Jacobite Standards of the ’45

The Jacobite Regimental Standards played an important role in the Rising of 1745. The regiments who rose for Prince Charles were newly formed – those that fought at Prestonpans had been in existence for only a month. They did not have a uniform and, contrary to some popular belief, there were no clan tartans at that time. So the Regimental Standard was the only unifying symbol of each regiment. Furthermore, during battle, it was a rallying point – soldiers caught up in the noise, the fury and fog of battle who didn’t know exactly where they were could find their way back to their comrades by following their Standards. However, if a regimental standard was captured or destroyed, it meant the regiment itself had been defeated. That is why, on June 4th 1746, the Jacobite standards captured at Culloden were ceremonially burnt at the Market Cross in Edinburgh. This talk is given by Robert Dennis, the leading authority on the Jacobite Standards, who has undertaken a personal mission to recreate each of the Standards of the ’45. In his talk, Robert describes them and tells the story of the regiments to which each belonged. The recreated standards are on regular display at Bannockburn House. Further information is available on Robert’s website at The Jacobite Standards described by Robert in his talk are as follows (in order of appearance): 3 mins: MacDonald of Keppoch 5 mins 30 secs: The Prince’s Standard 9 mins: Farquharsons 9 mins 30 secs: Chisholms of Strathglasss - ’Feros Ferio’ [’Strike Fiercely’] 10 mins: Sir James Kinloch, Lord Ogilvy’s Second Battalion - ’Sursum Tendo’ [’Strive Upwards’] 11 mins: Lord Kilmarnock’s Footguards - ’God Save the King’ 12 mins: Bannerman of Elsick 13 mins: The Atholl Brigade of Lord George Murray and his brother William Murray, Duke of Atholl 15 mins: Lovat Clan Fraser, Standard of Charles Fraser of Inverallochie - ’Sine Sanguine Victor’ [’Victor without Bloodshed’] 16 mins 30 secs: The Master of Lovat 17 mins: The Earl of Comartie (Clan MacKenzie) - ’Commit the Work to God’ 18 mins 30 secs: Camerons of Glendessary - The Ruddy Banner - ’Pro Rege et Patria’ [’For King and Country’] 20 mins 30 secs: The Cameron Battle Flag 21 mins: Lord Ogilvy’s Second Battalion - ’Nemo me Impune Lacessit’ [’No-one provokes me with Impunity’] 22 mins 30 secs: Appin Stewart 24 mins 30 secs: John Gordon of Glenbuchat 26 mins: John Roy Stuart’s Edinburgh Regiment - The Green Flag of Kincardine 28 mins: Lady Anne Mackintosh / Clan Chattan - ’Touch not the Cat’ 30 mins: The Prince’s Lifeguards (Lords Elcho and Balmerino) - ’ Britons Strike Home’