Flag of North Brabant Prinsjesdag 2006, the flags in de Ridderzaal were replaced by tapestries bearing the provincial coat of arms. Flag of North Brabant The flag of North Brabant () consists of a chessboard pattern with 24 distinct fields in the colours red and white or gules and argent. The flag has been used since the Middle Ages, but fell into disuse in the 18th century. Thanks to the State Archivist ("rijksarchivaris") Mr. J. Smit, the flag is back in use. It has been the official flag of North Brabant since 1959. The flag of the province of North Brabant was adopted by
Flag of the Natalia Republic occupied Pietermaritzburg two months later. The flag was probably discontinued at that time or shortly afterwards. After three years of military occupation, the United Kingdom formally annexed Natalia, as 'Natal', in May 1844. The flag, and its design, passed into obscurity. They returned to public notice only after the South African Archives acquired the papers of Professor Ulrich Lauts in 1925. Back in 1847, Lauts had published a book (in the Netherlands) in which he described the flag as being in the colours of the Dutch flag (i.e. red, white and blue) and in the same order. "The white, however,