Swallow Tailed National Flag (Denmark)

Splitflag

Last modified: 2025-11-15 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: dannebrog | splitflag |
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56:107, image by Zoltan Horvath, 23 May 2024

56:107, image by Zoltan Horvath, 23 May 2024

• Swallow Tailed National Flag (Splitflag)
• Use of the plain Swallow Tailed National Flag
• Original dimensions

See also:

• Denmark
• Denmark: Index of all pages

Swallow Tailed National Flag (Splitflag)

A note to the figure of this flag in Album des Pavillons explains that the ships without a Royal Standard may use this flag under a masthead pennant (I guess instead of the Royal Standard to indicate the presence of the King). The bright red version (see left image above) is used as the state flag. The naval red (orlogsrød) version (see right image above) is used as the naval ensign and the jack.
Željko Heimer, 10 June 2001 / 25 May 2004

On a visit to Denmark I saw state ships flying a Splitflag with white crown. This makes them official Danish ships, which means, as a crew member explained, that even though the ship he sailed on was a small wooden ship, it still couldn't enter "Sweden" without asking permission in advance. I also saw the Øvelses kuttere Svane (Swane?) and Thyra, which flew a splitflag (I think) with a crowned fouled anchor outlined in black. I was told that at one time the navy had its own sports club which used this ensign, but that it no longer existed, and now these two ships flew it.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 27 Aug 2001

According to Pedersen (1979), this ensign was proposed by the flag law commission of 1927.
Ole Andersen, 24 Apr 2004
Source: Znamierowski (1999) reports "since1625". The date here is a bit earlier than 1696, but that should not mean that it is wrong. As I understand it, 1696 is when the splitflag construction was established in the same way it is now essentially. The 1625 date may be when the idea was first made but without the definitive construction.
Željko Heimer, 6 June 2004

Use of the plain Swallow Tailed National Flag

Orlogsrød is the darker shade of brownish red. If no colour is mentioned, it is the normal red shade (Dannebbrogsrød). Using the splitflag without badge (rent splitflag), literally "pure splitflag" is the higher privilege.
According to Christian Fogd Pedersen the flag is used afloat in orlogsrød by
-ships of the Royal Danish Navy (Søværnet)
-ships of the coastal defense (Kystdefension)
-auxiliary vessels of the Royal Danish Navy (Søværnet)

afloat in Dannebbrogsrød by:
-ships of the North Jutland Rescue Service (Nørrejydske Redningsvæsen) approved by royal resolution on 24 May 1882
-ships of the Bornholm Rescue Service (Bornholmske Redningsvæsen) approved by royal resolution 24 May 1882
-state ice breakers (Statsisbrydere) approved by decision of Ministry of Commerce on 3 January 1914

ashore by:
-all ambassadors and consuls
-The Copenhagen Stock Exchange (Børsen i København) approved by order on 23 April 1817
-Holmen Church (Holmes Kirke), originally an anchor forge and rebuilt by King Christian 4 as a naval church, contains the graves of Danish naval heroes such as Niels Juel and Peter Tordenskjold
-Royal Orphanage (Det Kongelige Vajsenhus), approved by letter of Ministry of Justice on 18 May 1892
-Copenhagen Town Hall (København Rådhus)
-Aarhus University, approved by letter of Ministry of State on 23 August 1933
-any (Danish) flag maker with permission to add his own logo in the canton
-Copenhagen Students Association (Studenterforenigen i København), approved by royal resolution on 18 May 1866
-Copenhagen Mariners Association (Skipperforenigen i København)
-The Carlsberg Brewery (Bryggeriet Carlsberg), approved by word of mouth by King Christian 9 on 10 October 1876

for same reason also:
-Glyptothek (a museum of arts) and
-The Carlsberg Foundation
-The Copenhagen Police Precinct (Politigården i København), approved by royal resolution on 28 March 1924
-The Copenhagen Port Authority (Havnevæsnet i København)

The following institutions are misplaced by Pedersen as afloat with badge, are however revealed by own observation and googling as ashore and without badge:
-The Royal Porcelain Factory (Den Kongelige Porcelainsfabrik), approved by royal resolutions on 25 June 1878 and 16 April 1885
-Royal Danish Society of Horticulture(Det Kongelige Danske Haveselskab), approved by royal resolution on 3 October 1888
-The Skamlingsbanke Society (Skamlingsbanke Selskabet), approved by royal resolution on 17 February 1891, a meeting point for folklore and political disputes, for further info click: English WIKIPEDIA
-The Galopp Racecourse Klampenborg (Galoppbanen I Klampenborg), on 1st place on any race day
-Marienlyst Public Bathing Beach (Marienlyst Badeetablissement), approved by word of mouth and confirmed by letter of Ministry of State on 12 August 1943
-Lerchenborg County (Grevskabet Lerchenborg), established for Christian Cornelius Lerche, a high-ranking politician and functionary, existed between and 1923 for further info click: Danish WIKIPEDIA
-(Catholic) Church of Our Lady in København (Vor Frue Kirke)
-War Grave St. Michael on Fredericia burial ground
-Düppel Mill Institution (Dybbøl Mølle Institution), approved by royal resolution on 26 May 10921
-The Ryvangen Memorial Park (Minderungen i Ryvangen)
-Public Live Insurance Institution (Statsanstalten for Livsforsikring), today part of Danica pension
-Copenhagen Zoo (Zoologisk Have ved København), approved by letter on 5 February 1936
-Deaconesses´ Homes of Copenhagen and Frederiksbjerg (show a proper additional blue flag, sorry no details yet)
-The Copenhagen Masonic Lodge (Frimurerlogen i København), permitted by King Frederik 7 in 1860, flags indeed its own flag instead
-The Royal Approved School and Thorup Foundation (Det Kongelige Opfostringshus og den Thorupske Stiftelse), a boarding school, which existed between 1753 and 2004
-Round Tower (Rundetårn), a mixture of church and observatory in central Copenhagen, having one of the best lookouts to the city
-Frederiksminde/Frederikskilde Lystanlæg, pleasure gardens in Aalborg, permission given by King Frederik 6 on occasion of his visit in 1830

probably also for unconfirmed places
-Nyborg Town Hall
-Slagelse Hospital
Source: ped79a, pp.166-169
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 Aug 2025

Original Dimensions

Based largely on "The National Flag", Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 16 October 1999, and upon a partial translation of - 1969):

The first regulations on the "Splitflag" (confining its use to the King and Battle Fleet) were issued in 1625, with the original proportions being established by a Royal Order of 1696 (no exact dates are given by either source). The official history details the 1696 proportions as being 3-1-3 for the hoist and 3-1-13 for the length - at 7:17 a substantially longer flag that in present use - with the accompanying illustration showing the tails to have been one-half the length of the flag. The current proportions were established in 1856 (again no exact date is given by the either source), and the flag was last confirmed by a Royal Resolution issued on 25 October 1939, which states that "Orlongsflaget er et splitflag af dybbrød farve med hvidt kors"
Christopher Southworth, 11 July 2004