Ensign for the Spanish Netherlands c.1520-c.1701 (Spain)

'Flanders' Ensign, possibly ensign of vessels operating in Flemish waters

Last modified: 2009-11-21 by eugene ipavec
Keywords: cross: saltire (red) | saltire (red) | cross: burgundy |
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images by Sergio Camero, Klaus-Michael Schneider and Ivan Sache, 28 Jun 2009

• Description
• Civil and War Ensign c.1520-c.1701 (possibly ensign of vessels operating in Spanish waters)
• Galleons' Ensign c.1520-c.1701 (possibly ensign of vessels operating in American waters)

See also:

• Size of Ensigns 15th-19th Centuries
• Ensigns 1670s-1785
• Historical Flags 1506-1700 (Spain)
• Spain
• Netherlands

A horizontal tricolour of red-white-yellow (...) defaced with a Burgundy cross on the white stripe —sometimes centred, sometimes offset to the hoist— is usually reported as the flag of the Spanish Netherlands:

• Siegel 1912, table 33, Spanische Niederl[ande],
• Siegel 1912, table 46, Spanische Niederlande 1737, 1769 (Fladern) (bis 1714) and
• Calvo and Grávalos 1983, no. 101, Bandera de las Provincias de Flandes 1520-1648.

Santiago Dotor, 26 Oct 2000

Flag of the Spanish Netherlands It is a red over white over yellow horizontal tricolour with a red cross burgundy at the hoist. (Source: [neu32]; p.32, image no.109) I am in doubt, especially about [neu39a], but due to our policy of giving also erroneous reports of flags I send this image, which is based on an image by Sergio Camero.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 & 28 Jun 2009

The same flag, but with either no cross at all or the cross centered, appears on the "The flags of the Belgians through history" plate, as reported on the FOTW website.

I believe that Neubecker is much more trustworthy than the plate.

Ivan Sache, 28 Jun 2009