In the reign of King James II the Royal Regiment of Foot proclaimed its Scottish identity with the national flag. At that time each battalion had a Colour for each of its 21 companies. The Colonel’s company had a plain white Colour with the central device of a crown and thistle surrounded by the motto. The other companies had the blue flag with white saltire and the same central device as the Colonel. The illustration shows the first or eldest captain’s Colour with a Roman numeral I. The successive captains had their own number. The lieutenant-colonel’s company had no numeral, also the major’s, but his company had a red blaze coming from the top corner.
