Other European Royal livery colours?

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Jonathan Webster
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby Jonathan Webster » 25 Aug 2013, 01:34

Also he referred to the uniforms worn by the Queen's footmen, which are also scarlet with gold facings (with black cuffs).

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JMcMillan
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby JMcMillan » 26 Aug 2013, 23:38

Definitions: "facings" refers to the background color of the collar, cuffs, and lapels of the coat, not the gold lace or embroidery with which they and other parts of the uniform may be decorated.

I would refer everyone to Dress Worn by Gentlemen at Court (1903) available at http://archive.org/stream/cu31924029922 ... 5/mode/2up for an authoritative description.

In every case in which a scarlet coat is prescribed, the collar and cuffs are either blue or blue-black, never just black:

Earl Marshal: Scarlet coat, collar and cuffs of blue velvet (p. 34)
Master of the Horse: Ditto (p. 35)
Kings of Arms: Scarlet with blue-black velvet collar and cuffs (p. 37)
Pages of Honour: Scarlet with blue velvet gauntlet cuffs (p. 39)
Hon. Corps of Gentlemen at Arms: "Scarlet Cloth...the collar and cuffs of Blue Velvet, and the skirts turned back with Blue Velvet... Trousers -- Blue Cloth ..." (p. 40)
Yeomen of the Guard (Captain and Officers): "Scarlet Cloth... the collar and cuffs of Dark Blue Velvet... Trousers -- Blue Cloth ..." (p. 41)
Lords Lieutenant of Counties: Scarlet cloth with blue cloth collar and cuffs, blue trousers (p. 57)
Lieutenants for the City of London: Scarlet cloth with blue cloth collar and cuffs, blue trousers (p. 60)

Certain other officers were to wear blue coats with scarlet collars and cuffs.

It is quite true that to most if not all of us, what the regulations describe as blue is indistinguishable from black, like the blue of a Royal or U.S. Navy uniform. But technically, it's still considered blue.

Now as to the original question:

Yes, other European royal houses had/have livery colors. In German, the term is Hausfarben, "house colors." These include black and yellow for Habsburg, white and blue for Wittelsbach, black and white for Hohenzollern, orange and blue for Orange (Netherlands), white for Bourbon, blue for Savoy (hence the blue shirts of the Italian national soccer team), and orange and black for Romanov.
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Martin Goldstraw
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby Martin Goldstraw » 27 Aug 2013, 08:27

I see they had mobile phones even then!

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Martin Goldstraw
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Arthur Radburn
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby Arthur Radburn » 27 Aug 2013, 10:21

Martin Goldstraw wrote:I see they had mobile phones even then!

:D

'Mufti' : I wonder if anyone, other than retired colonels from the Raj, still uses that word nowadays.
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Chas Charles-Dunne
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby Chas Charles-Dunne » 27 Aug 2013, 12:01

Arthur Radburn wrote:
Martin Goldstraw wrote:I see they had mobile phones even then!

:D

'Mufti' : I wonder if anyone, other than retired colonels from the Raj, still uses that word nowadays.


Was still used, officially, in the RAF in 1982.
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Jonathan Webster
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby Jonathan Webster » 27 Aug 2013, 14:27

Not to mention the 'Grand Mufti' is the chief Iman (Muslim leader of prayers) within a given country.

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Chris Green
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby Chris Green » 28 Aug 2013, 07:05

'Mufti' : I wonder if anyone, other than retired colonels from the Raj, still uses that word nowadays.


Not many of those around I think, even in Tunbridge Wells or Torquay. A colonel in 1947 when India became independent would be well over 100 today even assuming he had been only 40 at independence. Even a young lieutenant in 1947 who went on to become a colonel in the British army would be in his late 80s.
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GSelvester
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Re: Other European Royal livery colours

Postby GSelvester » 28 Aug 2013, 18:24

Arthur Radburn wrote:
'Mufti' : I wonder if anyone, other than retired colonels from the Raj, still uses that word nowadays.


Catholic priests use it all the time to refer to being dressed in non-clerical attire.


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