The Spanish Flag in the Civil Guard

The origins of the colors used on the Spanish flag date back to 1785, when King Charles III of Spain launched a competition to design a flag using bright colors. Before that, flags tended to have white backgrounds and this made them difficult to identify, especially on the high seas, where there were some unfortunate misunderstandings between allied ships.

On May 28, 1785, by Royal Decree, King Charles III chose two designs from the 12 best submissions to be the new ensigns: one for the Navy (Marina de Guerra) and the other for the Spanish merchant marine (Marina Mercante). Both had red and yellow stripes, but the Navy's version is more similar to the flag used today.

The popularity of the naval flag grew so much following battles against the French that, in 1843, Queen Isabella II of Spain decided to make it the national flag, across all divisions.

The Spanish coat of arms has evolved over the course of different monarchs and political regimes.

The Civil Guard started life in 1844, during the reign of Isabella II, and according to various sources, the first unit flag included the simplified version of the national coat of arms of that period.

The Second Spanish Republic (1931–39) was the first and only time in which the colors of the flag have changed: the lower red stripe was changed to purple, and the three stripes were also made equal in size.

During this period, the coat of arms was also modified, removing the monarchical elements and using the mural crown, which symbolizes the absence of a monarchy.

During the Spanish Civil War, the nationalist faction (bando sublevado) reinstated the red stripe at the bottom, while all the other elements remained unchanged.

That is why, in the years between 1936 and 1939, there were both tricolor and bicolor flags featuring the coat of arms of the Second Republic, including its mural crown.

After the war, Francisco Franco's dictatorship began, and the coat of arms changed again. The new version appeared on the national ensign from 1939 to 1977.

It featured the coat of arms adopted by the Catholic Monarchs in the 15th century, with the addition of the motto "Una Grande Libre" (One, Great, Free) around the eagle's neck.

However, the main difference between this coat of arms and the one from the Renaissance is that the region of Navarre does not feature on the Catholic Monarchs' version. Theirs bore the emblem of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies instead of the chains.

In Francoist Spain, it was common to see flags with the simplified version of the coat of arms. These were usually flags from the previous period that were reused for their coat of arms, with the eagle and other elements embroidered onto them. That is why the Pillars of Hercules are inside the wings rather than outside as stipulated by the regulation.

It was also typical to see flags, such as this one from the Command of the Civil Guard in Cádiz, being reused by sewing a red band over the purple one. However, because the cloth used was of a lower quality than the original, it faded in the sun, with the purple remaining intact beneath it.

In 1977, the coat of arms was modified yet again. The motto was moved to above the eagle's neck, its wings were opened up, and the pillars were moved inside them. This version remained in use until 1981, so it is the one that appears on the cover of the 1978 Constitution.

Law 33/1981 of October 5 established the current Spanish coat of arms.

The shield is divided into four, square-shaped quarters.

In the first quarter, a gold castle symbolizing the old Kingdom of Castile appears on a gules (heraldic red) background. In the second, a purpure (heraldic purple) rearing lion with a gold crown, symbolizing the Kingdom of León, appears on a silver background.

In the third, there are four vertical gules bands on a golden background, symbolizing the ancient Kingdom of Aragon. In the fourth, on a gules background, is a gold chain symbolizing the ancient Kingdom of Navarre.

At the bottom—the enté en point—is a naturally colored pomegranate on an irregularly shaped silver background. The fruit has been used on the Spanish coat of arms since 1492 to symbolize the ancient Kingdom of Granada.

In the center of the shield is the family crest of the reigning dynasty (in this case, the House of Bourbon): three golden fleur-de-lis on an azure (heraldic blue) background.

The Pillars of Hercules are still there, with water beneath them and the motto "Plus Ultra" (Further Beyond), which recalls the discovery of the New World during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. Above them again are the imperial and royal crowns, which date from Charles I of Spain and V of Germany, symbolizing his simultaneous roles as emperor and king.

Finally, a closed royal crown with a gules lining, to symbolize national sovereignty, sits above the shield. It is a circle of gold set with precious stones, composed of five visible florets of acanthus leaves interspersed with pearls. Five diadems adorned with pearls converge at an azure globe, with the equator marked in gold and a semi-meridian topped with a golden cross.