02:53 PM
Sunday 18 September 2022
The presence of the Sphinx in the center of the British Guard flag during the memorial services of Queen Elizabeth II and the inauguration of King Charles III has sparked widespread controversy.
And the British Guard flag printed with a symbol of the Sphinx, in addition to some of the battles that took place in Egypt, such as the Battle of the Great Hill, during the coronation ceremony of Charles III as King of Britain, succeeding his mother Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 years old Thursday, September 8.
The squad whose photos were circulated carrying the flag is an infantry division called the “Cold Stream” guard, and they are soldiers specialized in light duty operations. These operations include conducting reconnaissance, operating machine guns and mortars, and engaging enemy forces on foot and in light vehicles.
The division is considered one of the oldest and most famous marching divisions in the world, it is the oldest continuous service regiment in the British Army to this day, and its origins go back to the English Civil War.
The regiment was first formed in 1650 as the primary infantry regiment. The division then became known as the Cold Stream Guards in 1670, upon the death of its leader, General George Monk.
The first battalion of the Cold Stream Guard participated in all the wars that took place due to the British intervention in the countries of the world throughout history, including the occupation of Egypt at the beginning of the last century, the occupation of Palestine, and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.
In general, the battalion uses two colors for its flags. The first is known as the royal color or the color of Queen Elizabeth II, and the second color is called the Fuji color, or the color of the British regiments.
The royal colors of the 1st Battalion have a crimson background and bear the Star of the Order of the Ribat in the center, with the symbol of the Imperial Crown above. In addition, there are the names of the most prominent 47 out of the 117 battles that the battalion fought in its history.
They are arranged chronologically in vertical rows on both sides of the royal crown that occupies the middle, the last of which was their participation in the second Gulf War in 1991, to liberate Kuwait.
The banner is carried in royal ceremonies and official ceremonies by a soldier from the battalion, followed by a regiment of infantry guards armed with swords.
Battles and wars
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the British battalion was part of the English army that fought in Alexandria in 1801 in what is known as the second battle of Abu Qir, which was fought once morest the French occupation in Egypt. Then, in 1882, the battalion was sent once more to Egypt, to confront Ahmed Orabi, while Known as the Battle of the Great Hill, following which Egypt fell under the British occupation.
The English Cold Stream infantry battalion participated in this occupation, and it was a pivotal victory for the future of the British occupation of Egypt at the time, which made the name of the battle “The Great Hill” among the names of the prominent battles included in the battles of the royal regiment honoring it.
