On the lawn in front of the East Terrace, Windsor Castle, King Edward VII, standing under a canopy with Queen Alexandra and members of the Royal Family, salutes the lowered colours of two lines of Territorial regiments; with an arched top bordered with a decorative band of foliage.

This painting marks the culmination of significant army reforms that had been taking place, instigated by the Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane (1856-1928). They grew out of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907, which saw the abolition of existing Volunteers and Yeomanry and the establishment of a Territorial Force of fourteen infantry divisions, fourteen cavalry brigades all financed by local organisations, but liable for service under War Office command. The reforms were an attempt to prepare England for a possible attack by Germany and the King played active part in the discussions.

The painting depicts a moment, towards the end of the ceremony, when the two hundred newly blessed colours were drooped in salutation as the National Anthem was played. The King then stepped forward into the square and gracefully acknowledged the homage of his Territorial Army. Colonel Bingham of the 1^st Life Guards then asked for Three Cheers for the King. The Times, of 21 June, noted that 'The Ceremony …will form a memorable landmark in the history of our national defences.'

Jean Baptiste Édouard Detaille (1848-1912) entered Meissonnier's studio aged seventeen, and first exhibited at the Salon de Paris in 1867 with 'In Meissonnier's Studio'. He continued to show there until 1884. He returned to Paris, from travels in Spain and Algeria, just as the Franco-Prussian war broke out, and served in the Paris area with a mobile unit. He became known for his lifelike paintings of army life, in which he avoided idealistic heroism in depicting the horror and violence of war. Working with Alphonse de Neuville, he produced the Panorama of the Battle of Champigny and Panorama of the Battle of Rezonville, the latter 120 metres long and 15 metres high. This painting, depicting an episode during the Franco-Prussian war, was exhibited in Paris and Vienna on a circular frame in order to draw viewers into the action. He produced decorative works on military themes for the Pantheon and the Hôtel de Ville, Paris, and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1872, an Officier in 1881 and a Commandeur in 1897. Among his many works in the Royal Collection are several watercolours of individual soldiers that pay close attention to the detail of uniforms (RCIN 990514-990519).

A colour lithograph after this painting was published by W Griggs in 1913.