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THE ROYAL BANNER
An extract from Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1096-1291by Ian Heath
28. THE ROYAL BANNER
This depicts the banner of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Contrary to the heraldic rules of tincture which condemn the use of ‘metal’ on ‘metal’ it consists of yellow or gold crosses (a cross potent between 4 Latin crosslets) on a white or silver field. Earlier 12th century examples often show the large cross with small balls rather than bars at the ends of the arms. This banner may have been adopted as early as Baldwin I’s reign (1100-1118), his own being described as white in contemporary sources though no device is mentioned. In battle the royal banner was carried by the Marshal of the Kingdom.
Throughout this era most Christian armies in Outremer carried in addition other cross-embroidered flags as well as the noblemen’s heraldic gonfalons and banners.
