Netherlands

Specification

Dutch government protocol describes three horizontal bands of equal height: bright vermilion above, white in the center, and cobalt blue below. Defence specifications use a fly one and a half times the hoist, producing the familiar 2:3 rectangle.

Display colors

Construction notes

Start with a rectangle three units wide and two units high. Divide the hoist into three equal horizontal bands, then fill them red, white, and blue from top to bottom. Government specifications define textile colors more precisely than a web display value can reproduce.

Historical record

The Royal House records the first reference to a Dutch flag in 1572, when the bands were orange, white, and blue. Red gradually replaced orange during the seventeenth century. After periods of alteration and replacement around the turn of the nineteenth century, the undecorated red-white-blue tricolor returned; Queen Wilhelmina’s 1937 decree formally fixed its colors.

Source trail

Royal House of the Netherlands: Dutch flag and history ↗

Netherlands Ministry of Defence: ceremonial and flag protocol ↗

Netherlands Ministry of Defence: national-flag colors and dimensions ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the Dutch flag introduced in 1937?

No. Queen Wilhelmina’s decree of 19 February 1937 formally established the colors; the tricolor’s history predates it. The supplied Royal House account records an orange, white and blue flag in 1572, with red gradually replacing orange during the seventeenth century. It does not establish a single changeover date or cause. The record code NL-NAT-1937 refers to the formal establishment of the colors, not the beginning of that history.