Whoops, President Macron’s new Marianne has British rosette not French
The colours were mixed up with those of the RAF in a gift offered to the president
Which rosette for Marianne? Top Right: the colours of the UK’s RAF. Bottom Right: the colours of the French Republic
La poste / Anna55555 / Matthew Troke
The unveiling this week of the new Marianne stamps upset patriotic onlookers as the artist used the British rather than the French order of colours on her rosette.
A remodelled Marianne to be used on French stamps was presented to President Macron on a visit to La Poste’s stamp printing works in Boulazac, Dordogne on Tuesday (November 7).
The portrait featuring a red, white and blue rosette on her traditional phrygian cap was given to Mr Macron in person by Olivier Balez, the artist who designed the new stamps.
Read more: New Marianne for stamps in France unveiled in Dordogne
However, the colours of Marianne’s rosette, formally known as a cockade, were in the wrong order in the portrait.
French people took to social media to point out that the red cockade surrounded by white and blue rings is the emblem of the British RAF, rather than the French Republic.
Marianne should instead wear a blue cockade surrounded by white and red rings.
La Poste scrambled to the defence of the new Marianne.
"The portrait presented yesterday in Boulazac was a personal gift from the artist to the president. Its colours are not the same as those on the actual stamp, which will be monochrome,” announced La Poste.
A history older than the French Republic
The history of the tricolour cockade dates back to the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Indeed, its use on the caps of the revolutionaries, whom Marianne embodies, inspired the Republic’s red, white and blue flag.
It is closely associated with French Republicanism and French military vehicles, so much so that public officials who display it without authorisation can be fined €15,000.
While its use on military aircraft was copied from Britain's early air force, the Royal Flying Corps, the French cockade is equally emblematic - although we note that Paraguay uses the same colour configuration.
While the confusion is embarrassing, La Poste says that Mr Balez intends to correct the colours in Mr Macron’s portrait.
The new stamps will go on sale on November 13.
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