The 2023 spring issue of the Dutch vexillological magazine Vlag! is available online. The magazine is published in Dutch but an English summary can be viewed below.
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Summaries for Vlag! 32
Kedah
The Malaysian state of Kedah published a revised specification of the flag in 2021. This specified the colours and contained a better description of the coat of arms on the flag
Jamaica
Jamaica adopted two new ensigns in 2020. Firstly, a red ensign with the national flag in the upper hoist for yachts registered in Jamaica. Secondly, a blue ensign with a miniature national flag in the upper hoist for state-owned vessels, excluding coast guard vessels.
Martinique
The French island of Martinique adopted a new island flag in the colours red, green and black on February 2nd , 2023. The flag is the one used by supporters of the island’s independence.
Hungary
Hungary does not have any maritime areas and therefore does not have a navy. The army’s explosive ordnance disposal service adopted an ensign for the five minesweepers on the Danube in 2021. The ensign resembles the old Hungarian military banners.
Kherson and Zaporizhzhya
In 2022, the Russian-held Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya adopted a flag. The new flag of Kherson is similar to the old Ukrainian flag of the city, but now with a Russian coat of arms. The new flag of Zaporizhzhya now has two stripes, green and red, containing a coat of arms from the time when the region belonged to the Russian Empire.
Utah
If the law is passed, Utah will receive a new flag on March 9, 2024. This so-called Beehive flag is the result of a design competition with more than 5700 entries. On the flag with the red earth, white mountains and dark blue sky is a beehive that stands for industry and community spirit.
Netherlands
Because the farmers do not agree with nature-improving measures announced by the government, many Dutch flags were displayed upside down – so blue-white-red – along the road network. Initially some people protested, but the farmers persisted, so that the reversed flags can still be seen today.
Distinction flag for H.R.H. the Princess of Orange
On November 24, 2021, the flag for the Crown Princess Amalia was established. According to the protocol introduced in 1908, the flag consists of an orange field with a blue cross with the state coat of arms. In the upper hoist a hunting horn represents the House of Orange; in the lower hoist a castle’s keep represents the Zorreguita family. For female members, the flag is swallow-tailed.
The Sierksma collection of the Supreme Council of Nobility
The Supreme Council of Nobility is the permanent advisory board in the field of coat of arms and flags of the royal family, nobility, provinces, municipalities, water authorities and armed forces. Kl. Sierksma started to take an interest in flags from a young age. After publishing several books on flags, he organized the first international flag congress in his hometown Muiderberg in 1965. This led to the foundation of the Dutch Society for Flags. An important part of the dossier concerns Dutch flags but also flags of other countries. Featured in: https://www.hogeraadvanadel.nl/collecties/genealogisch-heraldische-collecties
Tug of war over the flag between Klaes Sierkma and (the municipality of) Heerde
When writing his book “Nederlands vlaggenboek”, Kl. Sierksma also contacted the municipality of Heerde in Gelderland. He suggested that, if necessary, he could design a municipality flag. However, his design did not gain approval within the city council. A second and later a third design by Sierksma were also not approved by Heerde. Six years later, it was decided to choose from three proposals: one from Sierksma and two from the Heerder Historical Society. The first proposal was chosen.
Company banner of the grenadier regiment Von Beckendorff
In the French-occupied Netherlands, the Batavian Republic was founded in 1795 as a vassal state of France. In 1799, an alliance of Anglo-Russian troops invaded North Holland, in an attempt to restore Stadtholder William V to power. At Bergen they were defeated by the Patriots and the French. The captured Russian banner is now in the National Military Museum in Soesterberg.
Oldebroek upgrades the parade flag to municipal flag
The municipality of Oldebroek had never been involved in a municipal redistricting until recently. The municipality did not have a flag but used the parade flag from 1938 as the municipal flag: this flag has a length-to-height ratio of 3:2. At the request of the city council, Oldebroek adopted this flag as a municipal flag on 3 March 2020.
Commotion around Rembrandt and the rainbow flag
On the occasion of the exhibition of Rembrandt’s The Standard Bearer in the Zealand Museum in Middelburg, an exhibition of flags and flag customs entitled Protest Procession Parade was on display. One of the flags that was shown, was the Progress Pride-Flag or Rainbow flag.
The flag of the municipality of Westerwolde
The newly formed municipality of Westerwolde in de province of Groningen adopted a municipal flag in 2020. The municipality is a composition of the old municipalities Bellingwedde and Vlagtwedde. The latter also included the fortified town of Bourtange. The old flags of these municipalities are also displayed.
Maori tribal leaders elected first New Zealand flag in 1834
Ships from New Zealand were fined in Australia for not flying an ensign. It was decided to design a flag for New Zealand. From 3 designs, 25 Maori tribal leaders in Waitangi chose a flag that later became known as the Union Tribes flag or Waitangi flag. A year later, the Maori declared New Zealand independent and the Waitangi flag became the national flag. In 1840, New Zealand officially became part of the United Kingdom and the Union Flag became the flag of New Zealand.
Flag of the separatists of Martinique now becomes the official island flag
The French island of Martinique adopted the old flag of independence activists – the rouge-vert-noir – as the island flag on February 2, 2023. The most famous old flag of Martinique was blue with a white cross and 4 white snakes in the blue parts, originally used by the French colonial forces. The colours, red, black and green come from the flag of the Pan-African movement of 1920.
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