The officers on both sides had fantastic boots and lace collars, Kri.
The Parliamentarians wore mostly New Model Army Red but gentlemen and nobility showed their rank with rich lace at their cuffs and colars. Many men wore an orange sash. However, a uniform for the whole army was unheard of, as each regiment "belonged" to a different nobleman, (such as
The Earl of Essex Hys Regiment of Foote), who would equip/dress their men as they wished.
The Royalist officers were colourful and wore their hair in long ringlets - very dashing - but the "other ranks", like the Parliamentarians, were dressed pretty much as they would be on a normal day, unless their commander preferred to equip them.
It was so tempting to shout "God save the King!" as all the Roundheads marched by - so I did, and got hissed at by the soldiers and cheered by a lady in costume who was exhorting the locals (also in costume) to go and support their lads who were dying for the King (Stow was Royalist).
(I was the child who shouted "Ban the Bomb!" during the 2-minute silence at the local war memorial - where my father was on parade with the RAF. My mother, by all accounts, walked off in disgust and left me (aged 3-ish). I don't think she ever quite forgave me, but I had obviously taken up the cries of the protestors in town that morning. Looking back, it was an appropriate moment!)
The Sealed Knot was a secret Royalist society of 6 men who were commissioned by King-in-exile Charles II to bring about his restoration to the Throne. The aim of the association was to bring about the restoration totally through the efforts of Royalists, without having to form alliances with foreign powers or other British parties who were opposed to Cromwell's Protectorship.
