Paisley's Royal Salute

Jan 31 2013 by Ron Moore, Paisley Daily Express

Union Jack

Buddies are being given the Royal Salute from their new neighbour – Her Majesty the Queen – all the way from Antarctica.

Paisley industrial kings, Coats textile manufacturers, have gifted a special flag to the monarch after part of Antarctica was christened Queen Elizabeth II Land.

The Queen was granted a section of the previously unnamed spectacular icy landscape as a Diamond Jubilee gift by the Foreign Office.

And to celebrate the honour, textile giant Paisley-founded Coats have presented the monarch with a giant commemorative Rowan knitted British Union flag.

The strange and beautiful terrain of towering ice mountains and dramatic chasms borders Coats Land.

The region was named after famous Paisley barons the Coats brothers who funded the first Scottish research expedition to the planet’s remotest continent in 1902.

To commemorate the event, Coats created a two-by-three metre knitted British flag designed by Rowan head designer Marie Wallin using Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds’ yarns.

Paul Forman, group chief executive, Coats plc, said: “Coats Land was named in recognition of the generosity and dedication of the Coats family to Scotland’s polar expeditions.

“The Rowan flag created to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year is a fitting tribute and showcases the timeless luxury of the Rowan brand and the best of British wool.”

More than 100 years have passed since the discovery of Coats Land in the Antarctic.

The adventure was funded by Major Andrew Coats and his younger brother James Jnr. from the famous Paisley thread manufacturing family.

They provided over £30,000 of the £36,405 raised to finance the venture and were staunch supporters of the expedition, also providing a great number of Fair Isle jerseys, caps, gloves, scarves and stockings which added a splash of colour to the Antarctic scene long before they became fashion favourites.

Rowan is also a strong supporter of the Campaign for Wool and Love Wool UK, which aims to educate people about the benefits and versatility of using wool in fashion, furnishings and everyday life.