# Statenvlag > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Statenvlag > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Statenvlag.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statenvlag > Source revision: 1255962405 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1652–1795 flag of the Dutch Republic Statenvlag Other names States Flag (Dutch: Statenvlag), Staatsche vlag Design Three horizontal bands of red, white and blue The ***Statenvlag*** ("States Flag") is the name of the flag of the [States-General](/source/States_General_of_the_Netherlands#Dutch_Republic) of the [Dutch Republic](/source/Dutch_Republic), the red-white-blue [tricolour](/source/Tricolor_(flag)) flag replacing the older orange-white-blue [Prince's Flag](/source/Prince's_Flag) in the mid 17th century. The modern national [flag of the Netherlands](/source/Flag_of_the_Netherlands), the exact colours of which were confirmed in 1937, is based on this historical flag. It also resembles the modern [Flag of Luxembourg](/source/Flag_of_Luxembourg). ## History The origin of the red-white-blue tricolour is not entirely clear; some sources suggest that it developed merely as a variant of orange-white-blue because the orange dye would tend to fade to red over time. However, there have also been suggestions to the effect that the red-white-blue flag might predate the introduction of the Prince's Flag in the 1570s. Thus, Muller (1862) suggested that the colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Bavarian house, the rulers of the [county of Holland](/source/County_of_Holland) during 1354–1433, who used the [Bavarian coat of arms](/source/Bavarian_coat_of_arms) quartered with the arms of the [counts of Holland](/source/Count_of_Holland).[1] During the early part of the [First Stadtholderless Period](/source/First_Stadtholderless_Period) (1650–1672), the government of the [Dutch Republic](/source/Dutch_Republic) wanted to appease the republican government of the [Commonwealth of England](/source/Commonwealth_of_England), and because the colour orange was associated with the [House of Stuart](/source/House_of_Stuart), the orange-white-blue Prince's Flag was banned in 1652, replaced by the red-white-blue "States Flag".[2] According to de Waard (1900), the Dutch navy between 1588 and 1630 always displayed the Prince's Flag, and after 1663 always the State's Flag, but both flag variants were in use during the period of 1630–1662.[3] It appears that prior to 1664, the red-white-blue tricolour was commonly known as the "Flag of Holland" (*Hollandsche Vlag*). In 1664, the [States of Zeeland](/source/States_of_Zeeland) complained about this, and a resolution of the States-General introduced the name "States Flag" (*Statenvlag*).[4] In the 1930s, the supporters of the [NSB](/source/National_Socialist_Movement_in_the_Netherlands) chose the orange-white-blue and the Prince's Flag as their symbol. [Queen Wilhelmina](/source/Wilhelmina_of_the_Netherlands) in 1937 signed a [Royal Decree](/source/Royal_Decree) that the colours red, white and blue are set as the official colours of the [Dutch flag](/source/Flag_of_the_Netherlands), partly as a signal directed at the NSB. ## The *Statenvlag* in paintings - [Reinier Nooms](/source/Reinier_Nooms) (1623–1664), [Battle of Leghorn](/source/Battle_of_Leghorn), 14 March 1653. - [Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten](/source/Jan_Abrahamsz_Beerstraaten) (1622–1666), [Battle of Scheveningen](/source/Battle_of_Scheveningen), 10 August 1653. - [Peter van de Velde](/source/Peter_van_de_Velde) (1643–1714), [Raid on the Medway](/source/Raid_on_the_Medway), 20 June 1667. - [Willem van de Velde the Younger](/source/Willem_van_de_Velde_the_Younger) (1633–1707), [Battle of Texel](/source/Battle_of_Texel), 21 August 1673. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** D.G. Muller, *De oorsprong der Nederlandsche vlag, op nieuw geschiedkundig onderzocht en nagespoord*, Amsterdam, 1862, p. 74. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** J.C. de Jonge, *Over den oorsprong der Nederlandsche vlag*, 1831, pp. 60-70. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** C. de Waard, "De Nederlandsche vlag" in: *Het Vaderland* (1900). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** JC de Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandse zeewesen, deel 1. 's Gravenhage, 1833, p. 75. - D.G. Muller, De oorsprong der Nederlandsche vlag, *op nieuw geschiedkundig onderzocht en nagespoord*. Amsterdam, 1862. v t e Flags within the Kingdom of the Netherlands Kingdom Royal flags Countries Aruba Curaçao Netherlands Sint Maarten Provinces Drenthe Flevoland Friesland Gelderland Groningen Limburg North Brabant North Holland Overijssel South Holland Utrecht Zeeland Public bodies Bonaire Saba Sint Eustatius Municipalities Amsterdam Eindhoven Groningen Maastricht Rotterdam Scheveningen The Hague Utrecht Weert Regions Frisia Historical Netherlands Antilles Netherlands New Guinea Dutch Brazil Dutch Suriname Prince's Flag Statenvlag Batavian flag Dutch East India Company Dutch East Indies --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Statenvlag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statenvlag) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statenvlag?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.