*British, Blues & Royals Colours – Queen Elizabeth II, Hand-Embroidered Miniature (Bullion Work), Battle Honours Display Panel, Ceremonial Table Flag, Miniature Standard*
A finely embroidered miniature Blues & Royals (Royal Horse Guards & 1st Dragoons) Colours panel, executed in rich scarlet cloth with exceptional gold bullion and coloured silk thread work. The central device features the full Royal Coat of Arms—the lion and unicorn supporters flanking the quartered shield beneath the Imperial Crown—flanked by the gilt E and R cyphers of Queen Elizabeth II. This arrangement is characteristic of the Household Cavalry Standards carried by the Blues & Royals.
The lower panel is densely embroidered with the regiment’s authorised battle honours, representing over 250 years of distinguished mounted and armoured service. The panel measures approximately 22 cm × 15.6 cm (excluding fringe) and is bordered with an impressive bullion tasselled fringe, consistent with ceremonial table flags, mess decorations, and regimental presentation pieces from the Household Cavalry.
Historical Note: The Blues & Royals (RHG/D) were formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of the Royal Horse Guards (“The Blues”) and the 1st Dragoons (“The Royals”), though both antecedent regiments trace their origins to the 17th century. Their Standards traditionally display the full Royal Arms, a distinction reflecting their historic duties as part of the Sovereign’s Household Cavalry.
The embroidered battle honours on this piece chart the regiment’s celebrated history—from Dettingen, Peninsula, Waterloo, and the Victorian cavalry campaigns, through Mons, Le Cateau, Ypres, the Somme, and Cambrai in the First World War, to North-West Europe 1944–45, Iraq and Syria 1941, El Alamein, Italy 1944, and beyond. The regiment also famously served in the Falklands War of 1982, represented on later iterations of the Standard. Miniature Standards such as this were commonly used as mess-table flags, presentation items, or regimental association displays, celebrating the Household Cavalry’s long ceremonial and operational heritage.
*Condition* Excellent overall condition. Colours remain bright and unfaded, with gold bullion embroidery crisp, lustrous, and intact. Only light handling marks to the scarlet field under close inspection, and minor natural irregularities to the fringe from age and storage. A clean, highly presentable example ideal for display. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
