Dutch Navy

Mark Sensen wrote on Flags Of The World website about Command and Rank flags in The Dutch Navy since 1815

A Lieutenant-Admiral has four white sixpointed stars in the red stripe near the hoist of the tricolour…
A Vice-Admiral has three …A Rear-Admiral has two (side by side) …A Commodore has one.

He doesn’t explain why the Dutch Navy chose this shape and not any other shape.