^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

The Netherlands - Kingdom of the Netherlands

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, Nederland

image by Zoltan Horvath, 7 August 2024
Flag adopted 19 February 1937, coat of arms adopted 10 July 1907

Usage of the flag
Colours
Short history
Official adoption of the flag

See also:

Usage of the flag

The Dutch tricolour is the national flag, flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (which includes the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and until its independence in 1975 Suriname), merchant flag, naval ensign and war flag. Until 1931 also used as Naval Jack.
On 19 February 1937 Queen Wilhelmina decided by Order in council that: "The colours of the flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are red, white and blue." In 1958 the colours were defined more precisely as bright vermilion and cobalt blue.
Source: Nederlands vlaggenboek: Vlaggen van Nederland, provincies en gemeenten [sie62].
Mark Sensen, 26 February 1998

Gerard van der Vaart

An orange pennant is hoisted above the national flag on birthdays of members of the Royal House or other occasions in which the Royal House is involved, except when hoisted half mast.
Mark Sensen, 22 February 1998

Mark Sensen, 22 February 1998

In May and June you can tell which families have students who have graduated. Outside the house the flag is put out, with the school bag at the top of the staff.
Mark Sensen, 22 February 1998

Colours

There is an official Dutch government standards document which describes textile colors called Normblad NEN 3055, but I haven’t found it online.

There is a Minister of Defence regulation on “Ceremonieel & Protocol rangen”, illustrating almost all Dutch flags: https://puc.overheid.nl/mp-bundels/doc/PUC_200100000000_10/1/
Zoltan Horvath, 7 August 2024

Link to NEN from 1 November 1958 is available - https://www.nen.nl/nen-3055-1958-nl-4262. Unfortunately it is not a free download.
Maxim van Ooijen, 7 August 2024

The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be.

For Netherlands: PMS 186 red, 293 blue. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise
Ian Sumner, 11 October 2012

The Flag Manual - Beijing 2008 gives Pantone color: PMS 186 (red), and PMS 293 (blue).

The Album des Pavillons 2000 [pay00] (Corr. No. 6.) gives approximate colors in Pantone and CMYK systems:
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 0-90-75-5
Blue: Pantone 286c, CMYK 100-60-0-5
Orange: Pantone 144c, CMYK 0-50-100-0
Yellow: Pantone 129c, CMYK 0-15-75-0
Sky blue: Pantone 279c, CMYK 70-95-0-0

The Album des Pavillons 2023 specifies the colors of the flags in three color systems:
Blue: Pantone 279c, CMYK 73-41-0-0, RGB 65-137-221
Blue: Pantone 286c, CMYK 99-83-0-0, RGB 0-53-173
Red: Pantone 186c, CMYK 10-100-74-2, RGB 210-16-52
Orange: Pantone 144c, CMYK 2-58-99-0, RGB 237-128-0
Yellow: Pantone 129c, CMYK 7-18-81-0, RGB 241-205-68

Vexilla Mundi gives colors in Pantone system: PMS 186C (red), PMS White, and PMS 286C (blue).

Wikipedia refers to the Standard, illustrates the flag, and gives color values as follows:
Red: Chromatic X=18.3 Y=10.0 Z=3.0, CMYK 0-83-78-32, RGB 173-29-37, Hex #AD1D25, RAL 2002
White: Chromatic Y=100.0, CMYK 0-0-0-0, RGB 255-255-255, Hex #FFFFFF, RAL 9010
Blue: Chromatic X=7.5 Y=6.6 Z=25.3, CMYK 77-47-0-48, RGB 30-71-133, Hex #1E4785, RAL 5013

Flag Color Codes gives the following color values:
Red: Hex #C8102E, RGB 200-16-46, CMYK 0-100-80-5, Pantone 186, RAL 3028
White: Hex #FFFFFF, RGB 255-255-255, CMYK n/a, Pantone n/a, RAL n/a
Blue: Hex #003DA5, RGB 0-61-165, CMYK 100-76-0-9, Pantone 293, RAL 5005

Zoltan Horvath, 7 August 2024

Short history

The Dutch tricolour was first used in the second half of the 16th century when the Dutch provinces revolted against Spain. Their leader was Prince William of Orange. The flag was named "Prinsenvlag" ("Princeflag") after him. At first the flag was orange-white-blue, but later the orange stripe became red.
The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was established in 1581, but did not include the Southern Netherlands (nowadays Belgium and Luxembourg, which were united with the Netherlands 1815-1830). After the Eighty Years' War independence was recognised by Spain in 1648.
Mark Sensen, 28 February 1996

Most of the time under French occupation (1795-1813) Holland, called the Batavian Republic, had the same flag as during the Dutch Republic (end 16th c. -1795), and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1813-1940 and 1945-now): horizontal red-white-blue. Even Louis Napoleon, King of Holland 1806-1810, maintained this flag, and Dutch history says he did a good job and tried his best.
Only in the early days of French occupation (when Holland was the Batavian Republic, 1795-1806) a horizontal red-white-blue flag existed with a canton showing the "Virgin of Holland", and during incorporation in France (1810-1813) the French tricolore (vertical blue-white-red) predominated.
Gerard van der Vaart, 26 January 1996

During the Second World War the red-white-blue was still the national flag, but its use was restricted by the German occupiers.
(Source: Jos Poels in [vxn] Vexilla Nostra no. 198, May/June 1995.)
Mark Sensen, 27 January 1996

Official adoption of the flag

The flag of the Netherlands was adopted by Order in Council 19 February 1937, no. 93, but there is no official law.
Also the Kingdom of the Netherlands, formed in 1954 with the following member states: the Netherlands (ie. the territory in Europe), Netherlands Antilles, Suriname (until 1975), and Aruba (since 1986), has no official law, although in practice the red-white-blue tricolour is considered the "Koninkrijksvlag" ("Flag of the Kingdom").
Mark Sensen, 8 March 1999

Koninklijk Besluit

19 Februari 1937 nr. 93

Wij Wilhelmina, bij de gratie Gods, Koningin der Nederlanden, Prinses van Oranje-Nassau, enz., enz., enz.

Op de voordracht van Onzen Minister van Staat, Minister van Koloniën, Voorzitter van den Raad van Ministers van 5 Februari 1937, No.486, Kabinet M.R.;

Hebben goedgevonden en verstaan: te bepalen:

De kleuren van de vlag van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden zijn rood, wit en blauw.

Onzen Ministers, Hoofden van Departementen van Algemeen Bestuur, zijn belast met de uitvoering van dit besluit, hetwelk in de Staatscourant zal worden geplaatst.

Zell am See, den 19 Februari 1937.

(get.) Wilhelmina

De Minister van Staat, Minister van Koloniën, Voorzitter van den Raad van Ministers,

(get.) H.Colijn

Order in Council

19 February 1937 no. 93

We Wilhelmina, by the grace of God, Queen of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, etc., etc., etc.

On the recommendation of Our Minister of State, Minister of Colonies, President of the Council of Ministers of 5 February 1937, No.486, Cabinet M.R.;

Have approved and understand:

to decree:

The colours of the flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are red, white and blue.

Our Ministers, Heads of Departments of General Administration, are in charge of this resolution, which will be published in the Gazette.

Zell am See, the 19th February 1937.

(signed) Wilhelmina

The Minister of State, Minister of Colonies, President of the Council of Ministers,

(signed) H.Colijn

Note that Zell am See is in Austria, where the queen was on holiday!
Mark Sensen, 11 March 1999