Collar Badge of RIR

[Wexflyer]

The collar badge of the Royal Irish regiiment. Did it depict the arms of the house of Orange-Nassau, or the arms of the city of Namur?

Thanks.

[Steven Broomfield]

Looking at my Extensive Library, the only images I can see on Google have a badge with 'Naumurcensis' as the centre part of the scroll beneath, so I'd guess it's the arms of namur, personally.

[Grovetown]

1 hour ago, Wexflyer said:

The collar badge of the Royal Irish regiiment. Did it depict the arms of the house of Orange-Nassau, or the arms of the city of Namur?

Thanks.

 

From 1881, the arms of Nassau. The scroll says "Virtutis Namurcensis Praemium", which translates as 'The Reward of Valour at Namur'.

 

Officers' Service Dress, however, from 1902 was a bronzed harp and crown over a three-part scroll saying The Royal Irish Regiment.

 

From Colin Churchill's History of the British Army Collar Badge.

 

Cheers,

 

GT.

[FROGSMILE]

The officers badge with a finely lined shield and gently curved scroll and the other ranks in brass with a more elaborate scroll.  Interestingly the Lion of Nassau is only armed, with a sword, on the soldier’s pattern.

Edited 4 June , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Wexflyer]

Thanks to all!

Both the arms of Orange-Nassau and those of Namur feature a lion, so not easy to distinguish on a 120+ year old photo of my great-uncle!

 

Interesting difference between the officer's and other rank versions - the inclusion of a sword, or not. The Dutch arms of Orange-Nassau appear to have evolved over time, and gained the sword sometime after 1800. So the officer's version is more representative of the arms at the time of original grant. But both versions seem to feature a lion facing the wrong way! Which is actually a big heraldic no-no.

[Wexflyer]

4 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Looking at my Extensive Library, the only images I can see on Google have a badge with 'Naumurcensis' as the centre part of the scroll beneath, so I'd guess it's the arms of namur, personally.

 

Awarded for the Siege of Namur, in what was it, 1695 or so? That accounts for the "Namur" - Namurensis in Latin.  Supposed to have been the first battle honor awarded within the British army.

[FROGSMILE]

10 hours ago, Wexflyer said:

 

Awarded for the Siege of Namur, in what was it, 1695 or so? That accounts for the "Namur" - Namurensis in Latin.  Supposed to have been the first battle honor awarded within the British army.

 

In 1684, the final year of Charles II’s reign, several independent companies of musketeers were gathered together by the Earl of Granard to form a new regiment on the ‘Irish establishment’ (at that time the two, English and Irish Establishments were separately administered and funded under the Crown). This was a reward for supporting the Stuarts in Scotland during the British Civil Wars (1639-51) and working for Charles's restoration.

In the conflict between Charles’ successor, James II, and his son-in-law, William of Orange (later William III), the regiment split. The companies that joined William were placed on the English establishment in 1689 (the others went into exile with James).

 

The regiment fought for William III and his successors in Flanders throughout the 1690s and 1700s. It played an important role in the capture of the French fortress of Namur (now in Belgium) in 1695.  Afterwards it was explicitly granted the honorific title of His Majesty’s Royal Regiment of Ireland and, along with the Harp and Crown, granted the King’s Arms (of Orange-Nassau) on their colours and appointments (hence the insignia).
 

The Royal Irish Regiment took pride in their position as the senior Irish regiment in the British Army, but were probably the most understated and quietly dignified of the regiment’s from Ireland and rarely drew any overt attention, or controversy.  
 

Although given the position of 18th when regiments were numbered in 1751, it was in fact the 7th oldest in the Army, but given its ranking because it had not been placed on the English establishment until 1689, a common protocol at the time.

 

Collar badges were made in matching pairs so one Lion of Nassau was always oriented properly.  On the regimental colours and other insignia they were always correct.  A smaller version of the cap badge was worn on the collars of the officers service dress.

 

Edited 5 June , 2020 by FROGSMILE