The Real Story Behind France's Tricolour Flag and National Identity

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the surprising and contested history of France's tricolour flag — a symbol so familiar that its origins are often forgotten. They trace its creation during the French Revolution, when the red and blue of Paris met the white of the Bourbon monarchy. But the meaning of those stripes was never fixed: white was both the colour of the king and a symbol of national unity, while the marquis de Lafayette famously declared the flag would 'encircle the world.' They also discuss how the tricolour was temporarily replaced by the white flag during the Bourbon Restoration (1814-1830), and how the July Revolution of 1830 solidified it as the national emblem. Along the way, they touch on the fleur-de-lis, the cocarde tricolore, and the little-known fact that the flag's stripes were originally unequal in width. This episode offers a microhistory of a powerful national symbol, revealing how a piece of cloth can embody centuries of political struggle and identity. #Tricolour #FrenchFlag #FrenchRevolution #BourbonRestoration #JulyRevolution #MarquisDeLafayette #FleurDeLys #CocardeTricolore #NationalIdentity #Symbolism #France #Paris #1790 #1830 #LibertéÉgalitéFraternité #History #FexingoHistory #Revolution Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo