Flag of Belgium
Three equal vertical bands of black, yellow and red, with black at the hoist. The official flag is nearly square.
What the flag means
The colours come from the arms of the Duchy of Brabant: a yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field. No official meaning is attached to them.
History
On 27 August 1830, the day after riots began at the La Monnaie theatre in Brussels, insurgents raised a horizontal red, yellow and black tricolour on the city hall. The National Congress adopted the tricolour on 23 January 1831 without setting the order of the stripes. Later in 1831 the bands were made vertical, with black at the hoist.
The flag flies over the Royal Palace in Brussels and the Castle of Laeken when the King is in Belgium. It is taken down while he is abroad on official duties.
Earlier flags of Belgium
- 1830–1831Horizontal tricolour of red, yellow and black
Flags that look like this one
Same three colours. Belgium's stripes are vertical (black, yellow, red); Germany's are horizontal (black, red, gold).
Flags of Belgium's neighbours
Sources
- Wikipedia: Flag of Belgium
- The Belgian Monarchy: Symbols
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.
