Issue 5th November 2021: Flag of Norway Bicentenary

Both the USA and France, which proclaimed new, liberal constitutions in the late 1700s, chose these colours for their flags. The flag proposal that Fredrik Meltzer, a Norwegian member of parliament, put forward in 1821 also represented a middle ground between the former connection with Denmark and the new one with Sweden.

This flag became Norway's merchant flag from 1821 to 1844 and again from 1898. The growing sense of independence led to a popular movement for Norway to have a national flag of its own. In 1879, a proposal was made to reintroduce the flag law from 1821 and remove the "herring salad" badge which marked the union between Norway and Sweden from the flag.

Finally, on 10 December 1898, after a long tug of war between the Norwegian parliament and the King of the Union, the "pure" Norwegian flag was approved and could be flown in "the city and the harbour", but not on fortifications and naval vessels. It was not until the union between Norway and Sweden was dissolved on 9 June 1905 that the pure Norwegian flag could be hoisted here too.