Royal Regt of Scotland Badge

[Lachlan09]

Any ideas on why the badge adopted by the Royal Regt of Scotland in 2006 features a golden rampant lion ?

As far as I'm aware, the rampant lion has never historically been used on the badges, collar-dogs or buttons of any regular Scottish regiment of the British Army. It was used as part of the tactical/formation sign for Scottish Command, but I believe soldiers only wore it as cloth formation shoulder insignia on combat uniforms. Scottish Command is now defunct with the creation of 2nd Division.

A lion does appear on the badge of the KOSB's, but it is a lion passant and being set upon the royal crown, is a totty teeny wee thing.

The only instances I can think of in its use on regimental badges were by the Terriers of the London Scottish and the Kitchener volunteers of the Tyneside Scottish.

[Lachlan09]

Perhaps the lion rampant was adopted because Scottish Command was superseded by re-structuring and the RRS effectively became the re-incarnation of it.

I seem to recall as a kid that the golden-yellow flag with the lion rampant wasn't supposed to be flown or waved by the general public as it was the traditional private flag of the Royal Family, inherited through generations of Scottish kings. However, for years it's been waved and flown as Scotland's "other" flag, especially at sporting events and I doubt anyone ever got arrested for it.

It's been worn in a badge by Scotland's national football team for years, also by Glasgow Rangers and it was the centre-piece of the formation sign of the 15th Scottish Div in WW2 (When raised as a duplicate second line div for the 52nd Lowland before WW2, the 15th Div adopted a small yellow square bearing a white letter "O" representing the 15th letter of the alphabet. The red lion in the centre was added mid-war when the div was upgraded to a first line div. In WW1, the insignia was a white square with a black "O" and red triangle - representing an industrial "Scotch" block, in the centre - a play on words). Presumably the badges of the Scottish regiments were designed in an era before the lion rampant became popular as a national symbol in the same way as the saltire, St Andrew holding the cross and the thistle.

So I guess there's been a growing perception of the lion rampant as a national symbol.

[ScotSites]

As you say Lachlan, the lion rampant is used by both the national football team and also Rangers and has been for years; no doubt both have permission to do so, unlike poor Formartine United!

As for the flag being waved by us ordinary members of the public, as far as I am aware that is ok (apparently good old King George V said so back in '35). However, permission is required if the flag is to be flown from a flagpole... and no doubt the Lord Lyon regularly travels round the country to make sure nobody is breaking his wee law!

[wullie m]

Guys, I think the lion originally came from the Low Countries (who still use it) and was adopted by William the Lion, the border (Tressure?) was a present from the King of France! wullie.

[figheadair]

This from Wikipedia

Cap badge and motto

The new regimental cap badge was unveiled at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The design was the result of a collaborative effort, led by Brigadier Andrew Mackay, along with other serving and retired officers and Regimental Sergeant Majors, with advice from the Lord Lyon. The new cap badge incorporates the Saltire of St Andrew and the Lion Rampant of the Royal Standard of Scotland, which are two prominent national symbols. As a Royal regiment, the cap badge is surmounted by a crown, in this case the Crown of Scotland. The regiment's motto is Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (No One Assails Me With Impunity) - which is the motto of the Order of the Thistle, Scotlands highest order of chivalry, and was also the motto of four of the pre-existing Scottish regiments.

[wullie m]

A surprise getting the Scottish Crown on army badges, it took the Royal Mail long enough to get it on their Scottish livery! vans, shirts etc' wullie.

[Lachlan09]

I'm just looking at my hat collection and it's a funny thing, but traditionally, royal regiments of the British Army have usually worn the King's Crown or Queen's Crown (either QVC or Queen Elizabeth's crown) on their badges - exceptions being regiments made royal in the 20th Century (eg Royal Warwickshire), but all royal regiments wore (or adopted) Royal Blue (not Glasgow Rangers Royal Blue but dark blue) facings.

However - in the best traditions of the British Army - exceptions (especially in Scotland) always exist - the Royal Scots Greys never wore the royal crown on badges and even the RSDG's gave up the Royal Blue facings to adopt the yellow of the 3/6th DG's. The Scots Guards (a Royal Regt virtually from Day 1) never wore a crown on their badge; the Royal Scots don't have a Royal Crown on their cap badge (though their posh emblem of laurel reath (is that how you spell it ?) and ERII logo has a royal crown), the RSF and RHF do, the KOSB do, the BW do, the QOCH didn't but the QOH do. By "do" I mean pre-2006. I don't even know what the badge of The Highlanders of 1994-2006 looked like. Probably a cut and paste job to save money.

The RRS do.

As I said, the lion rampant was not a typical emblem of Scottish regiments but possibly inspired by recent events of Scottishness has entered the mainstream.

Any thoughts ? (including PeterSandy ? Happy New Year PS)