Kingdom of Spain ~ Grunge Flag (1785 - 1931)

The Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España) originated with the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469. Following the completion of the Reconquista and the discovery of the New World in 1492, Spain spearheaded the European exploration and colonisation of much of the globe. Spanish forces easily toppled both the Aztec and Inca empires in the Americas and established one of the first colonial empires. Spain’s pre-eminence gradually declined in the seventeenth and eighteenth century and the country was invaded by Napoleon in 1808, leading to the devastating Peninsular War. Following the Napoleonic defeat of 1815, the Spanish kingdom lost control of much of its colonial empire throughout the nineteenth century and was replaced by a republic in 1873, restored in 1874 and toppled again in 1931. Following the Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939) and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1936 – 1975), Spain became a kingdom under the House of Bourbon once more and has remained so ever since.

For much of its history, Spain used the red Cross of Burgundy on a white or yellow field as its banner. The first version of the modern-day design was adopted as a merchant and war ensign by Charles III in 1785. It consisted of a red-yellow-red triband with a shield and crown offset towards the hoist. The shield displayed the emblems of Castile (castle) and León (lion). The design was adopted as national flag only in 1874 and was the forerunner of the modern-day Spanish flag.

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