Should Spain have a second flag like Lithuania and Luxembourg?

Carlos III was a great King of Spain, and one of his best contributions to our Nation was the selection of a new naval ensign in 1785.

Cross of Burgundy: origin and history of the oldest of the flags of Spain
The European countries that have two completely different official flags

That naval ensign became the National Flag in 1843. Today, without a doubt, Spain has one of the most beautiful flags in the world, with colors that perfectly represent its heraldic tradition, as I explained here a year ago. It is a very visible flag at sea, and the vast majority of Spaniards feel represented by it; it is also a very popular flag.

However, and taking advantage of the fact that today is Saint Andrew's Day, I can't help but feel sorry that in Spain the flag that represented Spain for the longest time, from 1525 to 1843, for 318 years, does not have official status. I am referring, of course, to the flag with the Cross of Burgundy or Cross of Saint Andrew, which was our symbol in the Golden Age and the one that flew in the famous Old Tercios.

Eight years ago I already recounted here the story of this beautiful flag, which still has many enthusiasts today. In fact, it is currently used by our Armed Forces on their guidons and pennants. Reinstating it for military use was a great success.

The question I dare to ask is: Should Spain adopt the Cross of Burgundy as its second official flag? Of course, I'm not going into the legal process that would have to be carried out to achieve this, however complicated it may be, but simply whether it would be a good idea. Perhaps some will find it strange, but other European countries have already declared their historical flags official: In July, I discussed the cases of Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Monaco here. There, the historical flags are reserved for use within the country itself.

I believe it would be a good idea to reinstate that flag and give it official status, while still maintaining the preeminence of the red and yellow flag, since it is, after all, the one featured in the Spanish Constitution. This would allow us to continue using one of our historical symbols and, moreover, remove certain political connotations from it, since some mistakenly still think it is the Carlist flag, when in reality that traditionalist movement adopted it in 1935, and it was precisely the Isabeline forces who used it in the First Carlist War.

Anyway, I'm throwing out the idea and encouraging you to share your opinions on this matter, hoping no one takes offense. After all, even though it's not an official flag, the Cross of Burgundy flag still represents Spain in other countries today. It's the flag that still flies over some old Spanish fortifications in the Americas, and it's also the emblem that appears on the flag of the Patricios Regiment of the Argentine Army, which retains it as a reminder of when it was a military unit of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, part of the Spanish Empire.

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Main photo: Elentir.