"I am now further intrigued by the fact that Air Chief Marshal Dalton is wearing an aiguillette despite no longer being either Air Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen or a member of the Air Force Board. I am aware that a former Air Aide-de-Camp is permitted to continue to wear the Royal Cypher itself but, by comparison with the Chaplain-in-Chief's Royal aiguillette as a QHC, I suspect that it is the Type 4 aiguillette which is still being worn."
Another bit of thread drift back to "Apocryphal Tales". I heard about a senior naval officer at Cranwell who was wearing an aiguillette at a beer call in the Officers' mess when he noticed that a newly graduated Acting Pilot Officer was staring intently at him.
"Can I help you, young man?" the VSO asked.
"I was wondering what the gold string was for," replied the APO.
"It is an aiguillette - it signifies that I used to be ADC to her Majesty" said the Naval Officer pompously.
The APO then came out with, "Oh - I thought that it was so your parrot got a better grip".