Editing Flag of Romania (section)

===Early use of the colors===

[[File:RaduSerban1608blue.png|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Coat of arms of Wallachia during Radu Serban's rule]]

The blue, yellow and red are a documented common occurrence on the flags and coats of arms in Romanian-inhabited lands as far back as the 14th century.

They were extensively used on the [[Flag_and_coat_of_arms_of_Moldavia#Gallery|coat of arms and flags]] of the Moldavian Principality. Some examples include a [[gonfalon]] of [[Dragoș,_Voivode_of_Moldavia|Dragoș Vodă]], flags used by [[Stephen the Great]] and [[Petru Rareș]], army flags used during the reign of [[Ieremia Movilă]], voivodal flags of [[Michael the Brave]], [[Alexandru Ipsilanti]], [[Alexandru Suțu]], [[Mihai Sturdza]], [[Alexandru Ghica]].<ref>{{in lang|ro}} Adrian Criș, "[https://www.ebihoreanul.ro/stiri/oradenii-pot-vedea-la-muzeul-militar-o-colectie-de-steaguri-istorice-deschisa-cu-stindarde-inca-dinaintea-lui-stefan-cel-mare-foto-130773.html Orădenii pot vedea la Muzeul Militar o colecție de steaguri istorice deschisă cu stindarde încă dinaintea lui Ștefan cel Mare (FOTO)]", in ''Bihoreanul'', 28 November 2016.</ref><ref>{{in lang|ro}} "[https://alba24.ro/foto-video-colectie-de-steaguri-istorice-moldovenesti-prezentata-la-muzeul-national-al-unirii-din-alba-iulia-expozitia-este-deschisa-pana-in-31-decembrie-452356.html FOTO-VIDEO Colecție de steaguri istorice moldovenești, prezentată la Muzeul Național al Unirii din Alba Iulia]", at Alba24.ro, 29 November 2015.</ref>

Upon creating a "Grand Principality of Transylvania" on November 2, 1765, Maria Theresa [[Flag_and_coat_of_arms_of_Transylvania#Standardized symbols|changed the Transylvanian coat of arms]] to a design that used red, yellow and blue.

Many Wallachian rulers such as [[Michael the Brave]], [[Basarab I of Wallachia|Basarab I]], [[Radu Șerban]], [[Mihnea III]], [[Matei Basarab]], [[Scarlat Ghica]], [[Alexandros Soutzos]], [[John George Caradja]] used [[Wallachia#Wallachian insignia|coats of arms and flags or ensigns]] in blue, yellow or red.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} Maria Dogaru, "Din Heraldica României. Album", Ed. Jif, Brașov, 1994.</ref>

Contemporary descriptions and later reconstructions indicate that the flag of Wallachia during [[Michael the Brave]]'s reign was made of [[damask]], originally yellow-white but later faded to white. It featured a black eagle on a green juniper branch, with a cross in its beak.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} Ioan Silviu Nistor, [http://www.dacoromania-alba.ro/nr76/tricolorul.htm "Tricolorul românesc: simbol configurat de Mihai Viteazul"], in ''Dacoromania'', nr. 76/2015</ref>

During the 1970s and 1980s, with [[protochronism]] receiving official endorsement, it was claimed that red, yellow and blue were found on 16th-century royal grants issued by [[Michael the Brave]], as well as on his shields and banners.<ref>Pălănceanu (1974), p. 138.</ref>