The caption to this photo dates the Colours as 1875 but battle honours have been added that show that these were in use at least as late as 1910. The three honours at the top of the Regimental Colour are for NAMUR 1695, TANGIER 1680 ( both awarded in 1910) and HAVANNAH (awarded in 1909). There are three honours at the base of the Colour, placed around the Sphinx; PEKIN (altered to PEKIN 1860 in 1914), TAKU FORTS and SOUTH AFRICA 1899 - 1902. The battle honours for BLENHEIM, RAMILLIES, OUDENARDE, MALPLAQUET, and LOUISBURG were awarded on 13 Mar 1882 and have been added to the top of the two columns either side of the central device.
Queen Victoria’s cypher is in the centre surrounded by the motto, then the collar of the Order of the Thistle, with pendant, and then an encircling Union wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks. Small motifs of thistles, mottos and crowns are in each corner and in the middle of the small Union flag. The Queen’s Colour is the Union flag with a Victorian crown over a numeral I. Although the caption states that these are the Colours for the 1st Battalion there does not appear to be any sign on either Colour to signify this.
In 1868 the size was again reduced, to 3ft 9in flying by 3ft deep. Each Colour was to have a fringe, gold and silver for the Queen’s Colour and gold and white for the Regimental Colour. The top of the staff was changed from a spearhead to a royal crest. In 1881 the small Union flag on the Regimental Colour was ordered to be discontinued.
