The Colours of The Second or Queen’s Royal Regiment

The Peninsular War Colours and the Period to 1847

The Colours of 1772 being much worn, new Colours were again presented to the Regiment in 1806. The same pattern as before is followed but there were some important changes in detail.

• The first or King’s Colour is based on the Union. The major change here from 1772 was that following the Act of Union with Ireland in 1801, the red saltire of St Patrick was added to the Union by the authority of a Royal Warrant, by which the Union assumed its present form. In the centre was Queen Catherine’s cipher within the Garter, surmounted by a Crown. Below this was a scroll bearing the words “Queen’s Royal” and below this the Sphinx.
• The second or Regimental Colour was blue with the Union in the first canton. In the centre was the cipher, Garter, scroll and Sphinx as on the King’s Colour. In each corner of this Colour was a paschal lamb bearing a flag and below each lamb, the motto “Pristinae Virtutis Memor”. There is a difference of opinion as to whether or not there was a lamb on the Union in the first canton: The College of Arms MS shows none, but Canon’s description of the Colour gives it – the reasons for this will be discussed below.

The real significance of these Colours is that for the first time since 1661, the lamb is described as paschal, and bears a flag which is held in the front near foot over the front near shoulder; the flag is square.

The motto “Pristinae Virtutis Memor”, which also appears here although it will be recalled from the Colours of 1751 can be approximately translated as “Mindful of the valour of former days” – in other words, those who have inherited noble traditions from the past are more likely to live up to them in war than those who have none. These Colours were carried throughout the Peninsular War for which a number of battle honours were awarded and carried on both Colours. There is again a discrepancy about these. The College of Arms MS gives the following:

SALAMANCA	-	above the crown
VITTORIA PYRENEES	-	left side of the cipher
NIVELLE TOULOUSE	-	right side of the cipher
PENINSULAR	-	below the Sphinx

Canon, however, in his Historical Record of The Queen’s describes the Colours and gives the battle honours as:

VIMIERA	-	above the crown
CORUNNA
VITTORIA
PYRENNES	-	left side of the cipher. (Note spelling differences.)
SALAMANCA
NIVELLE TOULOUSE	-	right side of the cipher
PENINSULAR	-	below the Sphinx

Much leeway was allowed to makers of Colours in those days and it is possible that this is the reason for the difference between the authorised pattern and that actually seen in use. It is also quite likely that further honours were added as they were awarded.

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Figure 9

The Lamb as it appeared on the 1806 Colours. By 1820 the nimbus or halo had been added. (Click to enlarge)

These Colours were replaced in 1820. The general scheme was basically the same but there are differences in detail. The first of these is the addition of a wreath of roses, thistles and shamrock – the union wreath - around the outside of the Garter on both Colours. There is also a further modification of the lamb which now has the nimbus or halo, and the flag is swallow-tailed – see figure 9 for the original lamb, and figures 10 and 11 for the Colours.

Here, for the first time, the Colours have assumed approximately their modern form although they were still six feet square – designed to be carried and seen in battle. The 1820 Colours were a particularly beautiful set; an excellent painting of them is held by the College of Arms. These were the Colours carried during the campaign in Afghanistan 1839-40, and they remained in service until 1847.

 

 

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