NEW COLOURS FOR THE WELSH GUARDS
2 May 2006 11:15 AM
Her Majesty The Queen will present new Colours to the First Battalion
of the Welsh Guards in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle on Thursday
4th May at 3.00pm.
HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess
of Cornwall and over 2000 spectators will attend the parade. The new
Colours replace those Colours presented by The Queen 16 years ago at
Buckingham Palace. This is the seventh colour presented to the
Battalion since its formation in 1915. The old Colours have
accompanied the battalion to Iraq, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Belize,
Kenya, Canada and the USA.
The parade will comprise four guards provided by the Prince of
Wales's, and Number 2, 3 and Support Companies. Each guard will be
made up of 54 officers and men. The Band of the Welsh Guards and the
Corps of Drums of the 1st Battalion will also be on parade. The
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel B J Bathurst OBE, who will
command the parade, said:
"For the Welsh Guards to be asked to troop their new Colour on Her
Majesty's 80th birthday parade is a great honour. It also marks our
return to London after a six year period of operational commitments
in which the first battalion has served with distinction in Iraq,
Northern Ireland and Bosnia. We are due to return to Bosnia in
October and our new Colour will go with us"
Afterwards, The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, The
Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will attend a private
reception in the grounds of Windsor Castle. There they will meet
serving members of the Regiment and their families.
The new Queen's Colour of the 1st Battalion will be Trooped at the
Queen's Birthday Parade on 17th June.
Note to Editors or Facility Note
FACILITY NOTE: Press coverage of this event will be arranged by the
Buckingham Palace Press Office by Royal Rota.
For further information contact this office as above or direct to
Simon Saunders (07970 769318) /Lt Col David Sievwright (07770322599).
END
Historical Note on Welsh Guards Colours and Uniform
Colours is a British Army term that refers to the regiment's flag
that used to be carried into battle and used as a rally point for
troops by helping them recognise the group they were fighting with.
This is no longer done but the colour has come to symbolise the
regimental spirit and is carried on parades as a memorial to fallen
soldiers. Colours are saluted as a mark of respect.
On March 19th, 1915 the King approved The Kings Colour, the
Regimental Colour and the eight Company Colours. He also conferred a
further distinction on the regiment by sanctioning the title of "The
Prince of Wales" Company, for the leading company of the 1st
Battalion. The details of the uniform were also settled. Both
officers and men wore the leek as cap badge. This national emblem was
repeated on the button design. The peacetime forage cap of officers
and men was to have a black band; the tunic was to have buttons in
groups of five; the collar badge to be the leek, repeated on men's'
shoulders. The bearskin cap would be the same as in the other
regiments of Foot Guards, but would have a distinctive plume of green
and white.
On August 3rd 1915, the battalion paraded in the gardens of
Buckingham Palace. The Bishop of St. Asaph consecrated the colour and
the King presented them to the regiment. A few days later, on August
7th, the London Gazette announced "His Majesty the King has been
graciously pleased to confer on the Welsh Guards the honour of
becoming Colonel-in-chief of the Regiment".
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