Presentation of Colours

Today, colours are no longer carried into battle,[1][4] due to the creation of modern weapons, and the advancement of warfare and communications.

[4][7] Although primarily a military service, Presentation of Colours may occasionally occur for non-combat public services such as police; notable examples include the presentation of new a colour to the Royal Brunei Police Force, Brunei Darussalam in 1971, and the Railway Protection Force, India in 2006.

With the regimental colonel-in-chief usually being the reviewing officer during the ceremony (other instances include members of the royal family in the United Kingdom / Commonwealth realms, the governor general representing the royal family, the crown prince or king such as the one in Malaysia and Brunei, and or the president / head of state for other countries or in other cases the service branch or armed forces chief from the armed forces or service branches in these countries[9]), upon their arrival, a royal salute (or presidential salute) from the regiment is executed, and then the guest inspects the combined guard of honour from the regiment as the band plays a slow march, in addition to the optional firing of a 21-gun salute.

[4][10] After this part of the ceremony, members of the corps of drums will form a spiritual altar from their instruments, after which the quartermaster will at that point bring out the new colour, earlier removed of its casing, and place it on top of the pile.

This will signal the start of the regimental march past for the reviewing officer who stands on a makeshift saluting base (or dais).

[15] Military colours in Germany began to be presented by order of the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) on 18 September 1964.

[36] The first German military colours were presented by President Heinrich Lübke to the ceremonial Wachbataillon (based in Berlin) on 7 January 1965.

The Volksarmee of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) conducted similar ceremonies that resembled its Soviet (and later Russian) counterparts.

[39] The ceremony is mix of various influences, specifically German, Russian, and British, while also incorporating elements from the Royal Commonwealth period like the blessing of the colours in the presence of the Catholic priest or bishop on the night of or before the presentation.

In the case of the Russian Armed Forces, this ceremony is ordered by the Minister of Defence, who signs a decree awarding the colours to a unit, command, or educational institution.

Optionally, like in Russia, and Ukraine, the President serves as the reviewing officer, and can be assigned the duty of presenting the new colours to the unit concerned.

The order for the bestowment of colours to distinguished formations is similarly granted by the President or by government ministers / agency heads.

Four to fourteen companies is the usual size of the parade, and a military band providing the ceremonial music is present.

Following the entrance of the national colour guard carrying the national flag (usually in Russia accompanied by the playing by the band of the March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment), the parade commander then marches off to inform the reviewing officer of the readiness of the parade to receive the concerned unit colours.

If necessary, religious figures (either from the Orthodox Church and / or Islamic (and if present, Buddhist) faith(s)) will then consecrate the newly uncased colour.

The principal guest for such a ceremony is the King of Spain in his duties as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, if absent, the Queen of Spain or the Chiefs of Staff of branches of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Guard, Royal Guard, and Military Emergencies Unit) is present as the reviewing officer, as well as any high-ranking general and / or flag officers of the service branches on behalf of their service heads.

[46][47] The colour in question is a form of the Flag of Spain called a batallona, gold fringed, with the regimental name, in black lettering, surrounding the state coat of arms in the centre.

After the conclusion of the inspection segment, the guest of honour takes his or her place in the grandstand to commence the ceremony proper, meeting with other dignitaries (including military and civil representatives).

The guest of honour, after speaking the keynote address, then returns to the grandstand, and then the unit's commanding officer says the traditional formula as the ensign steps out of the colour guard to formally present the new colour: Servicemen and women, before you is the Flag, the symbol of Spain, the immortal homeland, and it is therefore your supreme obligation and duty, even at the cost of your lives, to defend it.Following the words, the commanding officer then orders, in fulfilment of the pledge to defend the new colour of the unit, for a feu de joie to be fired by either the whole formation or a company or platoon of the concerned formation.

After the wreath party stops at a designated cenotaph either at the west or east end of the parade ground and lays the wreath, the band, together with the field music, plays the Toque de Oracion, and a second feu de joie by the leading platoon or company of the formation is fired as the guidons and fanions are lowered by the bearers to the direction of the cenotaph or monument.

The ceremony is steeped in Buddhist and Brahmic heritage, it symbolises and cements the King's role as Chief Kshatriya (กษัตริย์) or Warrior ruler of his realm.