Flag bearers: Young custodians of France's history By Benoît Hopquin Published on May 8, 2025, at 8:00 am (Paris), updated on May 8, 2025, at 12:48 pm 2 min read Lire en français ...

It's a change so subtle it went unnoticed for almost three years. But President Emmanuel Macron ordered a change to the colour of the French flag to find echoes of heroism in France's past.

French President Emmanuel Macron greets U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, on August 26, 2019. A flag with the darker shade of blue can be seen behind Macron.

France's flag which is blue, white and red, has used darker and lighter shades of the blue section for decades. If you cannot see the interactive activity on this page, click here.