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The Colours

The Colours of a Regiment were used in battle as a rally point to allow the soldiers to know where friendly forces were after the attack had started. When mounting Queen's Royal Guards, the Colours are paraded, carried by a Junior Officer called the Ensign and are protected by two Junior Non-Commissioned Officers. The 1st Battalion received new Queen's and Battalion Colours from Her Majesty The Queen at a Parade in the Grounds of Windsor Castle on the 22nd May 1997.

STATE COLOURS

These are kept at Regimental headquarters and are only used when on Guards of Honour or State Occasions.

QUEEN'S COLOURS

1st Battalion - These colours are Gules (crimson) in colour and in the center the Royal Cypher Or, within the collar of the Order of St Patrick with badge appendant proper, ensigned with the Crown and are used when mounting Queen's Guard and the Queen is in residence at Buckingham Palace.

REGIMENTAL COLOURS

These colours are The Union with a Company badge in the centre ensigned with The Crown and are used when the battalion is mounting Queen's Guard. All 22 Company badges are borne in rotation. The Badge shown on the Colours above is a Second Battalion Colour called The Crest of Ireland.

NB. Both the Queen's Colours and the Regimental Colours are used if the Battalion finds itself the on-going and off-coming guard.

Click here to see the Company Colours of Both 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion