The National Maritime Museum holds a version of the Royal Standard of Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany in its collection, although it is not on display at Greenwich. The standard is made of hand-painted silk with a linen hoist and appears to be in relatively good condition given it was made in 1793 (possibly in the flag workshop of the Deptford Shipyard). It was clearly created for a special occasion as silk was rarely used in naval flag, harder-wearing wool being the preferred material. One obvious reason for the material choice and method of decoration was the complexity of design i.e. pictorial detail. The standard's heraldry is as follows:

·      In the first quarter are the arms of England and Scotland

·      In the second quarter are three fleur-de-lys – the blue field somewhat faded

·      In the third quarter again a field of faded azure with the harp of Ireland

·      In the fourth quarter is a complex of the arms of Hannover and Brunswick, Luneburg, Westphalia and the mini shield of Osnabrück

·      Stretching across the upper part of the standard is the Duke of York's white label with three points, the centre point with a St George's cross.

The museum records the item's provenance as originating from a Captain John Manley who commanded HMS Syren; a 32-gun frigate that escorted the 1793 Flanders Expedition's deployment. The Syren's log for the 26 February 1793 recorded that 'His Royal Highness the Duke of York came on board, saluted him with 21 guns & hoisted the standard.' This standard was therefore flown at the commencement of the British fleet's transit to the Continent. A military operation that saw our school's founder commanding British Forces in the War of the First Coalition, which involved a series of battles fought in the Low Countries as part of the French Revolutionary War. Initially Great Britain and its allies enjoyed some success, but as the campaign dragged on French forces proved more successful and the coalition forces eventually withdrew leaving the Low Countries to the French in 1795.

The Duke of York would return to the Low Countries again commanding a second invasion of the Netherlands in 1799; this was also a failure. Unfortunately for the Duke it would be a nursery rhyme that remained an enduring commentary on the failed Flanders Campaigns. However, the Duke proved a positive influence when it came to developing the welfare and education of British soldiers and their families. The founding of the Royal Military Asylum in Chelsea was proof of this desire to improve the conditions of military service.