List of flags of Montenegro

The following is a list of flags of Montenegro.

State flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	2004-	National flag, civil, state and navy ensign	Red with a golden border and the state coat of arms in the middle. Ratio: 1:2. Adopted on July 13, 2004.
	2004-	National flag, Vertical Banner	Red with a golden border and the state coat of arms in the middle.

Presidential Standard

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	2006-	Standard of the President on Land	Square version of the State Flag, with a border fleury
	2006-	Standard of the President Afloat	Square version of the State Flag, replacing red with blue, a border fleury

Military flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	2010—Present	Naval ensign of Montenegro.	Blue with the national flag in as its canton, occupying 2/5 of its width and 1/2 of its length with a white anchor interlaced with three lines representing the surface of the water in the right side of the flag.
	2010—Present	Naval jack of Montenegro.

Historical flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1994–2004	State Flag of the Republic of Montenegro	Red-bluish-white with equal width, with "bluish" (plavetna) meaning light-blue. Ratio 3:1. Returned the original official Montenegrin state flag
	1946–1994	Republican Flag of the People's/Socialist Republic of Montenegro	Red-blue-white traditional tricolor with the communist red star, same as the Republican Flag of the People's/Socialist Republic Of Serbia
	1905–1918	State (national) Flag of Montenegro	Red-bluish-white with equal width, with "bluish" (plavetna) meaning light-blue. Ratio 3:2. To differ from the flag of Serbia which was identical, the only official state flag, according to the first 1905 Constitution of the Princedom of Montenegro. Created after mythically the blue in the tricolor faded in the light of the sun, so Nicholas adopted it. Used temporarily in the fascist WWII Montenegrin State (officially Kingdom).
	1876–1905	National Flag of Montenegro	Flag used on many different occasions throughout the existence of Montenegro to the present, recognized state flag until the one sanctioned by the 1905 Constitution. Mass-used by the Montenegrins since the 1880s. The Slavic tricolor versions proposed by Prince Danilo (based on the French liberal flag) were finally stabilized by adopting the Serbian tricolor in 1859. The flag was temporary used by Montenegrin institutions after multiparliamentarism in 1991, until the old flag was restored in 1993.
	1881–1916	National Flag of Montenegro (unofficial)	National tricolor with Nicholas' insignia

Court flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1910–1921	King Nicholas I Petrovic-Njegos' royal standard	National tricolor with King Nicholas I's initials and his royal crown
	1910–1918	Court flag in the time of the Kingdom of Montenegro	National tricolor with the Princely Coat-of-arms. Crown changed from princely to royal.
	1910–1918	Royal flag of the Kingdom of Montenegro	The lion was replaced by Nikola's cypher H.I. The crown was changed from a princely to a royal crown
	1910–1918	Royal flag	Another version, probably more correct one.
	until 1910	Court flag in the time of the Princedom of Montenegro	National tricolor with the Princely Coat-of-arms.
	until 1910	Nicholas' princely standard	The national tricolor with Nicholas' Coat-of-arms and the biblical lion beneath.
	1861–1900	Princely standard	Nikola I
	1852	Princely standard	Danilo I

Civil ensigns

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	early 1881-1916	Civil ensign	Tricolor with the Cyrillic cypher НІ (i.e. NI) of Prince Nicholas I topped with a golden crown in the center. Because the owners as well as the crew of Montenegro's Ulcinj cruisers were Muslims, Nikola changed the flag not to offend Islam
	1881–1916	Civil ensign	Version of the Civil Ensign that was predominantly used. Usage extended beyond primary purpose to even of that of the National flag.
	late 1880-early 1881	Civil ensign	Tricolor flag with the cross from the war flag (krstaš-barjak) with Nicholas' initials set in canton; stripes based upon domestic national flag.
	early 1880-late 1880	Civil ensign	Horizontally divided red-white-red with the cross from the war flag (krstaš-barjak) with Nicholas' initials set in canton; based on the naval flag of Austro-Hungary according to the Dalmatian marine codelines sanctioned by the 1878 Congress of Berlin.
	1878–1880	Naval ensign (unofficial)	White flag with a red St George's Cross. Inspired by the British Naval Ensign back from the 1814 British navy's takeover of the port of Kotor during the war between the Montenegrins and the French.

