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The famous French
Tricolore, which has been the inspiration for many national flags
around the world, was born during the bloody and chaotic years of the
French Revolution.
The flag was introduced in
1794 by the first Republic of France.
The colour is based on a red,
white and blue cockade (a badge of concentric circles), worn by the
French monarch, King Louis XVI, when addressing a revolutionary gathering in
Paris.
To the red and blue cockade adopted by the revolutionaries, the
King had added white, the traditional colour of French royalty.
The use of the first
French Tricolore came to an end in April 1814, with the return of the
French monarchy and their associated symbols.
The second French
Revolution of 1830 reinstated the Tricolore and it has remained in
uninterrupted use since the 5th of March 1848.
The current French
national flag dates from the 17th of May 1853. |
