Last modified: 2004-12-18 by phil nelson
Keywords: kongens garde | military unit colors: norway | lion | cypher | battle honours |
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Recently I saw a photo of some ceremonial event in Norway (visit of some foreign dignitary) with the honour guard carrying a white flag with yellow Norwegian lion on it, and possibly some cyphers in each corner. Would that be the colours of the royal honour guard? Am I right it remembering that there are
ciphers, and if so, do they change with each king?
D;eljko Heimer, 30 December 1999
Norwegian line infantry (i.e., non-Guard) units carry flags, either of a solid color or divided vertically into two or three stripes, with the same lion in the center, the name of the unit, and battle honors embroidered on the field. The colors vary by regiment and derive either from historic associations with predecessor regiments or from the colors of the regiment's oldest known uniform.
Joseph McMillan, 30 December 1999
What you saw must have been the colour of the HM Kongens Garde (His Majesty the King's Guards). You are right
about the ciphers, they do change with a new king. Currently the ciphers should be H5 for Harald V (HM uses Arabic 5 for defence purposes). As far as I remember, there are also one or two citations from 1940.
Jan Oskar Engene, 31 December 1999
It may be noted, that royal life guards in many countries (not only
Norway, but also e.g. in Sweden and in France) have or have had colours
with a white cloth (upon which is different symbols). White has often been
seen as a "royal" colour.
Elias Granqvist, 10 November 2001