Home | Calendar | Join Us | Photos | History | Members | Links

The Royal Banner of France
From 1534 to 1763 the royal banner of France was the the most commonly used flag in New France (east and Central Canada) during the French regime. This flag displayed three gold fleur-de-lis on a dark blue field ("Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, arranged two and one"). French military flags, including the white flag of la marine royale, were also flown in New France.

Peter Cawley - 25 May 1995

Prior to the French Revolution, there was no national flag which represented France. A variety of flags were used by troops, different types of ships and for other purposes. From 1590-1790 this flag is one of four that was used on warships and fortresses. The plain white flag, known as the Bourbon Banner, and this white flag with three golden fleurs-de-lis, a white flag with many fleurs-de-lis, or a white flag with many fleurs-de-lis with the arms of France in the center. The simpler designs such as this were used in ordinary circumstances and it is believed that the white flag of France flew over all or most of the French forts and settlements in America.

French Fleur-De-Lis (Fleur 23)
This flag and this design with the coat of arms of France in the center are most commonly associated with ceremonial occasions from 1590 - 1790. There was no specified number of fleurs-de-lis for these flags. Actually this design was printed onto lengths of yardgoods and cut off to size as needed. The origin of the fleur-de-lis symbol is not known for certain. Some have seen it as a flower, others as a weapon and still others as a frog. The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis.

French Regiments in Nouvelle France
My source for these gifs is *Le drapeau quebecois* by Jacques Archambault, Editeur officiel du Québec, 1974. This is a book on the history of Quebec's flags that is not available anymore, unfortunately. (I would like to point out that the descriptions are very important, because the colours from the illustrations of the XVIIth-XVIIIth centuries have faded - which leaves a certain uncertainty). Also, it was not specified by anyone, the flags are all 1:1, with a centered white 1/5 cross.

Carignan-Salieres Regiment
The Carignan-Salieres regiment was first known as Balthazar (1656), then Carignan-Balthazar (1659), then Carignan-Salieres (1665), then Perche (1691).
According to Quebec historians Sulte and Laverdiere, the regiment only had a white flag when it was known as Carrignan-Salieres, but according to Chartrand, it already had the colors that were to be those of Perche (and which are the ones I sent as *the presumed flag of C-S*).
There were 7 other Regiments that sent 1 batalion each :

Bearn

Each quarter isabelle, with 2 red stripes. *isabelle* is said to be a brownish yellow in the Larousse dictionary, yellow-horse-colour in Le Robert.

Berry

Each quarter violet (purple) with an isabelle band.

Guyenne

1, 4 isabelle ; 2, 3 vert-gris (green-grey)

Languedoc

1, 4 violet ; 2, 3 feuille morte (dead leaf). The *dead leaf* colour can be interpreted in many ways.

La Sarre

1, 4 : cramoisi (dark red) ; 2, 3 black

La Reine

1, 4 vert clair (clear green) ; 2, 3 black with 5 gold lys and a gold crown on each branch and 3 gold lys in the center.

Royal Roussillon

1 clear blue 2 red 3 feuille morte 4 clear green with 65 gold lys on the cross.

The Banner of Bourbonnais

The flag of Bourbonnais (the descended-country of the Bourbons) is a historic scutcheon-flag and shows the heraldry of the Bourbons, the french king-lineage, ruling 1589-1792 and 1814-1830 in France.

The shield was first used by Robert, count of Clermont (1256-1317), the third son of king Louis IX. His son Louis I used the same shield and had the title of duke of Bourbon. The name Bourbon is coming from the town Bourbon-l'Archambault in the departement Allier, which corresponds more or less to the old province of Bourbonnais. The name of the province means: the territory of Bourbon.

Bourbonnais before the royal privilege

Bourbonnais has got older arms, similar to the royal banner of Scotland (red lion on gold), but the border is made with shells instead of the fleur-de-lys - shells for Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage.