Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry | |
---|---|
Active | Since 1992 (roots dating back to 1660) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Horse Guards |
Role | Household Cavalry Regiment (armoured cavalry regiment) Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (public duties) |
Size | Corps of two regiments: The Life Guards The Blues and Royals |
Part of | Household Division |
Garrison/HQ | RHQ – Horse Guards, London |
Nickname(s) | The Plungers (obsolete by the 1930s),[2] Unfortunate Gentlemen[3] |
Motto(s) | Honi soit qui mal y pense (Middle French for 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it') |
Commanders | |
Colonel-in-Chief | The King |
Colonels of the regiments | The Princess Royal (Blues and Royals) Lieutenant General Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne (The Life Guards) |
Insignia | |
Tactical Recognition Flash | |
Abbreviation | HCav |
The Household Cavalry (HCAV) is a corps of the Household Division, made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment stationed at Wing Barracks in Wiltshire, with an armored reconnaissance role, and the ceremonial mounted unit, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, garrisoned at Hyde Park Barracks in London. Both the HCMR and HCR are made up of elements of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. The Household Cavalry is part of the Household Division and is the King's official bodyguard. Although the Household Cavalry Regiment is armoured, it is not part of the Royal Armoured Corps, being assigned to the Household Division.[4]
Regiments
The Household Cavalry is classed as a
Regiment | Tunic colour | Plume colour | Chinstrap | Collar colour | Quick March | Slow March | Trot |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Life Guards | Red | White | Worn below bottom lip | Blue | Millanollo and Men of Harlech |
Life Guards Slow March |
Keel Row |
The Blues and Royals | Blue | Red | Worn below chin | Red | Blues and Royals and Grand March from Aida |
Blues and Royals Slow March |
Keel Row
General The Princess Royal |
Organisation
Below is the structure of the regiment:[5]
- Household Cavalry Regiment, at Powle Lines, Bulford Camp (Armoured Reconnaissance)
- Regimental Headquarters
- Headquarters Squadron
- A Squadron
- C Squadron
- D Squadron
- Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, at Hyde Park Barracks, London (Ceremonial, mounted duties)
- Regimental Headquarters
- Headquarters Squadron
- Winter Training Troop
- Forge and Veterinary Department
- Household Cavalry Training Wing, at Combermere Barracks, Windsor
- The Life Guards Squadron
- The Blues and Royals Squadron
The Household Cavalry as a whole is split into two different units that fulfil very distinct roles. These are both joint units, consisting of personnel from both regiments. Like other Cavalry formations, the Household Cavalry is divided into
The
The
Ranks
Officers
Second Lieutenants in The Blues and Royals are known as
NCOs and other ranks
The rank names and insignia of non-commissioned officers in the Household Cavalry are unique in the British Army:[12]
Household Cavalry[13] | Insignia† | Standard British Army rank | Insignia |
---|---|---|---|
Regimental Corporal Major[14] | Royal Coat of Arms worn on right wrist. | Warrant Officer Class 1 | |
Regimental Quartermaster Corporal[14][15] | Laurel wreath around a crown worn on right wrist | Quartermaster sergeant | |
Squadron Corporal Major[14] | Brass crown worn on right wrist | Warrant Officer Class 2
|
|
A brass crown worn above four inverted chevrons | Staff Sergeant
Company quartermaster sergeant |
||
Three chevrons, point down, with metal crown above | Sergeant | ||
Lance Corporal of Horse‡[14]
|
Three chevrons with cloth crown above | Corporal | |
Two chevrons with metal crown above | Lance Corporal | ||
Trooper | None | Private | None |
† The Household Cavalry's NCOs and warrant officers are the only soldiers in the British Army who do not wear rank insignia on their full dress uniforms (although officers do). Rank is indicated by the wearing of aiguillettes. | |||
‡ A Lance Corporal of Horse is technically an appointment rather than a rank. Any new corporal in the Household Cavalry is immediately appointed a Lance Corporal of Horse (LCoH) on attaining the rank of corporal. |
Recruits were required to have a very high moral character. Before the
Army farriers
There is a farrier on call twenty-four hours a day, at Hyde Park Barracks.[21]
Farriers traditionally combined
Although the axes are not used any more, army farriers still carry these axes, with their characteristic blade and spike, at ceremonial events such as Trooping the Colour.[22]
In The Blues and Royals, the
Following every parade is a duty horse-box, known as the Veterinary Aid Post, with a specialist emergency team in attendance.[21]
Musical Ride
The Musical Ride of the Mounted Regiments of the Household Cavalry was first performed at the Royal Tournament in 1882. The two trumpeters sitting on grey horses were historically intended to form a contrast with the darker horses, so that they could be seen on battlefields when relaying officers' commands to the troops. The troops weave around the trumpeters and the celebrated drumhorse, Spartacus.[25]
Band
The Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry was a merger in 2014 of the 35 piece Band of The Blues and Royals and the 35 piece Band of The Life Guards. They are now one band of 64 musicians but wear the uniform of both The Blues and Royals and The Life Guards. They come under RCAM, the Royal Corps of Army Music. They also provide State Trumpeters for events of state.[26]
Order of precedence
In the
Place in British society
The two regiments of the Household Cavalry are regarded as the most prestigious in the British Army, due to their role as the monarch's official bodyguard. Historically, this meant regularly being in close proximity to the reigning sovereign. As such, the soldiers, and especially officers, of the Household Cavalry were once drawn exclusively from the
The Household Cavalry Foundation
The Household Cavalry is supported by the Household Cavalry Foundation, the regimental charity, which raises funds in aid of five core themes: casualties, veterans, serving soldiers, horses and heritage.[28]
The Household Cavalry Regiment Museum
The Household Cavalry has two museums. The Household Cavalry Museum is located at Horse Guards Parade in central London, where the HCMR mounts the King's Life Guard. The museum is a very popular tourist attraction with digital audio guides in several languages. The museum includes a window into the working stables of the King's Life Guard, allowing visitors to watch ongoing care of the horses throughout the day. Separately, the Household Cavalry Regiment has its own museum at Combermere Barracks in Windsor. A volunteer team organise tours and events and, in particular, administer the regiment's extensive material, documentary and photographic archives. The museum is open to public groups, by appointment.[29]
Notable members
- James Blount 1997–2002, stage name James Blunt (Life Guards), singer / songwriter
- Tommy Cooper, (Royal Horse Guards)
- Michael Flynn (Blues and Royals)[30]
- Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (1st Life Guards, then Life Guards), paternal grandfather to Diana, Princess of Wales[31]
- Elizabeth Godwin (Life Guards)[32]
- Craig Harrison (Blues and Royals)[33]
- Lord Rupert Nevill (Life Guards), Private Secretary to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
- Jack Higgins (Blues and Royals), author
- Victor McLaglen (Life Guards), film actor
- Ray Milland (Royal Horse Guards The Blues), film actor
- Jack Charlton (Royal Horse Guards The Blues), footballer
- Andrew Parker Bowles (Blues and Royals)
- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (Blues and Royals)
- The Prince of Wales (Blues and Royals)[34]
Lieutenant Colonels commanding Household Cavalry
These have included:[35]
- 1959–1960: Colonel the Marquess of Douro
- 1960–1964: Colonel the Hon. Julian Berry
- 1964–1966: Colonel David J. St.M. Tabor
- 1966–1969: Colonel Harry S. Hopkinson
- 1969–1972: Colonel Ian B. Baillie
- 1972–1975: Colonel H. Desmond A. Langley
- 1975–1978: Colonel James A. C. G. Eyre
- 1978–1981: Colonel Simon C. Cooper
- 1981–1982: Colonel Andrew J. Hartigan
- 1982–1986: Colonel James G. Hamilton-Russell
- 1986–1987: Colonel James B. Emson
- 1987–1990: Colonel Andrew H. Parker Bowles
- 1990–1993: Colonel Jeremy D. Smith-Bingham
- 1993–1997: Colonel Peter B. Rogers
- 1997–1999: Colonel P. Simon W.F. Falkner
- 1999–2000: Colonel W. Toby Browne
- 2000–2005: Colonel Hamon P.D. Massey
- 2005–2009: Colonel Patrick J. Tabor
- 2009–2010: Colonel W. Toby Browne
- 2010–2014: Colonel Stuart H. Cowen
- 2014–2019: Major-General Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne[36]
- 2019–2022: Colonel Crispin Lockhart, MBE[37]
- 2022–present: Colonel M. S. P. Berry[38]
Monument
In the center of the village
See also
- Barnsby Saddles (1793)
- Household Cavalry Museum
- Household Cavalry Coach Troop
- Household Division
- President's Bodyguard
- King's Guard
- Trooping the Colour
References
- ^ "The Household Cavalry". British Army website. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- Fontana Books. p. 5.
