Whatever Happened to the Belgian Flag?

This may seem like a strange question to ask. Let me explain myself. A few weeks ago it dawned on me that the flags hanging along the main road in our town are all Flemish flags. That would seem normal to many people because I live in Flanders, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium.

However, until further notice Flanders is still a part of Belgium and a few weeks after the Belgian National Holiday July 21 and the coronation of our new king Philip one would expect the Belgian flag hanging all over Main Street.

To be on the safe side I consulted the guidelines for hanging an official flag in my country. Official flags are no longer mandatory except on National Holidays. This somewhat assured me because I was wondering why the flags were up anyway since it was way past the Flemish National Holiday on July 11.

Furthermore I learned that when multiple flags are used the Belgian Flag still prevails. That would explain why last year the Belgian, Flemish and European flags were on display on National Holidays. However on a Belgian Holiday one would expect the Belgian flag and not the Flemish flag. After all we still live in the Belgian Kingdom and not in the Republic of Flanders though for some this might be wishful thinking.