Danish flag types: rectangular flag, swallow-tailed flag, pennant and stander

Dannebrog comes in several versions, and they are used by different people. The rectangular flag is the people’s flag, the swallow-tailed flag belongs to the state, the naval ensign to the navy, and the pennant and the stander fly from the pole when the flag is not up. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, there are five versions of Dannebrog: the swallow-tailed flag, the rectangular flag, the naval ensign, the stander and the pennant.

Overview

The rectangular flag

The rectangular flag (stutflag) is Dannebrog in rectangular form and Denmark’s national flag. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, the rules for its appearance come from a provision of 11 July 1748 on the flag of merchant ships, still in force, which states that the flag is »red with a white cross without split«. According to Den Store Danske, a royal resolution of 7 July 1854 allowed the population to fly Dannebrog. The proportions are in the guide to flag sizes.

The swallow-tailed flag

The swallow-tailed flag (splitflag) is the official Danish flag of authorities and the state. Under section 1(2) of the Flag Act, it is flown by the royal family, the Folketing, state authorities and the courts and by institutions with special permission. The Ministry of Justice writes that any other use is unjustified and therefore unlawful. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, a few businesses, organisations and associations still hold royal permission to use a swallow-tailed flag with a special mark, but no private person has received permission since 1964.

The royal family also uses the swallow-tailed flag with a special mark: the royal standard has carried the royal coat of arms in a central square since 1731.

The naval ensign and the yacht flag

The naval ensign is the navy’s swallow-tailed flag in a deeper red, which according to Dannebrogs-Samfundet is called naval red (Pantone 194C) as opposed to Dannebrog red (Pantone 186C). According to the Ministry of Justice, decked boats used solely for pleasure sailing may fly the yacht flag: the naval ensign with the letters Y.F. in yellow in the upper canton next to the pole. The yacht flag may not be used on land, and the permission lapses if the boat is used commercially.

Pennant and stander

According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, a pennant or a stander is raised when the flagpole has no flag:

• The Dannebrog pennant (vimpel) is a long, tapering triangular cross flag in red and white. Its length is about half the flagpole’s length.
• The Dannebrog stander is a shorter version, always 50 cm wide and about one third of the pole’s length. It is more visible on tall poles and can be used where trees or houses stand close to the pole.

Both can fly day and night without lighting and are used only on a vertical flagpole. They are lowered when the flag is raised and are not flown at half-mast.

The storm flag

According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, no flag is flown when the wind exceeds 20 metres per second. If the flag is flown on a flag day all the same, a storm flag can be used: a rectangular flag with the same proportions but half the size.

The size that suits the pole is shown in the flag size calculator. The colours and the cross are covered in more detail in the guide to flag symbolism, and flag etiquette in the guide to flag rules.