First Battalion London Guards receive their Colours at Buckingham Palace ceremony
A year after The London Regiment, London's Army Reserve, was redesignated the 1st Battalion London Guards, the battalion has received its new set of Colours – ceremonial regimental flags.
The Colours were presented by The Colonel 1st Battalion London Guards, HRH Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh during a sacred ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Sunday, 9 July 2023.
The new Colours replace those of The London Regiment, which were presented in 1997.
The traditional ceremony is based on the format of religious services which were held on the battlefield for centuries, where soldiers are blessed from a makeshift altar of drums in a hollow square before going into battle.
The presentation was attended by 100 soldiers from the reservist unit and led by their Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Chris Sykes, with music provided by The Band of the Irish Guards.
The new Colours were consecrated by the Chaplain General of His Majesty's Land Forces, The Reverend Michael Parker, attended by Staff Chaplain, Father Ian Rogers, and the Chaplain 1st Battalion London Guards, Father Richard Terrado-Reardon.
The Colours were originally carried into the thick of battle so that soldiers could see where the rest of their regiment was at all times.
They are incredibly important to every soldier who serves under them as they represent the spirit of the regiment and it is believed that they carry the essence of all those soldiers who have died since the regiment's formation, serving the Colours.
Following the consecration, the Colours were formally handed to the battalion by Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, who then took the salute as they were marched past with the battalion.
The new Colours have been handmade by expert craftsman using centuries-old techniques. They are made from heavy silk, which is richly embroidered with gold and silver thread depicting the regiment's cap badge and company cyphers.
Infantry units each have two Colours: The King's Colour, which is a Union flag and symbolises the unit's loyalty to the crown, and a regimental Colour, which for the 1st Battalion London Guards is red silk.
The Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel 1st Battalion London Guards, then joined the reserve soldiers, their families and association members at a celebratory reception in Wellington Barracks.
The four companies that make up the battalion are Army Reserve companies of the four most senior regiments of the Foot Guards – the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, and Irish Guards.
Lieutenant Colonel Chris Sykes explained: "First Battalion London Guards receiving new Colours 14 months after its formation in 2022 cements the battalion's place within the Household Division.
"Colours are central to the infantry and all Army Reserve Guardsmen around the Army are immensely proud of today, as is the wider family of the battalion which joined us to celebrate this presentation."
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