| The King's Colour Squadron, RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1960 – present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Air Force Infantry |
| Role | Public DutiesCounter-UAS |
| Size | 1 Squadron |
| Part of | Combat Readiness Force |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Northolt |
| Motto | Escort [1] |
| March | Regimental:Holyrood Service:Royal Air Force March Past |
| Engagements | Falklands War (As 63 Squadron) |
| Commanders | |
| Ceremonial chief | Charles III |
| Notable commanders | Squadron Leader P Hutchins |
TheKing's Colour Squadron is the unit of theRoyal Air Force charged with the safe-keeping of theKing's Colour for the Royal Air Force in theUnited Kingdom. Since its formation, it has been formed exclusively by Officers and Gunners ofNo. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment.
The Squadron is tasked with representing theRoyal Air Force at events and ceremonies, both at home and abroad. In addition to Royal Air Force events, the Squadron has the privilege ofmounting the King's Guard atBuckingham Palace,Windsor Castle andThe Tower of London each year, and regularly has the honour of welcoming visiting heads of state on their arrival to theUnited Kingdom. The Squadron also supports State ceremonial tasks. This routinely includes providing ceremonial guards for theState Opening of Parliament, theNational Service of Remembrance parade at theCenotaph, and large UK hosted events such as theG7 Summit in Cornwall in 2021. The Squadron is also responsible for the ceremonial repatriation of serving Royal Air Force personnel from overseas and members of the Royal Family; in 1997, following theuntimely death ofDiana, Princess of Wales, the Squadron provided the bearer party that recovered the coffin from Paris.[2] The Squadron provided the Bearer Party and Guard of Honour when an RAF C-17 deliveredQueen Elizabeth II's coffin to London from Scotland on herdeath in September 2022.[3]
The Royal Air Force formed a ceremonial drill unit based at the Royal Air Force Depot atUxbridge,Middlesex, in the early 1920s and first performedpublic duties when it mounted the King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace on 1 April 1943 for KingGeorge VI. This honour was bestowed upon the Royal Air Force which, at the time, whilst eligible to mount the guard due to being a formed military unit for 25 years, were ineligible due to not being an infantry unit. This led to theRoyal Air Force Regiment, despite being only created byRoyal Warrant a year prior, mounting the King’s Guard on behalf of the Royal Air Force, a duty which it has carried out every year since.
In 1960, the RAF Drill Unit was charged with the task of guarding and escorting theQueen's Colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom, and was renamed the Queen's Colour Squadron. It was a pure ceremonial unit for 30 years, providing the sole escort to the Colour,[4] and famed for its displays of continuity drill, which are performed without a single word of command.[5][6] The most notable displays include theRoyal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance andRoyal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. More recently, Hong Kong, also the Squadron was privileged to take part in theRAF Regiment’s 80th anniversary parade held atBuckingham Palace. This saw all Squadrons of the RAF Regiment parading their Standards on the forecourt of the palace, during a uniqueChanging of the Guard ceremony consisting of the Old and New Guard being formed entirely of Queen’s Colour Squadron personnel, all under the watchful eye ofThe Duke of Kent.
The 1990Options for Change defence reforms led to the Squadron being given an operational role as a field Squadron in addition to its ceremonial role. For this, it was given the 'number plate' of No 63 Squadron, being renamed The Queen's Colour Squadron RAF 63 Squadron RAF Regiment. Alongside members of the ship's company fromHMS Illustrious, and those[clarification needed] of theBlack Watch, 12 serving members of the QCS were the last military presence in Hong Kong before it was handed back in 1997.[7] Also in 1997, eight members of the squadron were provided to be coffin-bearers at RAF Northolt on the repatriation of Diana, Princess of Wales, after her death in Paris.[8]
The Squadron provided the Bearer Party and Guard of Honour when an RAF plane delivered Queen Elizabeth II's coffin toRAF Northolt at London from Scotland following herdeath in September 2022.[3]
Following the accession ofKing Charles III, The Queen's Colour Squadron became the custodians of The King's Colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom, the squadron name was changed to King's Colour Squadron on 27 October 2022.[9]
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