The appointment of the Colonels-in-Chief of regiments in the British and Commonwealth armies, maintains a direct link between the regiment and the Royal Family. They do not have an operational role, and take a keen interest in the well-being and affairs of the regiment and its soldiers. They pay regular visits and preside over important regimental events, such as the Presentation of new Colours.

The Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment in British and Commonwealth armies is usually a member of the Royal family. However, two regiments currently have foreign monarchs as Colonels-in-Chief: His Majesty, King Abdullah II of Jordan is Colonel-in-Chief of The Light Dragoons and Her Majesty, Queen Margrethe II of the Netherlands of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (Queen’s and Royal Hampshires).

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders’ first Colonel-in-Chief was Her Royal Highness, Princess Louise (a daughter of Queen Victoria). In 1871, the 91st provided the Guard of Honour at her wedding to the Marquis of Lorne, the Duke of Argyll’s son. The following year the 91st was titled Princess Louise’s Argyllshire Highlanders. In 1914, she became Colonel-in-Chief after years of following the Regiment’s activities with great interest, which she continued to do until her death in 1939.

In 1947, Her Majesty The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) graciously accepted to become the next Colonel-in-Chief on her 21st Birthday and has taken a very close interest in “her Highlanders” ever since.

In 2006, the remaining six Scottish regiments were amalgamated into The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II became the Colonel-in-Chief of the new regiment. It was agreed that the Colonels-in-Chief of the antecedent regiments would remain as Royal Colonels of new Battalions. Her Majesty, The Queen, who had been the Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders agreed to remain as the Royal Colonel.