There haven't been any updates for a while, and thats because I (the Royalist) am in the process of packing up and preparing to move to India with my family, and my fellow blogger (the Government) is off on his world travels; a combination of summer vacation and business trips.
Although all my Royalists are safely packed, I was recently treated to excellent rendering of the Strathbogie Regiment flag in white chocolate. It was my 40th birthday recently and my wife conspired with a talented cake-making friend to surprise me with an extra special, and undoubtedly unique birthday cake....
At first I thought it was just a standard scottish Lion Rampant (me being Scottish and all), but then I noticed the text. It's the flag of Huntly's Strathbogie Regiment, and one of my favorite ECW flags, and it's on my birthday cake in coloured white chocolate!
They had sneaked into my painting room and discretely removed some pictures of the flag and had worked on this over several days. It was a great birthday surprise, and left me quite speechless. An explanation was also required for the gathered guests, which led to me "coming out" as wargamer to several friends from whom I had previously hidden my love of toy soldiers.
Anyway I thought I would share that, and because it cheered me up no end I decided to share the miniature flag that I created to use on my own WECW Strathbogie regiment, with you all for use in your own Scots Royalist armies...
The flag is based on contemporary descriptions temselves based on an order placed for regimental colours of the Strathbogie Regiment. The text and device is described by Spalding, but the yellow (or) field colour and exact layout is speculative.
"Upon Monday the 15th of April he [Huntley] returned about six hours at even to Aberdeen he caused make some ensigns where upon ilk side was drawn a red rampant lion having a crown of gold above his head a 'CR' for Charles Rex having the motto 'For God the king and against all traitors' and beneath 'God save the king'. There were diverse others made for the barons. The marquis and his followers wore a black taffeta about their craig whilk was a sign to fight to the death but it proved otherwise"
An excerpt from "THE HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES AND MEMORABLE TRANSACTIONS IN SCOTLAND DURING THE REIGN OF CHARLES I" By JOHN SPALDING, COMMISSARY CLERK ABERDEEN