Personal Standards

No, I'm not talking about washing your hands on a regular basis, or standing up to meet people, or using personal hygiene products (surely those are all a given? although attending a wargames convention might suggest otherwise) - I'm pontificating on the oft asked question on wargaming forums...

Did commanders have personal standards?

TL;DR answer 'no'.

Here's a slightly less succinct answer.

But first a note: Peachey and Prince wrote  the seminal 'ECW Flags and Colours 1: English Foot' in 1991, this was planned to be the first in a series of booklets. 

Looking through the current Partizan catalogue would suggest that book 2 exists and covers the Scots, and book 3 the regiments of horse. However, books 2 and 3 are not the books planned by Peachey and Prince. Some of their notes and illustrations for the planned books appear in a number of other works, the most easily accessible are the Forlorn Hope Guides.

The Royals... 

We know that Charles raised the Royal Standard at Nottingham, and also at Edgehill. It famously being captured, then recaptured. Throw in some Victorian embellishment of it being recovered from the severed hand of Sir Edmund Verney... still clasping the staff.

Rupert and his banner

But what was the Royal Standard? Immediately we think of the Royal Standard that is flown over Buck House when the monarch is at home. In fact a number of wargame flag suppliers produce just that, only with Charles' armorial instead of Elizabeth/Charles 3. 

The Royal Standard is not technically a flag, it is a heraldic banner of arms. Every lord worth his salt in medieval times had a personal standard or banner. 

It is practically a wargamer convention that medieval lords have to have their banner of arms flying on their command base; this convention is probably the source of the question we are looking at.

Charles with his banner

Alas, by the  C17th these banners had fallen out of favour with everyone apart from with the Royals. We know that Charles and Rupert had them, as they are mentioned or illustrated in contemporary sources.

We are indebted to the research of Peachey, Prince and Turton for informed guesses of what they looked like, as we don't have definitive descriptions.

from 'The Forlorn Hope Guide to The First Battle of Newbury'

Charles' banner was extensively researched by Alan Turton for use at Basing House, and he devised the above based upon a description in 'A True and Exact Relation of the Manner of his Majesties Setting up of His Standard', advice from the College of Heralds and some inspiration from Charles' father's Royal Banner.

from 'The Forlorn Hope Guide to The First Battle of Newbury'

Rupert's banner was captured at Marston Moor and described in 'A Full Relation of the late Victory' as 'with the Ensignes of the Palatine, neere five yards long and broad, with a red cross in the middle'.

Both banners are illustrated in a number of the Forlorn Hope battle guides, Rupert's is not credited but looks suspiciously as in the style of the late Dr Prince.

If Charles and Rupert had banners, I wonder if the Prince of Wales and Maurice had them too? Alas, no records to say that they did (and none to say they didn't either!).

Both banners would have been very unwieldly in the field, and would most likely denote their headquarters position.

Everybody else...

This is the 'no' part of the answer I'm afraid. However, returning to the Forlorn Hope guides, Dr Prince labels a number of cavalry guidons as the 'personal standard of...'. Which would appear to be an unfortunate label wording, as these guidons are the guidons of the named individual's troop of horse. So, for example, Black Tom's 'personal standard' would be carried by his troop within his regiment of horse whether he was present or not. 

The great and good who commanded armies, were also colonels of regiments; some might have a regiment of foot, a regiment of horse and possibly a regiment of dragoons. As colonel they would theoretically have personal command of a troop or company - but if they were commanding an army, how could they be in several places at once? Colonel's companies would be commanded in the field by a lieutenant-captain, the company/troop would still carry the colonel's colour.

As a wargamer...

But as wargamers, why should historical fact stop us presenting our toys how we want them? It hasn't and it shouldn't. Just don't argue that it is historical fact.

It would be impossible to represent our armies exactly as they existed, so what is a little artistic licence between friends?

Waller

I have taken the approach, that would appear to be fairly common, of representing my great and good with a cornet carrying a flag - in the case of Charles and Rupert they have their banners, for everyone else I have selected the guidon from their personal troop, or from their lifeguard (if they had one).

Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill

The Royalists also field Maurice and Hopton with guidons; Parliament fields Fairfax, Cromwell, Waller and Essex; the Solemn League have Leslie; the Scots Royalists have Montrose; and the Confederates have Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill.

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