Military flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1876–78	War flag, civil flag	The Montenegrin war flag used in the Battle of Vučji Do (1876) was red with a white cross pattée in the center and a white border. This flag was used in Cetinje in 1878,[1] upon recognition of the independence of Principality of Montenegro by the Ottoman Empire at San Stefano.
	after 1871	War Flag of Prince Nicholas I Petrovic	Red with a double-headed eagle with Nicholas' initials and the biblical lion below; based upon the Alaj-barjak from Danil I's era. After Nicholas' martial reforms since 1871 he created a war flag for himself signifying the supreme command over the Montenegrin Army. Used by the World War II Axis puppet Montenegrin state.
	after 1861	War Flag of Prince Nikola I	Museum kept version
	after 1871	Brigade Battle Stag	Red with a double-headed eagle with Nicholas' initials and the biblical lion below; based upon Nicholas' War Flag. After Nicholas' martial reforms since 1871 he created a battle stag for a Brigade, the largest Montenegrin military unit in the Montenegrin Army. Better quality materials than the Battalion Stag.
	after 1871	Battalion Battle Stag	Red with a double-headed eagle with Nicholas' initials and the biblical lion below; based upon Nicholas' war flag. After Nicholas' martial reforms since 1871 he created a war flag for a Battalion, a military unit composed by a corresponding Montenegrin clan.
	ca 1876	War stag of Nicholas I Petrovic	Red with the krstaš-barjak with Nicholas' initials in it and border. Used at the Battle of Vučji Do.
	reign of Prince Danilo Petrovic	War Stag of Prince Danilo Petrovic	Alaj-barjak of Prince Danilo, signifying the supreme command over the Montenegrin armed forces. Introduced by Prince Danil during his martial reforms. Used at the Battle of Grahovac.
	reign of Prince Danilo Petrovic	Guard Battle Stag in Prince Danil's Army	Flag signifying a unit of 1,000 men; red field with the double-headed eagle and Prince Danil I's initials in it. Introduced by Prince Danil during his martial reforms.
	reign of Prince Danilo Petrovic	Centurian Battle Stag in Prince Danil's Army	Flag signifying a unit of 100 men; red field with the traditional Montenegrin Cross of Saint George and Danil I's initials in it. Introduced by Prince Danil during his martial reforms. Based upon the old tribal Montenegrin flag.

Archaic

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1844 - 1848.
	second half of the 18th century	Banner of the Tsar Šćepan Mali	White banner with a red border, worn on a swear with a golden cross on top of it. Different from the Metropolitan flag to represent sacral rather than spiritual power it left out the cross. The cross was removed to symbolize secular rule.
	while the Petrovic-Njegos family held the seat of Cetinje Metropolitans	Martial Banner of Montenegrin clans	Flags signifying a Montenegrin clan, to differ from the authority of the Scander Metropolitan. Where created by ripping and resewing captured Ottoman flags.
	while the Petrovic-Njegos family held the seat of Cetinje Metropolitans	Banner of the Metropolitanate of Cetinje of the House of Petrović-Njegoš	Orthodox red cross in a white field with a red border. Represents the highly Christian virtue of subjected peoples and the desire to fight against invading Islam. Adopted in during the Great Turkish War at the end of the 17th century.

Flags of municipalities and cities

Flag	Date	Use	Description
		Bar (municipality)	Tricolour
		Budva (municipality)	Three six-pointed stars over a blue background.
		Cetinje (Old Royal Capital)	Historical Montenegrin flag.
	2009-present	Kotor (municipality)
	2006—present	Podgorica (Capital)	Central part of the 2006 Coat of arms of Podgorica
		Pljevlja (municipality)

See also

• Flag of Montenegro
• Coat of arms of Montenegro

References

1. Nenadović, Ljubomir P. (1929). O Crnogorcima: pisma sa Cetinja 1878. godine, Volume 212 (in Serbian). Štamparija "Sv. Sava,". p. 187.