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

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

Last modified: 2025-09-27 by olivier touzeau
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.

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

Ivan Sache, 28 Jun 2009