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The 'Cross of Burgundy Flag' was used by Spain in 1506-1701 as naval ensign and up to 1843 as the land battle flag (it still appears on regimental colours, badges and shoulder patches).1506 should be considered its theoretical earliest instance in Spain (that is, it made appearance on the standards carried by Philip the Handsome´s Burgundian life guards), although about 1525 might be perhaps a likely estimate. The banner strictly speaking dates back to the early 15th century (allegedly 1408 at the earliest), when the Duke of Burgundy, claimant to the French throne, backed up the English in the Hundred Years´War .The design is a red saltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned (knotted) branches, on a white field. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned ''Argent, a saltire ragulée gules''.

Contents

History

Overseas Empire of Spain Flag

See also

External links

References

History

It represents the cross in which Saint Andrew was crucified. It was chosen by Philip I of Castile (Philip the Handsome) after his marriage to Joanna of Castile (Joanna the Mad), as it was the symbol of the house of his mother, Mary of Burgundy. Since Emperor Charles I of Spain, the different armies used the flag with the Cross of Burgundy over different fields. Nevertheless, the official field was still white. Eventually, in 1785 Charles III of Spain decided to change this flag due to the similarities with the English Cross of Saint George, which had brought some dissension in the Spanish navy. Under the new Bourbon king Philip V (1700-1746) and up to Charles III´s 1785 new red-yellow-&red naval ensign, it seems that the Spaniard naval ensign was white and bore a royal coat of arms in the centre. Allegedly the Burgundian flag was still flown as a jack ensign, that is, as a secondary flag.
It was re-taken by the Carlists, a traditionalist, legitimist, reactionary movement which fought two succession wars against Isabella II of Spain, claiming the throne of Spain for Carlos María Isidro (who would have been the legal heir, had the salic law not been abolished by Ferdinand VII), and the restoration of the absolute monarchy.In the First Carlist War (1833-1840) the Burgundian banner , however, was a Liberal colour (that is, that of the Regent Queen´s standing Army rather than Carlist). Eventually, under the leadership of Manuel Fal Conde, the Cross of Burgundy became the Carlist badge in 1934.
The Cross of Burgundy has appeared throughout history as a Biscayan merchant ensign (inclusive of the so-called Consulate of Bilbao)(c. 1511-1830)(up to 1845?), as a secondary Basque Nationalist flag even in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)(for instance, that of the Basque Alpinists in 1921-1978: Green Cross of Burgundy on white edged with red border), as a French colour ( at least that of the two regiments raised in Burgundy: "Bourgogne" & "Royal-Comtois"), & as a Rexist Walloon Belgian Far-Rightish flag (inclusive of the Walloon Legion in German service on the Russian front, a unit eventually seconded to the Waffen-SS)(a red Cross of Burgundy, either on white or black), & as the merchant ensign & badge of the Ostend Company (Austrian Netherlands) in 1717-1731.
Nowadays, the Cross of Burgundy is still a symbol of the Spanish monarchy^[1], and it may be seen in the Spanish Air Force planes.^[2]
According to some scholars & aviation buffs, however, the Spanish rudder marking (a black saltire on white) derives from the National Air Force deletion of the Republican Air Force red-yellow-&-purple flag as a result of having lost some warplanes to friendly fire in the summer of 1936.
A similar style flag was used by the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands in the 15th and 16th centuries, which were part of Burgundy as well.

Overseas Empire of Spain Flag

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas the Cross of Burgundy served as the flag of the Viceroyalties of the New World (''Bandera de Ultramar''). Nations that were once part of the Spanish Empire consider "las aspas de Borgoña" to be a historical flag, particularly appropriate for museum exhibits and the remains of the massive harbor-defense fortifications built in the 1600s-1700s. At both San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, and at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida, the Cross of Burgundy is daily flown over the historic forts, built by Spain to defend their lines of communication between the territories of their New World empire. The flying of this flag reminds people today of the impact of Spain and its military on world history for over 400 years.

See also

★ Flag of Valdivia

★ Flag of Florida

★ Saint Patrick's Flag

★ Flag of Alabama

★ Saltire

★ Heraldry

★ Vexillology

★ Burgundy

External links

★ Flags of the World

★ GeorgiaInfo

References

1. Royal Spanish HouseHold website
2. Spanish Air Force Website