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Luxembourg: Grand Duke's standard

Grand Duke's arms
Former Grand Duke's standard (1897-2000)
Erroneous reports of the Grand Duke's standard
National mourning and funeral of Grand Duchesse Charlotte

Grand Duke's arms

Coat of arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 2001- (left, greater arms; middle, middle arms; right, lesser arms) - Images by Santiago Dotor, 20 May 2002

Grand Duke Henri has adopted in 2001 the coat of arms proposed by the heraldists in the 1960s. The new arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg were published in Mémorial, Journal Officiel du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg #114, 14 September 2001. The difference with the former arms is the inversion of the arms of Luxembourg proper (now in the first and fourth quarters) and of the arms of Nassau (now in the second and third quarters).

It seems that there isn't and there won't be any flag to represent the Grand-Duke.

Pascal Vagnat, 17 May 2002

On the above images, the lion is designed according to the "1993 pattern". See the discussion on that pattern.

Joseph McMillan, 14 February 2005

Former Grand Duke's standard (1897-2000

Standard of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1897-2000 - Image by Željko Heimer, 17 May 2002

The Grand Duke's standard was adopted in 1897. It has as dimensions 22 x 28 cm. It shows on an orange background the middle coat of arms of the dynasty.
The coat of arms shown on this flag is stylised and doesn't look like the drawings of the Grand Duke's coat of arms shown in books.

Pascal Vagnat, 17 May 2002

Erroneous reports of the Grand Duke's car flag

Several authors (e.g., Smith [smi75b], Barraclough & Crampton [bcr81] & Pedersen [ped80]) show a square blue flag with the lesser national arms with the Order of the Oaken Crown around it, and seven golden billets. According to Barraclough & Crampton, it was adopted soon after 1964, and according to Pedersen, it is only used on means of transport.

Mark Sensen, 17 May 2002

According to a letter of the Maréchal de la cour grand-ducale (Archives Michel Lupant), this flag never existed and was only a proposal. It should never had been published, but someone publish it and later books copied out the image.

The late 1960s are also know for the law proposal made by the heraldist Robert Matagne for the officialization of the emblems of Luxemburg, law which came to existence in 1972. Probably the Grand Duke's car flag was an idea of Matagne or an other heraldist. I say probably, because there were also attempts to make the Grand Duke adopt an other personal coat of arms than the one from 1897.
Jean was enthroned Grand Duke in 1964. A new coat of arms was never adopted, and the blue car flag never existed.

Pascal Vagnat, 18 May 2002

National mourning and funeral of Grand Duchess Charlotte

Here is the official communique concerning the national mourning:

Communiqué
Deuil national à la suite du décès de S.A.R. la Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte
10-01-2005
A la suite du décès de Son Altesse Royale la Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte de Luxembourg, le gouvernement a proclamé le deuil national à observer jusqu'au samedi 15 janvier 2005 à 18 heures.
Durant le deuil national, les drapeaux seront mis en berne sur les bâtiments et lieux publics.
(communiqué par le ministère d'Etat).

Unofficial translation:

Communique
National mourning following the decease of HRA Grand Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte
10-01-2005
Following the decease of HRH Grand Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, the government has proclaimed national mourning until Saturday 15 January 2005, 18:00.
During the national mourning, the flags shall be half-staffed on the public buildings and places.
(forwarded by the State Ministery).

Ivan Sache, 20 January 2005

Pictures from the funeral ceremony (AFP) shows the Grand Duchess' coffin draped in a flag I cannot identify accurately.

Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005

My impression is that the cloth covering the coffin resembles the Luxembourg ensign except that the upper and lower bands, white and light blue respectively, were quite thick.

Jan Oskar Engene, 16 January 2005

I suspect that this is not intended to be the civil ensign as such but rather a pall of the arms of the Grand Duchy. The civil ensign is, of course, a banner of these same arms, but as the Grand Duchess was not a merchant sailor, I imagine it is for the arms rather than the flag's role in the merchant marine that it is used.

Joseph McMillan, 16 January 2005