- ISBN 978-1-84832-562-3.
- ^ "War Office and Ministry of Defence: Royal Armoured Corps: Correspondence and Reports". National Archives. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Contents". Household Cavalry Journal. 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "A day in the life of Colonel Harry Scott". Household Cavalry Foundation. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ "The day the castle burned - Windsor Castle fire". Fire. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ "Knightsbridge North Side: Parkside to Albert Gate Court, West of Albert Gate', in Survey of London: Volume 45, Knightsbridge, ed. John Greenacombe". London: British History Online. 2000. pp. 53–63. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Household Cavalry".
- ^ "The Big Event". The Queen's Cavalry. 11 October 2005. BBC One.
- ^ "Cornet". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- LCCN 72-85765.
- ^ "Badges, Headdress and Embellishments". Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks) (PDF). Ministry of Defence. February 2016. p. Part 9, Section 2, Annex D. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gallery No: 36 - Badges - Non-Commissioned Officers - Badges of Rank". Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Guard's Uniform And Barracks Aka Household Cavalry (1956) (video). British Pathé. 1956. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Guard's Uniform And Barracks Aka Household Cavalry (1956) (video). British Pathé. 1956. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Horse and Hound. Archivedfrom the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "A-Z Regimental Terms". Household Cavalry Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ "British Army ranks". National Army Museum. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ War Office, His Majesty's Army, 1938
- ^ a b "The Household Cavalry – The Mounted Regiment and its Horses". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "War Horse site, description of farriers". Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ "2nd Life Guards". British Empire. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ "Description of Farriers uniform". Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ Commentary accompanying A Heroes Welcome, performed at Windsor before the Queen, and broadcast on BBC1 on 11 May 2008. (Spartacus is a veteran of ceremonial and was 20 years old in 2008. Now something of a celebrity, his stable nickname is "Sparky".)
- ^ "Changes to the Corps of Army Music". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ "Sandhurst" (PDF). Icon Films. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ "Household Cavalry Foundation". www.hcavfoundation.org. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ "Household Cavalry Museum". www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ "Two bravery awards for Army's top hero". www.thetimes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "No. 28860". The London Gazette. 4 August 1914. p. 6073.
- ^ Chelsea, Davina (1 September 2023). "Meet the history-making Captain Elizabeth Godwin as she takes Talter behind the scenes at Horse Guards and Hyde Park Barracks". Tatler. Condé Nast. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
- ^ "Super Sniper Kills Taliban 1.5 Miles Away". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012.
- ^ "William joining Harry's regiment". BBC News. 21 September 2006.
- ^ "Regimental COs" (PDF). p. 10. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "No. 61071". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 9 December 2014. p. 23728.
- ^ "No. 62610". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 9 April 2019. p. 6432.
- ^ "No. 63774". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 August 2022. p. 14565.
- ^ "Household Cavalry Memorial Zandvoorde Lord Worsley". Traces of War. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
Further reading
- Watson, J.N.P. Through Fifteen Reigns: A Complete History of the Household Cavalry. Staplehurst: Spellmount Limited, 1997. ISBN 1-873376-70-7