Wyedean makes King's Colour and flag for Trooping the Colour

Wyedean Weaving, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary, has hand-crafted the King’s Colour and regimental flag of the Number 9 Company Irish Guards that has been selected to be trooped before King Charles III during the parade marking his official birthday.

Today the results of 40 weeks of intricate Wyedean craftsmanship will be on display at the Trooping of the Colour, a spectacular display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare featuring more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.

The Colonel’s Review - final rehearsal - for Trooping the Colour, at Horse Guards Parade in London, ahead of the King’s Birthday Parade today (Image: Jeff Moore/PA Wire)

Alongside the intricate Colour, Wyedean makes and supplies other ceremonial regalia including Shabraques - intricately embroidered saddle cloths used in cavalry regiments, guidons and military banners.

A Regimental Colour or Standard, depicting the colour of a regiment’s uniform facings, is trimmed with gold threaded tassels and displays the King’s insignia. Last year, Wyedean secured a seven-year £5 million contract to replace British Armed Forces’ Colours and Standards with the new King’s insignia and the Tudor Crown.

Putting the finishing touches to a military uniform (Image: Lorne Campbell/Guzelian)

Managing Director Robin Wright said: “Military Colours and Standards were introduced in the 1700s as battle flags to help soldiers determine where their regiment was on the battlefield.

“Today the flags are used on a regiment’s most important occasions and we are truly honoured to use our expertise to hand make them using silks, silver and gold threads.

“It takes each of our three specialist embroiderers 40 weeks to produce one Colour and our team takes great pride in making other military accoutrements - each one, a piece of artwork, steeped in history. In our 60th anniversary year we’re delighted that our very latest Colour will take centre stage at the King’s Birthday Parade.”

Aileen Henderson puts the finishing touches to the King's Colour (Image: Lorne Campbell/Guzelian)

Wyedean was founded as a manufacturer of braid and military uniform accoutrement in Haworth in 1964 by David Wright, who ran the business with his father Frank Wright, a former textile machine designer awarded an MBE in recognition of his invention of a new yarn spinning technique called centrifugal spinning.

Led today by Robin Wright, the fourth generation family business employs 20 in-house staff who weave, braid and hand craft. The business has widened its net to manage a global supply chain, with customers including the British Ministry of Defence, the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian Armed Forces.

Military badges made by Wydean Weaving. Image: Tim Smith 

Earlier this year Wyedean staff Melanie Kaye, Aileen Henderson, Wendy Hatton and Susan Jones were awarded the King’s Coronation Medal for creating new Colours and Standards for the Royal Navy, Life Guards and Royal Air Force, and a Sovereign Standard for the Kings Company of the Grenadier Guards, for the King’s Coronation.

Robin added: “Colours and Standards are at the heart of the Trooping the Colour as emblems of pride and history. “Wyedean’s artisans, skilled in century-old techniques of embroidery, use only the finest materials to ensure that each stitch on each Colour reflects the glory expected at such historic events.

“As we look forward to today's historic event, we’re proud to know that our work contributes to the beauty, precision and pageantry of this great British tradition.”