The Colours
The Colours
The Honorary Colours were intended to be in addition to the normal Regulation Colours and were first presented in 1808.
thereafter, particularly on the occasions of the funeral of King Edward VII, the coronation of King George V and the Royal Review by H.M. the Queen on her visit to Gibraltar in 1954.
The Colours presented in 1808 The statement in “The Historical Record of the 76th Regiment” that the stand of Colours presented in 1808 were the first Honorary Colours is not correct. To qualify for that description the Colours would have had to have been in addition to the Regulation stand. However, as they were the only stand carried by the Regiment for the next 22 years they were, de facto, the Regulation Colours.
Honorary Colours of 1969 No formal approval was sought to replace the 1906 stand. Informal advice from the Adjutant General was that they should be ‘taken into use’ and blessed rather than consecrated. The Colours were trooped. The cost of the Colours was paid for by the Regiment.
Honorary Colours of 2002
Honorary Colours of 1830 These Colours were the first that can be described as Honorary since they were in addition to the Regulation stand. The East India Company stated that it would not provide new Colours until the King’s approval had been obtained. The fact the East India Company subsequently gave new Colours to the 76th is circumstantial evidence that the King’s approval was obtained. The existence of the correspondence almost certainly accounted for the relative ease with which approval was obtained to replace the Colours in 1888 and 1906.
Honorary Colours of 1888 The second stand of Honorary Colours, paid for by the India Office, was issued after the approval of the Commander-in-Chief (Field Marshal H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge) had been obtained. The approval was given notwithstanding the Order issued by King William IV in 1835 that Regiments would not carry three Colours on parade. That could be because the Honorary Colours were not, at the time of their replacement in 1888, carried on parade.
Honorary Colours of 1906
New Honorary Colours were presented together with new Regulation Colours in 2002. Following discussions with MOD it was agreed that, following the precedent set in 1969, the Honorary Colours should be ‘taken into use’ and blessed rather than consecrated. At the presentation ceremony the Regulation Colours were consecrated by the Deputy Chaplain General and the Honorary Colours were blessed by the Regimental Chaplain. These Honorary Colours were on parade for the Presentation of new Regulation Colours to all four Battalions of The Yorkshire Regiment by the Colonel in Chief, The Duke of York, in 2010.
Custody of the Honorary Colours The Honorary Colours will pass from Battalion to Battalion annually at a date, time and location (in barracks) to be mutually agreed by Commanding Officers. The Colonel in Chief is to be advised, through Regimental Headquarters, as soon as this information is known. The handing over of the Honorary Colours is considered to be a primary regimental occasion and as such is to be carried out with due ceremony. They should, at the very least, pass formally from one Colour Party to another.
Carriage and Funding
The third Honorary stand, given by the India Office, replaced the previous stand which had been destroyed by fire in 1901. Their issue was approved by the Secretary of State for War, Mr Brodrick. The Colours were formally presented by the 4th Duke of Wellington and consecrated. All four Colours (Regulation and Honorary) were carried on all public occasions
The Honorary Colours are rotated between the Battalions and carried by the relevant Battalion when on parade in barracks. They are paid for by the Regiment through subscriptions to an Honorary Colours Fund. All those serving in the Regiment make a small regular contribution to
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