Royal Bend of Castile facts for kids

The Royal Bend of Castile (also known as Banda Real de Castilla) was a special flag or banner used by the kings and queens of the Crown of Castile. It was like a personal military flag. Its main job was to show soldiers where the king or queen was during battles. This helped them know their leader's position.

This special flag was created in 1332 by King Alfonso XI of Castile. It combined the king's own symbol with the Castile and Leonese arms. Some people think its idea came from older symbols used by the Counts of Castile. These older symbols might have been a gold stripe on a red background.

King Alfonso XI also started a special group called the Order of the Royal Band of Castile. He created this group to reward people who served the king very well.

The Bend of Castile was used by all the rulers of Castile until Charles V, Holy Roman Empire. From the time of Henry IV of Castile, it usually looked like a reddish flag, possibly a deep red or purple. It had a golden stripe, called a bend, with dragon-like heads on it. These heads were also gold.

The word "dragantes" means they were shaped like dragons.

Before King Henry IV, the colors of the Bend could change. For example, during the rule of Peter of Castile, there were versions of the Royal Bend of Castile with white and black dragon heads on the stripe.

What the Royal Bend Looked Like

The Royal Bend of Castile, a symbol of the Kingdom of Castile.

The Royal Bend of Castile was a very important symbol for the rulers of Castile. It was a flag that helped people know where the king or queen was, especially during wars.

Early Designs

The very first idea for the Castilian Bend came from an old symbol of the Counts of Castile. This symbol was a red background with a gold stripe across it. Later, it changed to a red background with a gold castle that had three towers.

Changes Over Time

The way the Bend looked changed a bit over the years.

• The Catholic Monarchs (King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella) used the Castilian Bend with their own symbols. On one side, it had a yoke with gold ribbons. On the other side, it had a bundle of arrows with gold ribbons. They also had their motto, Tanto Monta, Monta Tanto, which meant they were equal rulers.
• Charles I (who was also Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) used the Bend with the Pillars of Hercules. These pillars were part of his royal symbols.

Later Use of the Royal Bend

The design of the Royal Bend of Castile was even used much later in history.

• Francisco Franco, who was a General and the Head of State of Spain from 1940 to 1975, used a version of the Castilian Bend. It was similar to the one Charles I used, with the Bend between the Pillars of Hercules. This design was on his official flag and banner. It was also part of his personal coat of arms as the leader of Spain.

The Royal Band of Castile, variant used by the Catholic Monarchs (front side)	The Royal Band of Castile, variant used by the Catholic Monarchs (back side)	The Royal Band of Castile, variant used by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor	Official flag of Francisco Franco as Head of Spanish State	Military banner of Francisco Franco as Head of Spanish State

See also

In Spanish: Banda de Castilla para niños

• Heraldry of Castile
• Knights of the Band
• Female order of the Band