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Spain Flag - Kingdom of
SKU: ESP35P
The current flag of Spain dates back to 1785 to the reign of King Carlos III.. The kingdom, under the House of Bourbon, sought a flag to distinguish itself from the other Bourbon Kingdoms of France and the Two Sicilies. The design chosen as the war ensign was a tri-band red-yellow-red, with the yellow band being twice the width of the red bands, a unique feature that distinguished the Spanish flag from other European tri-bands. The flag chosen as Civil Ensign, consisted of five stripes of yellow-red-yellow-red-yellow, in proportions 1:1:2:1:1. One popular theory is that the design represented heraldic schemes of the various Spanish kingdoms, notably Aragon. Throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, the color scheme remained unchanged, with minor changes to the coat of arms. The Spanish Coat of Arms consists of the symbols of the many Kingdoms and European Households to which the Spanish Monarch lays claim. Gules a castle embattled Or gate and windows Azure Mason Sable (Castile); . Argent a lion Purpure languid and armed Gules crowned Or (Leon); Or four pallets Gules (Aragon); Gules on a chain in cross saltire and orle Or an emerald Proper (Navarre). Base: Argent a pomegranate Proper seeded Gules slipped with two leaves Vert (Granada). In escutcheon: Azure three fleurs-de-lis (2,1) Or a bordure Gules (Bourbon-Anjou). On either side of the above shield are the Pillars of Hercules, an ancient name given to the Straits of Gibraltar. The Latin motto " plus ultra "or "further beyond" signifies Spain's once great conquests beyond the Straits of Gibraltar, notably the Americas and the former Spanish in Africa and the South Pacific. The pillars, one with an Imperial Crown (left) and a Royal Crown (right) symbolize the entrances to Spain's mighty world. Between the pillars is a large Imperial Crown representing Spain's Monarchy. A Crucifix on the Crown signifies Spain's Catholic history.
During the Second Spanish Republic era the flag was changed to reflect the flag of Castile. The royalist flag was red-yellow-red (the red-yellow for Aragon and the red for Castile), while the republicans adopted red-yellow for Aragon and purple for the flag of the Castilian Comunero rebels. The flag of Spain in its current form was adopted on December 19, 1981 during the Franco Dictatorship in anticipation of the return of an absolute monarchy on his Death. King Juan Carlos succeeded Franco but restored Spain to a Constitutional Monarchy upon his coronation.
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