The amalgamation of the Gordon Highlanders with the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth & Camerons) took place in September 1994, a joining of the two regiments that required a single stand of Colours, combining their badges and battle honours.
The Queen’s Colour on the left is the Union flag with the title of the regiment on a circle that has a Roman numeral (1st Battalion) in the centre and Queen Elizabeth II’s crown above. The selected battle honours of the three regiments gained in WW1 and WW2 are arranged, 18 on the left, 18 on the right, and 7 below the centre. The same honours are repeated on the other side of the Colour.
The Regimental Colour, on the right, is yellow, the facing colour of the Gordon Highlanders full dress uniform. The regimental badge in the centre is the Cameron’s crowned thistle combined with the Seaforth’s stag’s head with the motto CUIDICH N’ RIGH. This is surrounded by the regimental title and outside the circle is a Union wreath of thistles, roses and shamrocks, topped by the QEII crown. The battle honour scrolls are arranged around this, on a laurel wreath, 23 on each side. These battle honours all date from the 18th century to the Boer War. Three more battle honours are shown as symbols: the Sphinx and EGYPT of the 79th centrally at the base, the Elephant and ASSAYE of the 78th in the lower right corner, and the Royal Tiger and INDIA of the 75th in the lower right corner. Just above the Sphinx is Prince Philip’s cypher and coronet. In the top left corner is Queen Victoria’s VR cypher within the garter, and in the top right corner is the coronet and monogram of Frederick, Duke of York and Albany of the 72nd Foot (Seaforths).
The Colours are fringed, red and gold for the Queen’s Colour, and buff and blue for the Regimental Colour. They are held on pikes 8ft 7.5ins tall, topped with a gilt royal crest. The cords and tassels are mixed red and gold. These Colours were presented to The Highlanders on 6 July 2001.
