Regimental Colours: History and Honour
Military unit flags—known as “colours” for infantry and “standards” for cavalry/armoured units—are historical and symbolic objects carried in battle and on parade. They represent the honour, history, and fighting spirit of the unit. Historically, they served as a rallying point on the battlefield, making them a primary target.
The Canadian Practice and Structure
In the Canadian Army, a unit is traditionally presented with a Stand of Colours, typically consisting of two flags:
King’s/Queen’s Colour (Sovereign’s Colour): Represents the monarch and the nation. The Sovereign’s Colour includes the sovereign’s crown and the regimental numeral or designation in the centre. Since 1985, this colour is based upon the Canadian flag, incorporating the St. Edward’s crown and the Royal Cypher.
Regimental Colour: Bears the unit’s crest and is inscribed with the names of battles in which the unit distinguished itself, known as “battle honours.” Click HERE to see a list of the battle honours awarded to the 48Th Highlanders. For most of them, a brief summary of the battle is available.
Colours are sacred to current and former members of the Regiment and are presented during a special ceremony by a member of the Royal Family or a high-ranking representative.
Laying Up the Old Colours
As a regiment’s history grows, its colours are periodically retired and replaced with new ones. The old colours are never destroyed; they are “laid up”—a formal and solemn ceremony where the physical flags are retired to a permanent place of honour, often a church, or museum. This tradition ensures that the physical colours remain a permanent, visible record of the thousands of service members represented by their threads.
A Detailed History: The 48th Highlanders of Canada
The history of the 48th Highlanders’ four Stands of Colours illustrates the importance of this tradition:
First Stand (1892)
The 48th Highlanders’ first Stand of Colours was made by the Ladies of Toronto and presented by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada, at a ceremonial parade on the grounds of the University of Toronto on 24 May 1892.
Second Stand (1925)
The regiment retired this first Stand of Colours and was presented with the second Stand on 24 May 1925. For this ceremony, both the first and second Stands had been emblazoned with ten of the twenty-one Battle Honours from the First World War. The first Stand was subsequently laid up in St. Andrew’s Church on 15 May 1927 to hang in the chancel. In 1997, due to their fabric beginning to shred with age, they were stabilized and moved to the Regimental Museum. The second Stand was carried for a further thirty-four years before being retired in 1959 to hang in the chancel of St. Andrew’s.
Third Stand (1959)
The third Stand was presented to the regiment in Ottawa in 1959 by its Colonel-in-Chief, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Twenty-one Battle Honours were emblazoned on the Regimental Colour for the ceremony. The regiment had been awarded twenty-seven Honours for their roles in the Second World War (twenty-six in 1956 and Landing at Reggio in 1958). Ten of these were placed on the Colour, joining the ten Honours from the Great War. Also included for the first time was South Africa 1899-1900, awarded in 1933.
The Battle Honour Anomaly (Scarpe vs. Passchendaele)
Interestingly, the third Stand was the first to display the battle honour Passchendaele, whereas the prior stands bore Scarpe in its place. This is because the Regimental Committee selected the Honours for the 1925 presentation before the final Royal approval was prepared. It’s believed that by 1959, it was determined that the regiment’s participation in the fourth Battle of Scarpe was actually part of the subsequent Drocourt-Quéant Line battle, which was already an awarded and emblazoned honour, making the inclusion of Passchendaele the preferred and most accurate choice for the third Stand. The third Stand was retired in May 1991 and was laid up in St. Andrew’s Church in October, to hang beside the second.
Fourth Stand (Current)
The active regiment carries the regiment’s fourth and current Stand. Its Sovereign’s Colour is based on the modern Canadian flag, and its Regimental Colour now includes the battle honour Afghanistan. When not on parade, the Colours are displayed in the Officers’ Mess.
These four Stands of Colours represent service to Canada since 1891 by thousands of Highlanders, with a unit’s history literally woven into the fabric of its flags.