Standard 1685


Regiments of Horse carried standards to identify themselves when parading with other regiments. The standard was square or rectangular and always considered superior to the guidon which was swallow-tailed and became the sign of a dragoon regiment as opposed to a cavalry regiment.

The Queen's Bays began life as a cavalry regiment before the downgrading to dragoons in 1746. In 1685 they were the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse and consisted of six Troops, each having it's own standard. The famous Windsor Colour Book illustrated the standards for each regiment in 1685 and, rather disappointingly, the Earl of Peterborough's standards were all plain white with yellow and silver fringes. The size of the standard was 2'6" flying and 2'3" on the staff. The staff was in the form of a medieval knight's tilting lance.


Regimental details | Standards


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by Stephen Luscombe