[1][2][3] The regiment was a strongly Protestant unit tasked with resisting the spread of Roman Catholicism in Britain.

[4] King William III, gave special permission for the regiment to bear orange facings to show their religious allegiance and as a mark of royal favour.

[6] The troops embarked on several ships in June 1702,[7] and took part in the Battle of Cádiz in August 1702[8] and the defence of Gibraltar in spring 1705[9] as well as the siege of Barcelona, where the Earl of Donegall was killed on 16 April 1706.

The British troops were allowed to leave the fort with their weapons but when the Native American allies of the French attacked the retreating column Montcalm did not intervene.

[17] In September 1759 the regiment had its revenge on Montcalm when it fought under General James Wolfe at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

[35] The force went on to capture Saint Lucia in April 1794[36] and tried unsuccessfully to take Guadeloupe in June 1794[37] before returning to England in July 1795.

[2] The 1st battalion was part of an expeditionary force which landed in Italy in February 1806[43] and saw action at the Battle of Maida in July 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.

[44] The regiment were prominent in the battle and, when General Louis Compère rode into the British line, they captured him in the brief melee that followed.

[50] From October 1813 onwards, the 1st Battalion were landed near Trieste, and in concert with the Austrian forces of Field Marshall Nugent pursued the French, the campaign culminating in the capture of Genoa in April 1814.

[55] In August 1854 the regiment embarked for India[56] and was engaged in skirmishes with rebels near Arrah in February 1858 during the Indian Rebellion.

This unusual military colour was decided on because of the Earl of Donegall's earlier connections with King William's House of Orange.