In piecing together the history of the early Army flags, a certain Nathan Brooks has given us much valuable assistance. He went to Putney Heath on October 1st, 1684, to see the King review the troops, and was wise enough to write down a description of the colours which figured in the function. Probably no better account of the flags of this period is still available. Here it is:—[[1]]
“The King’s Own Troop of Horse Guards and Troop of Grenadiers.—The standard, crimson with the royal cypher and crown; the guidon, differenced only from the standard by being rounded and slit at the ends.
“The Queen’s Troop of His Majesty’s Horse Guards and Troop of Grenadiers.—The standard and guidon as the King’s.
“The Duke’s Troop of His Majesty’s Horse Guards and Troop of Grenadiers.—The standard and guidon of yellow damask, with His Royal Highness’s cypher and coronet.
“The Regiment of the Horse Guards (now the Royal Horse Guards, the Blues), eight troops.—The standard of the King’s troop, crimson, with the imperial crown, embroidered; the colonel’s colour flies the royal cypher on crimson; the major’s, gold streams on crimson; the first troop, the rose crowned; the second, a thistle crowned; the third, the flower de luce, crowned; the fourth, the harp and crown; the fifth, the royal oak; all embroidered upon the crimson colours.
“The King’s Own Royal Regiment of Dragoons, commanded by John, Lord Churchill.—The colours to each troop thus distinguished: the colonel’s, the royal cypher and crown embroidered upon crimson; the lieutenant-colonel’s, the rays of the sun, proper, crowned, issuing out of a cloud, proper, and is a badge of the Black Prince’s. The first troop has, for colours, the top of a beacon, crowned or, with flames of fire proper, and is a badge of Henry V. The second troop, two ostrich’s feathers crowned argent, a badge of Henry VI. The third, a rose and pomegranate impaled, leaves and stalk vert, a badge of Henry VIII. Fourth troop, a phœnix in flames, proper, a badge of Queen Elizabeth; each embroidered upon crimson.
“First Regiment of Foot Guards (of twenty-four companies).—The King’s company, standard all crimson, cypher and crown embroidered in gold; the colonel’s white with the red cross (St. George’s), the crown or: the lieutenant-colonel’s, the same cross, with C.R. crowned or: the major’s, C.R. and crown, with a blaze crimson (i.e., a flame issuing from the top left-hand corner of the flag); the first company, with the King’s crest, which is a lion passant guardant crowned or, standing on a crown. (Brooks then gives the remaining company badges which are set out in full later.)
“Colestream or Cauldstream Regiment of Foot Guards.—This regiment flyes the St. George’s Cross, bordered with white in a blew field (cf. above).
“The Royal Regiment of Foot, commanded by the Earl of Dumbarton, flyes a St. Andrew’s Cross, with a thistle and crown circumscribed in the centre, ‘Nemo me impune lacessit.’