Monaco Flags – Monégasque Flag, Bunting & Hand Flags

The flag of Monaco: red over white

Monaco’s flag is two equal horizontal bands, red above white, and nothing else. Red and white have been the colours of the House of Grimaldi since the family seized the Rock in 1297, drawn from the lozenges of their coat of arms, and the plain bicolour was adopted as the national flag on 4 April 1881 under Prince Charles III. It is one of the oldest and simplest national flags in the world and is easily confused with two others: Indonesia’s flag is identical except in proportion, and Poland’s is the same pair of colours the other way up. Monaco keeps a short 4:5 ratio, which makes the official flag look almost square, though the Monaco flag we stock is cut to the standard 3:5 so it hangs alongside other national flags on a row of poles. The princely standard, a white field with the full arms, is a separate flag reserved for the Prince and is not part of this collection.

Grand Prix weekend, 19 November and Monte Carlo nights

The Fête du Prince on 19 November is Monaco’s national day, with a mass at the cathedral, a parade on the Place du Palais and the whole principality dressed in red and white. For most British buyers the flag belongs to the sporting calendar: the Monaco Grand Prix round the harbour at the end of May, the Monte Carlo Rally in January, the Monte-Carlo Masters tennis in April and AS Monaco’s European nights at the Stade Louis II. Hospitality companies, Formula 1 viewing parties and casino-themed charity galas take the bunting and table flags, and the hand flags go to model-car clubs and grid-walk events. A real Monégasque is a rarity in Britain, but the principality’s large expatriate population means the flag is a familiar sight at yacht shows, in Mayfair restaurants and on Riviera-themed weddings.

Choosing a Monaco flag

The Monaco flag is stocked in 20x12in, 3ft x 2ft, 5ft x 3ft and 8ft x 5ft in two grades. Flagtex is the printed woven polyester, light, bright and inexpensive, right for a hospitality marquee or a one-weekend display; DuraFlag is the heavyweight knitted polyester with double-stitched hems for a pole that is up in all weathers. Choose 5ft x 3ft for a garden or balcony pole, 3ft x 2ft for a wall bracket or a boat, 8ft x 5ft for a stage, a yacht club mast or a paddock backdrop, and 20x12in for a hand pole or a car. All sizes have a sewn header and brass eyelets, and the DuraFlag can be finished with clips or a rope and toggle.

Monaco bunting

Monaco bunting is sold in 3m and 9m lengths of red-and-white rectangular pennants on a tape. A 3m string trims a bar or a television wall for race weekend; 9m runs the length of a marquee, a terrace or a club lounge. It is printed polyester, so it survives a wet Sunday on a balcony, and plain red and plain white strings from the bunting range extend the scheme cheaply.

Hand flags and table flags

Monaco hand flags on wooden sticks come in 9x6in and 18x12in for grandstand waving, parades and parties. On the table, the Monaco table flag is a 6x4in flag on a base for a desk or a place setting, the 9x6in wooden table flag and the 18x12in large wooden table flag suit a reception or a boardroom, and the satin table flag on a sleeve is the formal option for a gala dinner. France, Italy and the other Riviera neighbours are under world flags.

Monaco flag FAQs

Popular in this collection

• Monaco Flag (20x12in to 8x5ft, 2 grades)from £6.99
• Monaco Bunting (3m or 9m)from £9.98
• Monaco Hand Flagsfrom £5.99
• Monaco Table Flag with Basefrom £1.98
• Monaco Large Wooden Table Flagfrom £3.98