Regimental Colours and Standards during the Reign of Fredrik 4 (Denmark)

Last modified: 2025-11-29 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: regiments(denmark) | regimental colour |
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• Colours of probably Jutland Regiment of Horse (Faner af presumebly Jyske Regiment til Hest)
• Guidons of the Dragoons
• Colours of the Foot Guards (Faner af Gardet til Fods<)
• Colour of the Grenadier Corps (Fane af Grenaderkorpset)
• Standard of the 2nd Jutland Cavalry (Standard af 2. Jyske Regiment til Hest)
• Standard of the 5th Jutland Cavalry (Standard af 5. Jyske Regiment til Hest)
• Colour of the Jutland Infantry (Fane af den Jyske Infanteri Regiment)
• Colour of the Oldenborg Battalion (Fane af den Oldenborgske Bataljon)
• Colour of the Crown Prince Christian Regiment (Fane af Kronprinsens Christian Regimentet)
• Colours of the Prince Jørgen Regiment (Faner af Prins Jørgen Regimentet)
• Standard of the 2nd Zealand Cavalry (Standard af 2. Sjællandske Regiment til Hest)
• Standard of the 3rd Jutland Cavalry (Standard af 3. Jyske Regiment til Hest)
• Colonel´s Standard of the Zealand-Funen Cuirassier Regiment (Livstandard af den Sjælland-Fynske Kyrassérregiment)
• Regimental Standard of the Zealand-Funen Cuirassier Regiment (Almindeligt Standard af den Sjælland-Fynske Kyrassérregiment)

• Denmark
• Army Flags (Denmark)

Colours of probably Jutland Regiment of Horse (Faner af presumebly Jyske Regiment til Hest)

1:1, image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

1:1, image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

The cloth was yellow with golden fringes on three edges. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the golden dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", flanked by a golden wreath and surmounted by a royal crown. At both edges flanked by numbers "17" and "06" had been a German motto in golden initials,
either "ZU GOTT UND DES KONIGS EHRE" (=to the glory of God and the king)
or "UNTREUE UND LUGEN FLIEHE ICH" (= I escape from perfidy and lies)
Source: [sap97], p.36
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Guidons of the Dragoons

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider and Rob Raeside, 24 Nov 2025

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider and Rob Raeside, 24 Nov 2025

There are two guidons, called "standards" by the author, known, a red one and a white one. It is not mentioned, whether they belonged to different squadrons of one regiment or to different regiments. The guidons were swallow tailed with golden fringes. On centre was the golden dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surmounted by a royal crown. At the end of both tails had been a small golden cypher of the king, reading "F4", surmounted by a royal crown. At fly had been a motto on a golden scroll in dark initials "PRO DEO REGE ET HONORE" (= for God, king and honour). The whole design was embroidered vertically with the crown at hoist.
According to source the motto of the red guidon was unreadable, but very likely it had been the same like that one on the white guidon.
Source: [sap97], p.3
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colours of the Foot Guards (Faner af Gardet til Fods)

First Colour

The cloth was white. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre were the Greater Arms, surmounted by a royal crown and surrounded by the blue ribbon of the Elephant Order. The arms are as follows: The shield was parted by a Danebrog cross, 1st quarter Or semy of nine heartlets Gules three lions passant Azure, 2nd quarter Gules a lion rampant Or holding an axe Argent, 3rd quarter Azure three coronets Or ordered 2:1, 4th quarter Or a lion passant Azure over nine heartlets Gules ordered 4:3:2;
The inescutcheon was quartered, 1st quarter Or two lions passant Azure, 2nd quarter Gules a nettle leaf Argent, 3rd quarter Gules a swan Argent gorged with a crown Or, 4th quarter Gules an armoured rider Argent.
It should be mentioned that source includes a few mistakes:
1) the swan was made a goose
2) the nettle leaf was made a tower
3) some blue lions were made red ones.
The quarters of the main shield are representing Denmark (1st), Norway (2nd), Sweden respectively the Kalmar Union (3rd) and Jutland (4th).
The quarters of the inescutcheon are representing Schleswig (1st), Holstein (2nd), Stormarn (3rd) and Dithmarschen (4th).
Source: [sap97], p.29
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Second Colour

The cloth was white. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square, not touching the edges of the sheet, parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the golden cypher of the king, reading "F4", surrounded by a green wreath of laurel and surmounted by a royal crown. On centre is also a golden inscription flanking the wreath "GARDES" (hoist) "DANOISES" (fly) (= Danish Guards). On the other three corners was a red grenade flamant of red and yellow.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colour of the Grenadier Corps (Fane af Grenaderkorpset)

The cloth was white. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the golden dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surrounded by the blue ribbon of the Order of the Elephant, all surrounded by a golden wreath of laurel and surmounted by a royal crown. Above the crown was a blue scroll with motto in golden initials "AVT MORI AVT VINCERE" (= death or victory).
Source: [sap97], p.34
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Standard of the 2nd Jutland Cavalry (Standard af 2. Jyske Regiment til Hest)

The cloth was yellow with golden fringes on three edges and displayed a sinister facing blue lion passant surrounded by nine red heartlets.
Source: [sap97], p.36
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Standard of the 5th Jutland Cavalry (Standard af 5. Jyske Regiment til Hest)

