Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1898 — Spanish Royal Standard. [ARTICLE]

Spanish Royal Standard.

The Spanish royal standard is moot complicated. The red and yellow of the Spanish flag is said to be derived from this occurrence: In 1378 Charles the Bold dipped his fingers in the blood of Geoffrey, Count of Barcelona, and drew them down the Count’s golden shield, in token of bls appreciation of the latter’s bravery. The shield, so marked, became the arms of Barcelona, which became part of Aragon, and its arms were taken by that kingdom. Now to the royal standard: In the first quarter, or upper left-hand part of the flag, are the arms of Leon and Castile, the lion and the castle; the second quarter is taken up, one-half by the arms of Aragon, one-half by the arms of Sicily. The upper third of the third quarter (directly under the first) shows the Austrian colors, the lower two-thirds is divided between the flag of Burgundy and the black lion of Flanders; the upper third of the fourth quarter shows the chequers, another Burgundy device, while the lower twothirds is shared by the red eagle of Antwerp and the gold lion of Brabant, and on the top of all this are two shields, one showing the Portuguese arms, the other the French fleur-de-lis. Considerable of a flag that.—Philadelphia Times. *