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TheCross of Burgundy (French:Croix de Bourgogne;Spanish:Cruz de Borgoña/Aspa de Borgoña;German:Burgunderkreuz;Italian:Croce di Borgogna;Dutch:Bourgondisch kruis;Portuguese:Cruz de Borgonha) is a saw-toothed (raguly) form of theCross ofSaint Andrew, thepatron saint ofBurgundy, and a historical banner and battle flag used by holders of the title ofDuke of Burgundy and their subjects.
It was first used in the 15th century by the ValoisDukes of Burgundy, who ruled a large part of nowadays easternFrance and theLow Countries as an effectivelyindependent state. At the extinction of the Valois ducal line in 1477, theBurgundian Low Countries were inherited by theHabsburgs, who retained the title ofDukes of Burgundy and adopted the flag as one of the many symbols of theirdynasty. After the Burgundian Habsburgs ascended to the throne ofSpain in 1506, their officials introduced this ensign in theSpanish Empire throughout theCastilian andAragonese territories inEurope and in theAmericas. As a reflection of the historical reach of the Burgundian, Habsburg, and Spanish empires and territories, the emblem can be found in several countries in Europe and in the Americas, used on regimental colours, badges, shoulder patches, and company guidons.
More recent usage of the Cross of Burgundy include its use by theCarlists; a faction of hyper-traditional monarchists who were opposed to the ascension ofIsabella II in 1833 due to her being a woman. Carlists and theirRequeté militias would be a major group among theSpanish Nationalists under the rule ofFrancisco Franco. After the fall of Franco Carlism shifted to aleft-winged nationalistgroup.
The Cross of Burgundy was also used by theWalloon Legion French-speaking Belgian volunteers fighting forNazi Germany affiliated with theRexism.
The banner strictly speaking dates to the early 15th century when the supporters of theDuke of Burgundy adopted the badge to show allegiance in theArmagnac–Burgundian Civil War. It represents the cross on whichAndrew the Apostle was crucified. The design is a redsaltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned, branches on a white field. Inheraldic language, it may beblazonedargent, a saltireragulée (or raguly)gules.
Pedro de Ayala, writing in the 1490s, claims a previous Duke of Burgundy first adopted this emblem to honour hisScottish soldiers. This must be a reference to the Scottish soldiers recruited byJohn the Fearless in the first years of the fifteenth century, led by theEarl of Mar andEarl of Douglas.[original research?] However, earlier chronicle claims and archaeological finds of heraldic badges from Paris indicate widespread adoption dates from 1411 in the context of factional warfare in the city. It was more likely to have been adopted because St. Andrew was the patron saint of the dukes of Burgundy.[1]
The year 1506 is the earliest use in Spain as it made an appearance on the standards carried byPhilip the Handsome'sBurgundian life guards. Philip was Duke of Burgundy since 1482. After marryingJoanna of Castile, Philip became the firstHabsburg King of Spain and used the Cross of Burgundy as an emblem. It was the symbol of the house of his mother,Mary of Burgundy.
From 1519 to 1556, during the reign of Philip and Joanna's son, EmperorCharles V, who was King Charles I of Spain since 1516 and Duke Charles II of Burgundy since 1506, various armies within his empire used the flag with the Cross of Burgundy over different fields. It was one of the many Habsburg symbols and the right to use it was inherited byPhilip II of Spain together with the Burgundian territories. The official field was still white. The Spanish Habsburgs and their successors of theHouse of Bourbon continued to use the Cross of Burgundy in various forms, including as asupporter to theRoyal Coat of Arms.[2] From the time of the Bourbon kingPhilip V (1700–1746), the Spanish naval ensign was white and bore a royal coat of arms in the centre. The Burgundian flag was reportedly still flown as a jack ensign, that is, as a secondary flag, until Charles III introduced his new red-yellow-red naval ensign in 1785. It also remainedin use in Spain's overseas empire.
The flag eventually came to be adopted by theCarlists, atraditionalist-legitimist movement which fought threewars of succession againstIsabella II of Spain. They claimed the throne of Spain forCarlos, who would have been the legal heir under theSalic Law, which had been controversially abolished byFerdinand VII. In theFirst Carlist War (1833–1840), however, the Burgundian banner was used as a banner of the Regent Queen's standing Army rather than that of the Carlist. After 1843 the red Burgundian saltire was repeatedly used the new red-yellow army flag under a four-quartered Castilian and Leonese coat of arms on the central yellow fess. During the 20th-centurySpanish Civil War the Cross of Burgundy was used as a badge by the Carlists under the leadership ofManuel Fal Condé, who fought on the side of theNationalists led by Francisco Franco.
Users mostly have some direct or indirect relation to the historical Burgundy, though such connection can be very vague and lost in the mists of time. Owing to the impact of theSpanish Empire as a global powerhouse across the world, numerous flags and coats of arms of bodies, in various colours and in combination with other symbols can be found in old Spanish domains. Most of them have a direct link with theSpanish Empire, where this symbol had a global impact.
During theSpanish colonisation of the Americas the Cross of Burgundy served as the flag of theViceroyalties of theNew World (Bandera de Ultramar)[5] and as a recurrent symbol in the flags of the Spanish armed forces[6] and the Spanish Navy.[7] Nations that were once part of the Spanish Empire consider "las aspas de Borgoña" to be a historical flag, particularly appropriate for museum exhibits and the remains of the massive harbour-defense fortifications built in the 17th–18th centuries. At both San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, and at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida, the Cross of Burgundy is daily flown over the historic forts, built by Spain to defend their lines of communication between the territories of their New World empire. The flying of this flag reminds people today of the impact Spain and its military had on world history for over 400 years. It was also used by Spanish military forces.
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![Cross of Burgundy in red over a white flag was a flag of Carlism and Requetés during Francoist Spain.[9] (note: see the coat of arms of the king)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aFlag_of_Cross_of_Burgundy.svg)
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| Royal Coat of arms of Spain Common Version of theStandard Colours (1700–1761)[2] | Royal Coat of arms of Spain Common Version of the Standard Colours (1761–1843)[2] |
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| Coat of arms of Spain – Version of the Standard Colours (1843–1868, 1874–1931) Variant with the lesser royal armsquarters[2] | Coat of arms of Spain – Version of the Standard Colours (1871/1873) Reign ofKing Amadeo[2] | Coat of arms of Spain – Version of the Standard Colours (1874–1931) Variant with the national quarters[2] | Coat of arms of Spain Royal Standard and theRoyal Guard Colours (1974–2014) Reign ofKing Juan Carlos I[2] |
(...)atravesado diagonalmente por dos brazos que formaba la cruz de San Andrés, también de seda y de color morado. (...) Este estandarte virreinal duró como símbolo de la Nueva España hasta el ya citado 24 de agosto de 1821 (...) Translation: (...) Crossed diagonally by two arms forming the cross of St. Andrew, also of silk and purple. (...) This viceroyal banner lasted as a symbol of colonial New Spain to the aforementioned 24 August 1821 (...) "
Para darle el carácter militar al escudo se coloca en la parte posterior (acolada), la Cruz de Borgoña (aspas), que es el símbolo militar de más antiguedad y tradición en las Fuerzas Armadas españolas.