We thought we knew ROYGBIV, but on Saturday, August 26, King Charles III, 74, presented a new colour to the Royal Guard... however, it's not as confusing as it seems.
In this particular context, a “colour” means a regimental flag, and in the wake of his coronation, the monarch of the United Kingdom presented the flag to the Royal Guard as a way to mark his new reign.
Photos from the event were posted to the official royal family Instagram account, where we can see the British monarch participating in the ceremony, accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla.
“‘The Ballater Colour’ is a ceremonial Colour used by the Royal Guard: the soldiers who guard Balmoral Castle whilst the Monarch is in residence in the summer months,” the caption read. “The new Colour marks The King’s new reign.”
According to Aberdeen Live, “The Ballater Colour is a ceremonial Colour which the Royal Guard will carry during Summer Court in Balmoral, with the retired Ballater Colour of 1996 to rest up in Balmoral Castle alongside the Colours of 1925 and 1973.” The Daily Record notes that the first Ballater Colour was presented by Queen Victoria in 1880.
Following the ceremony, King Charles will be spending a month at Balmoral, which is notable because the castle was always beloved by Queen Elizabeth II, and it was also the place where she died in September 2022.
This will be the first summer that the royal family will spend at the residence without her, and it's a fitting way for the king to mark his reign while also paying tribute to his late mother.
Congrats on the big day (and the new colour), King Charles.
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