Egypt and the British flag at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III

The Cold Stream Guard is one of the oldest continuous service regiments in the British Army. Although he is known for his high-level ceremonial duties in ceremonies and occasions approved by the royal family, this infantry unit is an elite fighting force and has caught the attention of many, especially Egyptians, in recent days.

During the coronation ceremony of Charles III as King of Britain, succeeding his mother Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96, Naher, on Thursday, September 8, 2022, she raised in her march that roamed the capital London, a banner on which appeared a symbol of the Egyptian Sphinx, and mentioned the Battle of the Great Hill, with the name of Egypt in the middle above the crown.

This flag prompted many followers in Egypt and Arab countries to criticize the British monarchy on social media, and denounce the colonial past, which they said the United Kingdom celebrates on its important occasions.

What is the story of the flag that bore the name of Egypt in the coronation processions of the new British king? Who are the Cold Stream Guards who raised the flag?

The squad whose photos were circulated by social media pioneers in Egypt over the past few days is an infantry squad called the Coldstream Guards, 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.

This diversity makes the regiment one of the most important combat units in the British Army. Meanwhile, Cold Stream guards also play a ceremonial role as guardians of royal palaces, including Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace in the heart of London.

The band is considered one of the oldest and most famous military marching bands in the world. It is the oldest continuous service regiment in the British Army today, 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.

The shape of the flag raised by the military regiment

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 in which the regiment participated in the Middle East

The regiment fought in the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667), and then fought in the Moroccan city of Tangiers, which fell under British colonialism, against the Maghreb revolution in the late sixties of the sixteenth century.

He also fought several other wars around the world over another half-century, then moved to Gibraltar in 1800, before landing in Abu Qir Bay, Egypt, in March of the following year.

The Battle of Abu Qir in Alexandria

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 against the French occupation of Egypt.

A British expedition led by Ralph Abercrombie reached Alexandria to expel the remaining French forces and managed to force them to retreat.

The Cold Stream Regiment then returned to Britain, and they did not serve abroad until the Crimean War (1854-1856).

Then, in 1882, the battalion was sent again to Egypt, to confront Ahmed Orabi.