FLAGS OF FOREIGN NATIONS. It is but proper that in the study of flags those of foreign nations be considered: the English from which we 'withdrew, as well the French, from whence we derived considerable aid, de serve to be treated at some length; while the neighboring flags of the Western Continent, as those across the two oceans, merit considera tion.
When in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invaded England and defeated the Saxons, at the battle of Hastings, he had as his principal flag a dragon device; it was not painted nor embossed on the cloth, but was a floating figure, and as the wind struck into it it filled the two walls of the device and thus made an inflated living creature. Later he had a banner of white bordered with blue and in the union a large cross in gold. Richard the Lion-hearted also displayed a dragon standard, but not until Henry the III was it designed to portray the dragon of red silk, sparkling all over with fine gold, the tongue representing a shooting flame, with the eyes of sapphire.
Gradually the Christian device, The Cross, came into the English standard because of the British activities in the Crusades. The Cross was in white generally on a field of red; but in the wars of the Black Prince, the English cross was red on a field of white, this is best known as the cross of Saint George (white flag with red cross). About this same period of the Crusades the Scottish standard was that of the cross of Saint Andrew (a large X white on a blue field), as the legend tells the white cross was seen in the actual blue sky during a great battle in 940, when the Scots and Picts defeated England. When the Scotch became a part of Britain they enforced their Saint Andrew's flag upon the united standard. The royal flags of Britain, since the time of King Richard I in 1194, have always borne the Coat of Arms of the reigning monarch. But in 1606 King James I ordered a joint device, the Union Jack—called so, as he always signed his name Jack or Jacques, the French for James. The Irish device in the union of 1801 was the saltire red on a white field. It is this device (Union Jack), which is the union of the British flags made in red. Innumerable have been the changes in the British standards, and various the symbolic designs.
The French Flag with its three broad stripes or pales of blue, white and red may well be said to have had their origin from General Lafayette, who doubtless was inclined to the choice of these heraldic tinctures from having served under the Stars and Stripes; in 1789, when Lafayette was chosen by acclamation commander-in-chief of the National Guard of France, he was delegated to design a distin guishing mark for these soldier bodies. He
chose a cockade made of blue, white and red, the first represented the royal family, the red and blue were the ancient colors of Paris and hence Lafayette either by coincidence or de sign gave to France the same colors he so dearly loved in America, and it was but natural when a flag was desired for the National Guard, to convert the tinctures of the cockade into the banner. Prior to the present tricolor of France the kings had their own royal standard. Charles IX had "pillars"; Henry II, "a half moon"; Henry III, "three crowns"; Philip Augustus, "a lion"; Louis VIII, "a boar"; Saint Louis, "a dragon"; Philip the Bold, "an eagle"; Charles the Fair, "a leopard"; John, "swans"; Charles V, "greyhounds" Charles VII and VIII, "a winged stag"; Louis XII, "a porcupine"; Francis I, "the Salamander"; Louis VII, "the fleur de lis." To France we owe appreciation for evolving heraldic science and the French classification of symbolic de vices is the most perfect in military annals. Most of the early French flags terminated in three points to illustrate that the French people believe in the Trinity. The French Church and Crusade flags were red with a green border emblematic that they would give their blood and the green as a sign of hope, new life, or springtime. In 1364 King Charles V placed three fleurs-de-lis on an azure or blue field, and up to Louis XIV, 1644, the blue flag with the three fleurs-de-lis was the national military standard of France. The pure white standard of the Huguenots with Henry III and Henry IV as their leaders became also the argent colors of, the Bourbon and royal France flag. The French President's flag is the same as the flag of France, with the addition of the letters "R.F." in gold meaning "Republic of France." Italy.— The royal standard, white with a blue border, displays the full armorial achieve ments of the king. The naval flag displays three vertical stripes of green, white and red; in the centre is a red shield charged with a white cross, and bordered with blue crested with the crown. The arms of the House of Savoy are displayed on the ensign and merchant flag.