Queen Sofia visits the temporary exhibition ‘The Flag That Came from the Sea’ at the Naval Museum in Madrid.

The exhibition traces the origin and evolution of the national ensign through 57 historical pieces, many of them preserved by the Armada, to mark the 240th anniversary of its adoption as the ensign for its warships.

Her Majesty Queen Sofía, the Queen Mother, visited the Naval Museum this morning to tour the temporary exhibition "The Flag That Came from the Sea: The Colors That Identify Us," organized to commemorate the 240th anniversary of the adoption of the red and yellow flag as the ensign of the Armada's ships.

Upon her arrival, she was welcomed by the Chief of Staff of the Armada (AJEMA), Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez, and by the Director of the Institute of Naval History and Culture, Vice Admiral Enrique Torres Piñeyro. Before beginning her visit to the exhibition, Her Majesty stopped in the Board of Trustees' room, where she signed the Visitors’ Book and admired the portrait of her granddaughter, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias, Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, painted by Rafael Núñez de Salazar.

Throughout the visit, Queen Sofía was accompanied by the director of the Naval Museum, Captain Juan Escrigas Rodríguez, and by the technical director of the Museum, Berta Gasca, who guided the Queen through this exhibition that brings together 57 historical pieces —some never before exhibited due to their large size or fragility— including flags, banners, documents, paintings, models, coins, and medals.

The itinerary traces the flag's journey from the ports of Cadiz and Corunna to its definitive consolidation as a national symbol, highlighting the conservation and restoration work carried out in collaboration with the Royal Tapestry Factory.

THE FLAG OF SPAIN IS THE FOCUS OF THE EXHIBITION

Established by Charles III in 1785 to distinguish Spanish ships at sea and declared the national flag by Isabella II in 1843, the Flag of Spain is the focus of an exhibition that allows visitors to understand its origin, its uses, and its evolution into a symbol shared by the entire nation.

Among the most outstanding pieces is the oldest surviving flag, dated 1794 and flown on the ‘Príncipe de Asturias’, Admiral Gravina's flagship at Trafalgar, as well as the largest preserved flag, which flew aboard the cruiser ‘María Mercedes’. The exhibition also includes the original fabric samples presented to Charles III for the selection of the final design, as well as plates with alternative proposals and materials used to make the dyes.

A specific section addresses the meaning of the red and yellow colors and their deep roots in Spanish maritime and historical tradition, explaining how both colors became integrated into naval identity before becoming associated with the nation as a whole.

With this visit, Her Majesty wished to support the endeavors of scholarship, conservation, and dissemination of historical heritage carried out by the Naval Museum, as well as to highlight a symbol whose understanding requires knowing its historical journey and the memory accumulated over more than two centuries.