Flag of France



 Lynn Atchison Beech
Flag of France

The national flag of France is a tricolor featuring three vertical bands colored royal blue (hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the French Tricolor or simply the Tricolor.

The royal government used many flags, the best known being a blue shield and yellow fleur-de-lis on a white background, or state flag. Early in the French Revolution, the Paris militia, which played a prominent role in the storming of the Bastille, wore a cockade of blue and red, the city's traditional colors. According to Lafayette, white, the "ancient French color", was added to the militia cockade to create a tricolor, or national, cockade. This cockade became part of the uniform of the National Guard, which succeeded the militia and was commanded by Lafayette. The colors and design of the cockade are the basis of the Tricolor flag, adopted in 1790.The only difference was that the 1790 flags colors were reversed.A modified design by Jacques-Louis David was adopted in 1794. A solid white flag was used during the Bourbon restoration from 1815 to 1830, the tricolor was brought back into use after the July Revolution and has been used ever since.

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