Editing Flag of France (section)

===Kingdom of France===
{{Further|Coat of arms of France#History}}
{{anchor|Middle Ages}}{{anchor|Bourbon flag}}
During the early [[Middle Ages]], the [[oriflamme]], the flag of [[Saint Denis of Paris|Saint Denis]], was used—red, with two, three, or five spikes. Originally, it was the royal banner under the [[Capetian dynasty|Capetians]]. It was stored in Saint-Denis abbey, where it was taken when war broke out. French kings went forth into battle preceded either by Saint Martin's red cape, which was supposed to protect the monarch, or by the red banner of Saint Denis.

Later during the Middle Ages, these colours came to be associated with the reigning house of France. In 1328, the coat-of-arms of the [[House of Valois]] was blue with gold [[fleurs-de-lis]] bordered in red. From this time on, the kings of France were represented in vignettes and manuscripts wearing a red gown under a blue coat decorated with gold fleurs-de-lis.  [[Charles V of France]] changed the design from an all-over scattering of fleurs-de-lis to a group of three in about 1376; these two coats are known in heraldic terminology as ''France Ancient'' and ''France Modern'', respectively.

During the [[Hundred Years' War]], England was recognised by a red cross; [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]], a red [[saltire]]; and France, a white cross. This cross could figure either on a blue or a red field. The blue field eventually became the common standard for French armies. The French regiments were later assigned the white cross as standard, with their proper colours in the cantons. The French flag of a white cross on a blue field is still seen on some flags derived from it, such as that of [[Flag of Quebec|Quebec]].

The flag of [[Joan of Arc]] during the Hundred Years' War is described in her own words, "I had a banner of which the field was sprinkled with lilies; the world was painted there, with an angel at each side; it was white of the white cloth called '[[Buckram|boccassin]]'; there was written above it, I believe, 'JHESUS MARIA'; it was fringed with silk."<ref name="Whitney">Whitney Smith, ''Flags through the ages and across the world'', McGraw-Hill, England, 1975 {{ISBN|0-07-059093-1}}, pp. 66–67, The Standard of Joan of Arc, after quoting her from her trial transcript he states: "it was her influence which determined that white should serve as the principal French national colour from shortly after her death in 1431 until the French Revolution almost 350 years later."</ref> Joan's standard led to the prominent use of white on later French flags.<ref name="Whitney"/>

From the accession of the Bourbons to the throne of France, the green ensign of the navy became a plain white flag, the symbol of purity and royal authority. The merchant navy was assigned "the old flag of the nation of France", the white cross on a blue field.<ref>
*"...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis..." {{harv|Ripley|Dana|1879|p=250}}.
*On the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)" {{harv|''Vinkhuijzen collection''|2011}}.
*"The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour"{{harv|Chisholm|1911|p=460}}.</ref> There also was a red jack for the French galleys. A variant of the plain white Bourbon banner, a white field strewn with gold fleur de lis, was also sometimes seen.

<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="8" widths="130" style="background:lightgray; padding:15px; text-align:left">

File:Oriflamme.svg|The [[Oriflamme]], the banner of the Capetians
File:Flag of France (XII-XIII).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of France under the Capetian dynasty since the twelfth century
File:Flag of France (XIV-XVI).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of France under the Capetian dynasty since the fourteenth century
File:Pavillon royal de la France.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} The Royal Banner of France<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1214&ProjectElementID=3952|title=Royal Banner of France – Heritage Emblem|publisher=The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General|author=The Governor General of Canada|work=Confirmation of the blazon of a Flag. February 15, 2008 Vol. V, p. 202|date=12 November 2020|access-date=25 April 2021|archive-date=25 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425025226/https://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1214&ProjectElementID=3952|url-status=live}}</ref> or "Bourbon Flag". The [[House of Bourbon]] ruled France from 1589 to 1792 and again from 1815 to 1848.
File:Royal Standard of the King of France.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} The Royal Standard of France {{nowrap|(1643 design)}}
File:Pavillon royal de France.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} {{FIAV|variant}} Variant royal standard of France {{nowrap|(1643 design)}}
File:Royal Standard of King Louis XIV.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} {{FIAV|variant}} Variant royal standard of France {{nowrap|(1643 design)}}
File:Royal flag of France during the Bourbon Restoration.svg{{FIAV|historical}} |The Royal Standard of France {{nowrap|(1814 design)}}
</gallery>