| Regimento de Lanceiros Nº 2 2nd Lancers Regiment |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1834 — current |
| Country | Portugal |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Military police |
| Headquarters | Quartel da Guarda de Corpo at Ajuda, Lisbon |
The 2nd Lancers Regiment (Portuguese: Regimento de Lanceiros nº 2, RL2) is a unit of the Portuguese Army responsible for the instruction, organization and maintenance of the Polícia do Exército (Army Police) operational units.
The origins of the 2nd Lancers Regiment date back to the creation of the Queen's Lancers Regiment in 1833, by the constitutional army during the Liberal Wars. The idea for the creation of the regiment came from the observation of the success that resulted from the lancers during the Napoleonic Wars. Since its creation the regiment became an elite unit, responsible for the escort of the royal family, being mostly composed of aristocratic officers.
Two lancer regiments were created by the 1834 army re-organization, the second unit of which was broken down as follows::
The regiment continued employing the lance as a combat weapon until World War II, after which it was restricted to ceremonial use. At the beginning of the war the unit was equipped with armored cars and light tanks. In 1953 with the creation of the Military Police, the regiment assumed the function of organizing, training and maintaining the forces of this specialized force. The unit was renamed the Army Police in 1976.