Colors

of the

1st of Foot, the Royal Regiment

In 1751, a Royal Warrant introduced for the foot regiments of the line a two-color system that is still used by the British Army. Each regiment received a King's Color, described as "the Grand Union throughout," (shown at left) and a Regimental Color with a field in the regimental facing color and a canton of the Union Flag. Regiments whose facings were white or gray received a Regimental Colour with a white field quartered by a broad red cross. For regiments with black facings, the Regimental Colour was black, quartered by a broad red cross. In the case of the 1st of Foot, the ground is blue in honor of the "Royal" designation. On both colors, the number of the regiment, in gold Roman numerals, was to appear within a "union wreath" of roses and thistles. However, those regiments of the "Old Corps" (the 1st through 6th Reg. of Foot) with "ancient devices" or royal badges, such as the Royals, were permitted to bear them on the colors, in which case the regimental number appeared in the upper hoist.

As one of six Regiments of Foot of the Old Corps, The 1st Foot was entitled to bear special badges on its colors. The Royal Cipher of the monarch (here George II) appeared within a crowned Circle of St. Andrew, which bears the motto of the Order of the Thistle. (This changed to the collar and badge of the Order of the Thistle in 1812 when the 1st Royals were given the title of "Royal Scots"). In three corners of the Regimental Colour was the floral badge of Scotland, a crowned thistle. (This was changed to crowned thistles on a red ground within a circlet of St. Adnrew  in 1812.  Additionally, a sphinx was added under the wreath in 1802 to commemorate the campaign in Egypt.) The 1st Foot was a two-battalion regiment; the colors of the 2nd Battalion (shown here) were distinguished from those of the 1st Battalion by the addition a golden "stream blazant" issuing from the hoist or canton.