Civil Flag of the Spanish State (1981)

The design of the Spanish flag dates back to 1785 when the Spanish King, Charles III, adopted a red and yellow flag as a distinguishing ensign for his kingdom’s ships. 

The colours are historically linked to the coat of arms of the original Spanish kingdoms and were chosen because no other country used red and yellow at that time.

Red and yellow was used in the national flag until 1931, when the Spanish monarchy was removed and a republic proclaimed. The new republic introduced a flag featuring red, yellow and purple horizontal stripes.

In 1936 the red-yellow-red horizontal striped flag was reinstated.

The death of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, led to the restoration of the Spanish monarchy and to parliamentary democracy.

The civil flag of Spain, the plain red-yellow-red flag, becomes the state flag when the national coat of arms are added to the yellow stripe. 

Both the state and civil flag designs date from the 18th of December 1981. 

The Symbolic Meaning

Red and yellow are traditional Spanish colours and are derived from the coat of arms of the original Spanish kingdoms: Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarre. 

The coat of arms is charged on the national flag to create the state flag and consists of a crowned shield, quartered and guarded on each side by the crowned Pillars of Hercules.

Each quarter shows the badges of the original Spanish kingdoms, Castile (yellow and blue castle on a red field), Leon (maroon rampant lion on a white field), Navarre (green centred gem surrounded by a yellow chain design on a red field) and Aragon (vertical red and yellow stripes).

In the centre of the shield is the emblem of the reigning House of Bourbon (the Spanish royal family), a blue oval with a red edged border containing three fleur de lis.

At the bottom of the shield is a pomegranate representing Grenada.

The shield is supported by the Pillars of Hercules, representing Gibraltar and Ceuta, which rest upon three wavy blue lines, representing the Strait of Gibraltar between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. 

The pillars are surmounted by crowns on the left pillar is an imperial crown and on the right a royal crown. A royal crown also surmounts the shield. 

Wrapped around the pillars is a red scroll with the motto Plus Ultra written on it, which means ‘there is more beyond’.