The European countries that have two completely different official flags

Europe is a part of the world with a very long history and abundant traditions, and this is also reflected in the field of vexillology.

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During the Middle Ages, many national emblems had a heraldic origin, representing the monarchies of the respective countries. In some cases, this has carried over to the present day, giving rise to the fact that in some European countries, two official flags coexist, one of which is considered a national or civil flag, while the other is considered a state or institutional flag.

In many cases, the differences between the two flags are very simple: one doesn't have a coat of arms, while the other does. This is the case in Germany, Andorra, Austria, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Poland, San Marino, and Serbia. In three Nordic countries, the differences between the two flags are in form: Denmark, Iceland, and Norway use rectangular flags as national flags and pointed flags as state flags. Furthermore, in Liechtenstein, the national flag has a crown in the upper left corner, while the state flag omits the crown and places the national coat of arms in the center.

There are three cases in which the two official flags are completely different. In these three cases, the difference is that the secondary flag has a clearly historical and heraldic origin.

Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1236–1795) was a major country in Eastern Europe that encompassed present-day Lithuania, Latvia, and Belarus, most of Ukraine, half of Estonia, and parts of Russia. Its heyday, beginning in 1569, came with its union with the Kingdom of Poland, with which it formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also known as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The flag of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was known as the "Vytis" (Knight), a red banner with a white knight bearing a double cross on his shield. After the final partition of Poland in 1795, Lithuania came under the rule of the Russian Empire.

In 1918, when Lithuania regained independence, it adopted the current yellow, green, and red tricolor, which had been adopted by Lithuanian exiles during the 19th century. The Vytis flag was discarded for three reasons: the main one was vexillological, as it was difficult to reproduce compared to the tricolor; there was also a historical reason, as the Grand Duchy had encompassed more countries than just the new Republic of Lithuania; and a political reason, as the Vytis flag was red, and Lithuanians had just liberated themselves from Bolshevik Russia, which used a red flag as its emblem. However, due to its popularity, in 2004 Lithuania adopted the Vytis flag as its second official flag, recognizing it as the historical official flag. Nowadays, the Lithuanian Army often flies both flags at official events.

Luxembourg

Now it's time to talk about another Grand Duchy. Like Poland and Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was part of a personal union with the Netherlands between 1815 and 1890. The Dutch King was also Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The Grand Duchy used a blue and white striped flag with a red rampant lion, which originated in the High Middle Ages. As in the case of Lithuania, it was a difficult flag to make, so in 1848 the current red, white, and blue tricolor began to be used, very similar to the Dutch flag. Paradoxically, the current tricolor didn't become official until 1993.

The flag of the Roude Léiw (Red Lion) has remained very popular in the country, and there has even been some debate for years about adopting it as the sole national flag. It is currently used as the state flag, the naval ensign, and the emblem of the Armed Forces. Both flags have been official in Luxembourg since July 6, 2007, but outside the country, only the tricolor is used to represent the Grand Duchy in international institutions.

Monaco

Like many other monarchies, the Principality of Monaco historically used the coat of arms of the House of Grimaldi on a white background as its flag. During the 19th century, with the rise of nationalism in Europe (it was also during this time that Lithuania and Luxembourg began using their current national flags), Prince Charles III decided to adopt a national flag, established on April 4, 1881, which has two stripes: the upper one red and the lower one white. This flag reflects the colors of the Grimaldi coat of arms.

Currently, the bicolor flag is used as the national flag, representing the Principality of Monaco in international organizations and sporting competitions, while the flag of the House of Grimaldi is used as the state flag.

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Main photo: Lietuvos Respublikos Krašto apsaugos ministerija.