The Centenary of the Flag of Iceland

Prime Minister of Iceland Hannes Hafstein established the Flag Committee in December 1913. The Committee was appointed to make recommendations regarding the design, shape and colour of the future Icelandic flag. On July 1st 1914, the Committee submitted two proposals for the colour of the flag. The first was a sky blue flag with a white cross and a bright red cross inside it, the other a white flag with a sky-blue cross with a white and blue stripe on either side. At the request of the Flag Committee, the Prime Minister sought the opinion of the Danish King on the legalization of the blue and white flag. The King rejected the idea, stating that this flag was too similar to the Greek flag. Due to royal opposition, the Committee dropped its proposal of the White-blue, as the flag was called. On June 19th 1915 a royal decree was issued, establishing the tricolor as the flag of Iceland and confirming a new constitution for Iceland as a free and sovereign state under the Danish crown. When the Act of Union took force on December 1st 1918, the national flag was hoisted at the House of Government. The Icelandic Youth Organization later adopted the original White-blue which had gained popularity around the turn of the 20th century.