“The Queen’s Regiment of Foot, commanded by the Hon. Piercy Kirk, flyes a red cross bordered with white and rays as the admirals (see below), in a green field, with Her Majesty’s royal cypher in the centre.
“The Duke of Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot.—The Admiral flyes the red cross, with rays of the sun issuing from each angle of the cross, or.
“The Holland Regiment of Foot (afterwards the 3rd Buffs) flyes the red cross bordered white in a green field.
“Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of York and Albany’s Regiment of Foot (4th King’s Own) flies a red cross in a yellow field, bordered white, with rays, as that of the Admiral’s, with H.R.Highness’s cypher in the centre.”
Having completed the quotation from Brooks, we are able to give an extract from an old M.S., which is interesting when read in conjunction with the above descriptions of Army flags:—
“The imbroidered cypher and crowne on both sides Ye King’s owne colours, £3 . 10 . 0.
“For painting and guilding ye other 23 colours and crownes on both sides one with another at 15s. a side, £34 . 10 . 0.”
Clearly this extract refers to the First Regiment of Foot Guards, and shows that the King’s colours were embroidered, whilst the Company colours were merely painted. Before this time, we know that most flags were painted and, afterwards, that the tendency was for them to be embroidered. It seems fair, then, to infer from this that when the King reviewed his troops at Putney Heath, the period was one of transition from painted to embroidered decoration.
Passing on to the reign of King James II., it seems that he evolved many changes which were but little appreciated in the military quarters in those days. An authority of the time, named Sandford, who wrote a book entitled, “A History of the Coronation,” describes some of the Army flags as follows:—