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Kingdom of Bulgaria, 1908-1944: Royal Family

Царство Българи&

See also:

Introduction

The Kingdom of Bulgaria existed from 1908-1946, though for the purpose of flag research, the period ended on 09 September 1944. There are three main sources of flags of the period mentioned in Ivanov (1998). The first is the collection of the Naval Museum, from where are mentioned the naval ensign and king's and queen's standard. The second is the (Bogoslovski, 1912) "Al'bom shtandartov i flagov inostrannyh gosudarstv", Sofia 1912, and the third is a naval manual that I shall cover latter on. The Ivanov (1998) book contains pictures from the naval manual, but it also has detailed reports on what's in others, highlighting some differences. As far as I have understood, the flags preserved in the Naval Museum are of the same pattern as those published in the Bogoslovski book. They are treated together and even if I have reservations, I have no evidence why I should not do the same. All the flags here would be reconstructions from descriptions. Even if the descriptions are quite straightforward and clear, there is always the possibility that I misinterpreted them.
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

According to Ivanov (1998), the flags from the period of the kingdom were all abandoned on 09 September 1944. After that date and until new flags were officially adopted, the unofficial patterns were used -- on vessels, according to the taste of the captain.
Željko Heimer, 9 September 2001

King's Standard

1:1, by Željko Heimer

King's Standard (Shtandart' na N. Velichestvo Tsarya). Red square flag with the yellow crowned lion rampant, with tricoloured triangles around the border, green facing to the edges, red and white to the inside, and with red corner-pieces.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

The king and queen's standards are preserved in the naval museum (Voenomorski muzei) in Varna. The sizes of these flags are 253 x 255 cm with triangular tricolour edges 2.5 cm high.
Željko Heimer, 12 January 2004

1:1, by Željko Heimer

Flaggenbuch (1939) shows a smaller lion, much more "decorated", and with green tongue and claws. Moreover, the pattern of the triangles is totally different: the eight green triangles from your source have been changed to ten white triangles; the four white triangles from your source have been changed to five green triangles; the three red triangles from your source have been changed to four red triangles. To make things clearer, taking the upper border as an example and starting from the upper left corner, we have a red lozenge and then 19 triangles as follows: W V W R W V W R W V W R W V W R W V W (and then a red lozenge). White triangles point downward, green and red ones point upward. Triangle height (or border width) is 1/9 of the flag size. Lozenge basis is 1/15 of the flag size; triangle basis is 13/150 of the flag size.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001

1:1, by Željko Heimer

Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced in Ivanov, 1998) shows a differently rendered version. Red square flag with a yellow crowned lion rampant bordered with tricolour triangles. Here the triangles are much bigger than in 1912 (and the real flags preserved in the Varna museum!) so that there are four white triangles along each edge, and three (green-red-green) triangles along the edges of the red square, and with the red corner-pieces.
Željko Heimer, 14 January 2004

I guess that all these minor differences are not the result of changes in regulations (that would surely be mentioned in Ivanov, 1998), but are differences in artistic rendition.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

King's Pennant

1:30~, by Željko Heimer

King's Pennant (Breid-vimpel (kositsa) na N. V. tsarya). Yellow pennant with the king's standard at hoist.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

As above in Flaggenbuch (1939), but 1:5, with rectangular 15:23 king's standard.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001

The number 15:23 must be an approximation, since it is rather close when one takes away another pair of triangles along the vertical edges.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

by Željko Heimer

Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced in Ivanov, 1998) shows a differently rendered version. The difference is in the hoist flag matching the one above, and the swallow-tailed fly.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

Queen's Standard

1:1, by Željko Heimer

Queen's Standard (Shtandart' na N. Velichestvo Tsaritsata). Same design as king's standard, only swallow-tailed.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

1:1, by Željko Heimer

Flaggenbuch (1939) of course has the same pattern as for the king's standard. The "opening" of the tail is 1/6 of the flag size.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001

1:1, by Željko Heimer

Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced in Ivanov, 1998) shows a differently rendered version. The difference is in the triangles around the edges.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

Queen's Pennant

1:30~, by Željko Heimer

Queen's Pennant (Breid-vimpel (kositsa) na N. V. tsaritsata). Yellow pennant with the queen's standard at hoist.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

by Željko Heimer

Base flag as above in Flaggenbuch (1939). Border width of the queen's standard is 3 + 5/6 (for a hoist of 15).
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001

According to my "work", the triangles should be about 2.551 and not 3.833 to maintain the relative size in other images. Are they expected to be bigger?
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001

by Željko Heimer

Crown-Prince's Standard

2:3?, by Željko Heimer

Crown-Prince's Standard (Shtandart' na prestolonaslednika). The flag is of basically the same design as the king's standard set in the middle of the white flag with red cross and green saltire. I am particularly not sure about the correctness of my interpretation here, so be warned here even more than for the rest of the batch.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

2:3?, by Željko Heimer

Flaggenbuch (1939) shows the flag in 6:7 proportion. Therefore, the king's standard in the middle is rectangular, with only 15 triangles on its vertical borders. There is also a crown-princess' standard, swallow-tailed; a standard for the male members of the royal family, with red cross omitted; a standard for the female members of the royal family, same, but forked.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001

1:1, by Željko Heimer

Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced in Ivanov, 1998) shows a differently rendered version. A white flag with red cross and green saltire and overall a red rectangle containing a yellow crowned lion and bordered with the tricolour triangles. Here the triangles facing outward are white and those with bases inward are green and red, five of them horizontally, and three vertically, with red corner-pieces.
Željko Heimer, 15 January 2004

Crown-Prince's Pennant

1:30~, by Željko Heimer

Crown-Prince's Pennant (Breid-vimpel (kositsa) na N. Ts. V. prestolonaslednika). Yellow pennant with the crown-prince's standard at the hoist. Other officials are not given their pennants in Bogoslovski's album
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001

by Željko Heimer

Flag as above in Flaggenbuch (1939), along with the crown-princess' pennant, pennant for the male members of the royal family, and pennant for the female members of the royal family.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001