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Denmark Royalty

Danish Royal Flags

Royal Standard of Denmark
Flag of Prince Henrik of Denmark (married to the Queen)
Queen's Standard
Flag of Queen Ingrid of Denmark (the Queen's mother, deceased)
Flag of the Crown Prince of Denmark
Flag of the Regent of Denmark
Royal House Standard
Other Members of the Royal Family of Denmark
Danish Crown

Royal Standard of Denmark

56:107 by Paige Herring 1998

Dannebrog with swallow-tail and the Royal arms set in the white field in the centre of the cross. The centre square is 32 parts in a flag with the ratio 56:107. The current version of the flag for the ruling monarch was introduced on 16 November 1972 after Margrethe II's accession to the throne.

Margrethe II greatly simplified the Royal arms to reflect her much simplified title (she dropped a couple of mythical titles and the German titles too - some of which she did not inherit). The arms are now quartered by the Cross of Dannebrog, silver with red borders. In field 1 and 4 Denmark - three blue lions passant on a yellow field strewn with nine sea-leaves (formerly also depicted as hearts). Field 2 Schleswig (or South Jutland): Two blue lions passant on yellow. Field 3: Triparted, in chief Union: Three yellow crowns on blue (representing the Union of Calmar, uniting Denmark, Norway and Sweden), dexter Faeroes: White ram on blue, sinister: Greenland: White polar bear on blue. Inescutcheon: Oldenburg: Two red bars on yellow. Supporters: Two wild men. Around the arms are the chains and insignia of the Order of Dannebrog and Order of the Elephant. The Royal mantle is surmounted by a Royal crown. This current version of the Royal arms was introduced 16 November 1972.
Paige Herring 1998

Album des Pavillons (2000) describes this flag as the state flag with a white panel in the intersection of the cross of sides measuring 32 units (unit being 1/56 of hoist), on the panel the royal coat of arms. A note with the image explains that other members of the royal family use similar flags with the appropriate coats of arms on the panel. The royal pennant consists of a white square at the hoist with the royal coat of arms and a triangular cut (i.e. trapezoidal) fly end of Dannebrog pattern.
A note with the figure explains that the appropriate coat of arms is set for other members of the royal family, the same as is the case with the standard, and another note explains that this pennant is ceremonial and not required.
Zeljko Heimer, 12 June 2001

The white panel used throughout the flags of this design is 32 units (when hoist is 56 units high).
Zeljko Heimer, 29 May 2004

Alternate flag system

56:107 by Zeljko Heimer

When no standard is available, Flaggenbuch (1939) reported it could be replaced with the naval ensign topped with the masthead pennant.
Zeljko Heimer, 29 May 2004

The Flag of Prince Henrik of Denmark (married to the Queen)

A flag for the Queen's husband was introduced in 1972. In the white field, measuring 32 parts in a flag with a 56:107 ratio, the flag has the arms of the Prince as Knight of the Order of the Elephant: Quartered, 1 and 4 Denmark, 2 and 3 Arms of the Counts de Laborde de Monpezat: A gold lion rampant on a field of red with three five-pointed stars in the chief. Supporters: Two gold lions. The arms are set on a mantle surmounted by a princely crown with four arches, three of which are visible, and an elongated pearl on top.
Paige Herring 1998

Queen's Standard

Flaggenbuch (1939) reported this flag is the same as the Royal Standard, but with the lesser coat of arms. This is I presume for a non-ruling queen. Would such be in use nowadays for the non-ruling king? I suppose the difference may have been abolished in the modern time.
Zeljko Heimer, 29 May 2004

The Flag of Queen Ingrid of Denmark (the Queen's mother, deceased)

by Graham Bartran 2000

Queen Ingrid's flag was introduced 1948. In the white field, with a size of 32 parts in a flag of 56:107, is set the Royal arms as they were in 1948, without orders and supporters, but with the Royal mantle and crown. The arms consist of three shields placed on top of each other: Bottom shied: Quartered by the Cross of Dannebrog 1 Denmark, 2 Schleswig, 3 triparted Union, Faeroes, Greenland, 4 per fess in chief Wends: Yellow wyvern on red, in base Goths: Blue lion over nine red hearts on yellow. Middle shield: Quartered: 1 Holstein: White nettle leaf on red, 2 Stormarn: White swan on blue, 3 Dithmarschen: White mounted knight on red, 4 Lauenburg: Yellow horse head on red. Top shield: Per pale, Dexter Oldenburg, Sinister: Delmenhorst: Yellow cross on blue.

