CHARLES R. Our Will and pleasure is, and we do hereby require you forthwith to cause to be made and provided 12 Colours or Ensigns for our Regiment of Foot Guards, of white and red taffeta, of the usual largeness, with stands, heads, and tassells, each of which to have such distinctions of some of our Royal Badges painted in oil, as our trusty and well-beloved servant, Sir Edward Walker, Knight, Garter Principal King-at-Arms, shall direct, and for your so doing this shall be your warrant.

Given under our sign manual, at our court at Whitehall, this 13th day of February, 1660.*

* At this period the year ended on the 25th of March; the date, according to present computation, was 13th of February, 1661.

To our right trusty and right well-beloved cousin and councillor, Edward earl of Sandwich, Master of our Great Wardrobe, or his Deputy.

By His Majesty's command,
EDWARD NICHOLAS."

CHARLES R. Our Will and pleasure is, that you forthwith cause to be delivered unto Charles Wheeler, Lieutenant-colonel of our Regiment of Foot Guards in Dunkirk, or to whom he shall appoint to receive the same, 12 Colours of the same sort as those of Colonel Russell's, for the use of our said Regiment in Dunkirk, for which this shall be your warrant.

Given at our court at Whitehall, this 16th March, 1660, in the thirteenth year of our reign.

To our trusty and right well-beloved cousin and councillor, Edward earl of Sandwich, Master of our Great Wardrobe, or to his Deputy.

By His Majesty's command,
"EDWARD NICHOLAS."

Such are the warrants by virtue of which the twenty-four badges flrst borne by the Grenadier Guards were conferred upon the several companies of that loyal regiment, as a grateful recognition of the important services which its members rendered during the exile of its sovereign. For upwards of 200 years the Grenadier Guards have displayed upon their colours the representative emblems of most of the sovereigns of England, from the time of Edward the Third, in 1326, to that of Charles the Second, in 1660. Of the above royal badges, one formed the royal crest, four were borne by the Plantagenet line of kings, six by the House of Lancaster, two by the House of York, five by the Houses of York and Lancaster united, and six by the House of Stuart. These latter were included in the seven badges, either introduced into the arms of England by James the First, or which were assumed by him, and were subsequently granted by Charles the Second as badges of the House of Stuart, to be emblazoned on the colours of his two Royal Regiments of Guards.*

* The two Royal Regiments of Guards here referred to were under the command respectively of Colonel Russell and Lord Wentworth. Upon the death of the latter, in 1665, these two were incorporated into one Regiment of 24 Companies, which was then styled "The King's Royal Regiment of Guards," and subsequently the First or " Grenadier Guards."

The seventh badge was not granted, being considered inappropriate, as being the royal badge of Scotland; namely, the red lion sedant, holding sword and sceptre. The sword and sceptre "in saltier" were, however, taken as a distinct badge of the House of Stuart, and as such it appears on the gold coins of Scotland, and is the badge of the 19th company of the Grenadier Guards.

The following is the order of precedency of the royal badges:

1. The sovereign's crest.
2. Badge representing the united Houses of York and Lancaster.
3. The cognizance of France.
4 and 5. The separate badges of the Houses of York and Lancaster.
6, 7, 8. The emblems of the three kingdoms of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
9, 11, 12, 13. Supporters used at different times by kings of England.
10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Badges assumed by several kings to commemorate particular events, or which descended to them by marriage or inheritance.
24. A second badge or crest of Ireland.

On the 11th March, 1811, the following royal warrant was issued:

In the name and on behalf of His Majesty.

(Signed) GEORGE, P.R.

GEORGE THE THIRD, by the grace of God King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. &c. &c., to all whom these Presents may concern, Know ye that we have graciously been pleased to approve of the Painting and Devices borne on the Colours of our three Regiments of Foot Guards; and are further pleased to direct and command that no alteration therein shall on any account be permitted but by the special command of Us, our Heirs, &c. &c.; and that the same, having been countersigned by our Commander-in-Chief and our Secretary-at-War, shall be deposited in the office of our aforesaid Commander-in-Chief, under the care of our Inspector of Regimental Colours.

Given at our court at Carlton House, this 11th March, 1811, in the fifty-first year of our reign. By command of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on behalf of his Majesty.

PALMERSTON.
(Signed) DAVID DUNDAS, Commander-in-Chief."

To these twenty-four badges, six were added in 1854 by the express permission of Her present Gracious Majesty; the Colours were somewhat reduced in size, and gold fringe added to them, but in other respects they are the same as above. There are now, consequently, thirty badges borne by the thirty companies of the Grenadier Guards. The regiment also carries a full-dress standard, which was presented to it by William the Fourth in 1832, and which is used on all state occasions.

The following regimental order was issued by the officer commanding the Grenadier Guards on the 26th March, 1853:

"QUEEN'S COLOURS. The Colonel's Colour will always be taken as the Queen's Colour of the 1st Battalion, Lieutenant-colonel's as the 2nd Battalion, and the Major's Colour as the 3rd.

REGIMENTAL COLOURS. The Company Colours of the Regiment will be taken in succession by the three Battalions as their Regimental Colours. The 1st Battalion will commence by taking the colour of the 1st company, the 2nd Battalion will take that of the 2nd company, and the 3rd Battalion that of the 3rd company. When new Regimental Colours are again required by either of the three Battalions, the Battalion first requiring one will take the colour of the 4th company, the next that of the 5th, and so on all through the companies in regular rotation. When all have been taken, the Battalion that first requires a new one (whether 2nd or 3rd Battalion) will commence the list again by taking the colour of the 4th company.

By Order Of COLONEL WOOD, commanding Grenadier Guards."

The thirty Colours (with badges) of the Grenadier Guards, as well as the Queen's Colours, are all inscribed with the names of "Lincelles, Corunna, Barossa, Peninsula, and Waterloo," to which, in later days, were added those of "Alma, Inkermann, and Sebastopol" each suggestive of heroic deeds.

In 1793, when the French attacked Lincelles, part of the 1st and 3rd Regiments of Foot Guards and the Coldstreams, forming together a battalion of about 1100 men, carried with the bayonet a redoubt most strongly fortified, and occupied by 5000 veteran soldiers. In 1809, when Marshal Soult prepared his attack at Corunna, the British infantry, including the Grenadier Guards, numbered but 14,500. The French counted 20,000 men. Soult, flushed with the success which attended his leading column, pressed on, as he thought, to certain victory, but succumbed to the strategy of Sir John Moore and the undaunted bravery of the British infantry.

In 1811, similar deeds of bravery were enacted at Barossa. Waterloo recalls to mind how the Guards maintained their posts at Hougoumont, while the Peninsula is eloquent of their prowess. In still more recent times, we find the same spirit, the same discipline, the same power of endurance: Alma, Inkermann, and Sebastopol, tell how loyally the Guards maintained their ancient prestige--how well they merited the decorations that were conferred upon themhow justly their colours were again inscribed.