Cross of Burgundy Flag
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The Cross of Burgundy Flag was used by Spain 1506-1701 as a naval ensign, and up to 1843 as the land battle flag, and still appears on regimental colours, badges and shoulder patches. The year 1506 should be considered its theoretical earliest use 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 more 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.
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[edit] 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).After 1843 the red Burgundian saltire kept on appearing on the new brand red&yellow army flag under a four-quartered Castilian & Leonese coat of arms on the central yellow fess. Eventually, under the leadership of Manuel Fal Conde, the Cross of Burgundy became the Carlist badge in 1934.
[edit] 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 had on world history for over 400 years.
[edit] Modern Use
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 the Spanish Carlist Flag during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) (also 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 line infantry regiments raised in Burgundy: "Bourgogne" & "Royal-Comtois", both units raised in the late 17th-century, together with the Household cavalry companies "Gendarmes Bourguignons" & "Chevaux Légers Bourguignons" & the Dijon, Autun, Vesoul & Salins provincial militia regiments) ( later on, in the 1870 Franco-Prussian war the militian "gardes mobiles" from Dijon wore a red Burgundian saltire on their left cuff or shoulder) , & as a Rexist Walloon Belgian Far-Rightish flag since 1940 (inclusive of the Walloon Legion in German service on the Russian front, a unit eventually seconded to the Waffen-SS in 1943) (a red Cross of Burgundy, either on white or black), & as the merchant ensign & badge of the Ostend Company (Austrian Netherlands) in 1717-1731. The Austrian Netherlands' ensign in 1781-86 was a black double-headed eagle on a red Burgundian saltire over a background of red over white over yellow. In today's Bolivia the Cross of Burgundy -on paper with a golden crown in the center- is the official flag of the departament of Chuquisaca. Needless to point out that current Burgundian & "Comtois" regionalism in France is keen on the Cross of Burgundy. The flag of the Dutch municipality of Eijsden bears a red Burgundian saltire since 1966 (same for the municipal coat of arms or crest), as well as the local flag of the town of Huesca (Aragón, Spain) and some local Guipuzcoan , Navarrese , Aragonese and Andalusian municipal flags. The coat of arms of Villers Buzon (France) bears a sort of yellow or white Burgundian saltire on a wider red saltire.
Nowadays, the Cross of Burgundy is still a symbol of the Spanish monarchy[1], and it may be seen on Spanish Air Force planes.[2] According to some scholars and 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 and purple flag as a result of having lost some warplanes to friendly fire in the summer of 1936.[dubious ] 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. The current Belgian naval ensign, which dates from 1950, may well be an homage to the cross of Burgundy.
[edit] See also
- Saint Patrick's Flag
- Flag of Alabama
- Flag of Florida
- Flag of New Mexico
- Flag of Valdivia
- Saltire
- Heraldry
- Vexillology
- Burgundy
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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