Comparing the arms of the two Queens Ingrid and Margrethe, we can see that Margrethe dropped the titles relating to the Wends, the Goths, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschien, Lauenburg and Delmenhorst.
Paige Herring 1998

The Flag of the Crown Prince of Denmark

56:107 by Zeljko Heimer

The flag, introduced in 1914, has in the white centre field the arms of Denmark (the three lions) surrounded by the chain and insignia of the Order of the Elephant and surmounted by a royal crown. The centre white field is a square of 32 parts in a flag measuring 56:107.
Paige Herring 1998

More details about this flag can be found on the Crown Prince's web page. The flag was introduced in 1914.
Dov Gutterman, 14 July 2005

Royal Pennant

by Zeljko Heimer

Other members of the royal family have a similar flag with their personal coat of arms; ceremonial not required). White square field with the appropriate coat of arms to which is attached a trapezoidal form of the national flag (actually, the crossbar at fly converges too). As far as I understand the Album des Pavillons (2000) footnotes, this flag is used by the Queen and other members of the royal house who are entitled to the flag instead of the "normal" split-flag in less ceremonial occasions - i.e. when they want to indicate that they are present on a ship, but that they do not wish that other ships would pay the respect with gun saluting and similar. I would suppose that these flags would therefore be used much more often nowadays then the "formal" ones. The royal flags would be made of the "civilian" red shade normally, however, we may assume that the naval ships that are equipped with the royal flags would have them in the naval dark red just as any other flags in their lockers.
Zeljko Heimer, 27 May 2004

The Flag of the Regent of Denmark

56:107 by Zeljko Heimer

There is also a flag for the Regent, the person acting as head of state in the absence of the King or Queen. The flag was introduced in 1914. The Regent's flag has in the centre white field a sceptre and sword placed in saltire, above which is found a Royal crown, beneath a Royal orb. The white square is 24 parts in a flag with a ratio of 56:107.
Paige Herring 1998

The state flag with a square white panel over the middle of the cross containing a sword and a sceptre in saltire over a royal orb and crowned proper. The sword is blue with yellow handle in Album des Pavillons (2000), sceptre is all yellow, the orb is yellow with blue lining. I suppose that since regent is not a permanent function, this flag would not be used very much.
Zeljko Heimer, 27 May 2004

There is also another flag that might be considered a royal flag, though it is not used by members of the Royal family. This is the flag of Hendes Majestaet Dronningens Hofstat, or in English, Her Majesty the Queen's Royal Court (or Household). This is the staff of people taking care of the affairs of Her Majesty, the Royal family, etc. This flag is also the Dannebrog with swallow- tails and a white field in the centre of the cross. The emblem is the Queen's Royal Cypher in yellow set within a wreath of green oak and green laurel, both with yellow fruits, tied together by a blue ribbon at the base. Royal Armorial Painter Age Wulff was responsible for designing this flag, which was introduced in 1983.
Paige Herring 1998

56:107 by Zeljko Heimer

Flaggenbuch (1939) shows a design similar to Album des Pavillons (2000), with only minor drawing differences - the sceptre is white.
Zeljko Heimer, 29 May 2004

Royal House Standard

56:107 by Zeljko Heimer

The state flag with the white panel containing the royal crown, as reported by Flaggenbuch (1939). The crown is taken from Heraldique Europeene.
Zeljko Heimer, 29 May 2004

Other Members of the Royal Family of Denmark

A flag for those members of the Royal family that do not have a flag of their own was introduced 5 January 1905. This flag has simply a Royal crown in the centre white square. The white square is smaller than in the flags for the more important members of the Royal family. It takes up 24 parts in a flag with the ratio 56:107, and is thus the same size as the red fields on the hoist side of the flag.
Paige Herring 1998

Danish Crown

by Joe McMillan, February 2002

Many offices of the government use the crown on the flag. All of the photos/drawings that I have seen have the crown in gold. Is there any actual support that it is in fact used in full color?
Paige Herring, 1 June 2004

Flaggenbuch (1939) is one such source - it shows crowns in their full splendour. It may even be true for the older flags where the defacements were painted on the flags, but today I would expect more "solid" designs to be used either printed or sewn on as patches. It may be that there was no regulation issued regarding the colour, just a matter of practice (however, the modern flags tend to have fewer and fewer crowns). But also compare my images based on Album des Pavillons (2000) with those based on the Flaggenbuch - I used two different types of crown intentionally.
Zeljko Heimer, 1 June 2004

Sources:

Betaenkning afgivet af Flaglovkommissionen af 19. juli 1927, Copenhagen, 1929

Bjerring, Ole: "Et nyt Dannebrog", Nordisk Flaggskrift, No. 13, 1984, p. 6

Munksgaard, Jan Henrik: "Kommando- og rangflagg i Norden II. Danmark", Nordisk Flaggkontakt, No. 20, 1995, pp 5-18

Pedersen, Christian Fogd: (1979) Verdens flagg i farger ,Oslo, pp 20-21, 166-167

Svane, Erling (1994): Det danske rigsvåben og kongevåben: udvikling og anvendelse, Odense, 1994, pp 149-158, 171-179