Last modified: 2021-08-25 by christopher oehler
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?
Željko 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
Here is the link to an image of a ceremonial flag of the Royal
Norwegian Air Force, specifically that of the
Royal
Norwegian Air Force Academy (Luftkrigsskolen).
Miles Li, 1 November 2007
The emblem in the colour is of the type used in the
Norwegian air force, that is with a circular central badge with a royal
crown on top and a scroll with a motto below. The central design in the
circular emblem is the Norwegian lion in yellow on black, around which is
found the inscription naming the school "LUFTKRIGSSKOLEN" (top) and the
service "LUFTFORSVARET" (below). The motto reads "FOR LUFTFORSVARETS
FREMTID", which means 'for the future of the air force".
Jan Oskar Engene, 2 November 2007