The sheet was red with golden fringes on three edges. On centre was a golden shield displaying a blue lion passant over nine red heartlets ordered 4:3:2. The shield is surmounted by a royal crown proper and supported by two silver lions rampant reguardant. Under the shield is a golden wreath. On top and bottom are mottos in golden initials, probably "PRO DEO REGE ET HONORE" (= for God, king and honour / top) and "FORTES FORTUNA JUVAT" (fortune favors the brave ones / bottom). The former had been the motto of various cavalry units. The latter had been the motto of the Jutland cavalry.
It should be mentioned that source says that the standard belonged to the Holstein Cuirassiers, which is not very likely, as the shield displays the arms of Jutland. It is admitted in source that it is "possibly that of a Jyske regiment".
Source: [sap97], p.36
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colour of the Jutland Infantry (Fane af den Jyske Infanteri Regiment)

The cloth was red parted by a white saltire. Each quarter was charged with three white 5-point stars ordered 1:2 from centre. On canton was a dark blue lion passant tongued red. On centre was the golden dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surmounted by a golden royal crown.
Source: [sap97], p.33
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colour of the Oldenborg Battalion (Fane af den Oldenborgske Bataljon)

The cloth was pale red with a white cross patty in canton. On centre was the dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surrounded by the blue ribbon of the Order of the Elephant and surmounted by a royal crown. The unit was later upgraded to a regiment.
Source: [sap97], p.34
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colour of the Crown Prince Christian Regiment (Fane af Kronprinsen Christian Regimentet)

The cloth was black with flames of red and yellow issuant from either corner. In centre was the dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surrounded by a golden wreath of laurel and surmounted by a royal crown. Above the crown is a motto in golden initials "AVT MORI AVT VINCERE" (= death or victory). The colour is described in source as Prinds Frederik and Prinds Christian. We can conclude, that there existed basically the same colour with different cypher in times of King Christian 5, when Frederik 4 still had been the Crown Prince of Denmark.
Source: [sap97], p.30
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colours of the Prince Jørgen Regiment (Faner af Prins Jørgen Regimentet)

First Colour

The cloth was quartered of white and green. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was a golden lion rampant holding a golden axe in pale with silver blade, all surmounted by a royal crown. The lion is that one from the Norwegian arms.
Source: [sap97], p.30
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Second Colour

It was the same like that one of the first colour, but the Norwegian lion was replaced by the golden dual cypher of the prince, reading "PJ".
Source: [sap97], p.31
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Third Colour

The cloth was orange, on centre was the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, surrounded by the Order of the Garter, surmounted by a royal crown and supported by a crowned golden lion rampant guardant at host and a silver unicorn rampant with golden horn at fly. The arms were surrounded by crimson ribbons. On either corner had been an inescutcheon displaying the coat of arms of Norway.
The arms of the United Kingdom are described as follows:
shield quartered, 1st quarter Gules three lions passant guardant in pale, 2nd quarter Or a lion rampant Gules with bordure fleury Gules in orle, 3rd quarter Azure a harp Or, 4th quarter Azure three fleurs-de-lis Or ordered 2:1.
The quarters are representing England (1st), Scotland (2nd), Ireland (3rd) and the claim on France (4th).
The arms of Norway are described as follows:
Shield Gules a (crowned) lion rampant Or holding an axe Argent by his forepaws.
Source: [sap97], p.31
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Standard of the 2nd Zealand Cavalry (Standard af 2. Sjællandske Regiment til Hest)

The cloth was red with golden fringes on three edges. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the golden dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surmounted by a golden royal crown with red cap.
In source the standard is described as "bearing the normal design".
According to source the 5th Jutland Cavalry had the same standard.
Source: [sap97], p.35
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Standard of the 3rd Jutland Cavalry (Standard af 3. Jyske Regiment til Hest)

The cloth was yellow with golden fringes on three edges. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the golden dual cypher of the king, reading "F4", surmounted by a golden royal crown with red cap.
In source the standard is described as "bearing the normal design".
According to source the 4th Jutland Cavalry had the same standard.
Source: [sap97], p.36
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Colonel´s Standard of the Zealand-Funen Cuirassier Regiment (Livstandard af den Sjælland-Fynske Kyrassérregiment)

The cloth was yellowish white with golden fringes on three edges. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the lesser coat of arms of Denmark, supported by two savages with maces on a basement and surmounted by a golden royal crown with red cap. On either corner was a small golden cypher of the king, reading "F4", under a golden crown. At top was a motto "PRO LEGE ET PATRIA" (=for law and fatherland) and at bottom "VINCERE AVT MORI" (=victory or death).
Source: [sap97], p.36
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

Regimental Standard of the Zealand-Funen Cuirassier Regiment (Almindeligt Standard af den Sjælland-Fynske Kyrassérregiment)

The cloth was red with golden fringes on three edges. In canton was the Danebrog, a red square parted by a white cross patty. On centre was the lesser coat of arms of Denmark, supported by two savages with maces on a basement and surmounted by a golden royal crown with red cap. On either corner was a small golden cypher of the king, reading "F4", under a golden crown. At top was a motto "PRO LEGE ET PATRIA" (=for law and fatherland) and at bottom "VINCERE AVT MORI" (=victory or death).
Source: [sap97], p.36
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Nov 2025

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