1568. The Netherlands independence was finally granted by Spain in 1648. The orange white and blue Holland flag first appeared around the early 1570s. In the early to mid seventeenth century, the orange stripe was changed to red but the reason was not clear. These were the Netherlands flags. One theory is because red is more visible than orange when viewed from a distance. Red, white and blue were officially announced as the colors of the flag of Netherlands in 1796. The flag of Holland was banned for a short period at the turn of the nineteenth century after France took over the Netherlands. The Netherlands were again granted independence in 1813 and the Holland national flag was brought back. The Netherlands Antilles flag is also very similar. These are the flags of Netherlands. This flag can be flown both nationally and civilly by its citizens.

The Dutch flag influenced the colors of the Russian flag when Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, visited the Netherlands in the seventeenth century to watch the country's shipping industry. When he returned to Russia he brought together his own shipping fleet and created a white, blue and red flag in honor of the Dutch flags. That flag eventually became the state flag of Russia. The Russian flag would then inspire the flags of many other Slavic nations, and the colors became known as the pan-Slavic colors.

Individuals can find more information about the Dutch national flag on several different websites that are available on the internet.