The Life Guards | |
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Cap Badge of the Life Guards |
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Active | 21 May 1922 – present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Army |
Type | Household Cavalry |
Role | Formation Reconnaissance/Ceremonial |
Size | Regiment |
Part of | Household Cavalry |
Garrison/HQ | RHQ - London Regiment - Windsor/London |
Nickname | Piccadilly Cowboys, Donkey Wallopers, Tins, Tinned Fruit, Piccadilly Butchers. |
Motto | Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (shame upon him who thinks evil upon it) |
March | Quick - Millanollo Slow - Life Guards Slow March Trot Past - Keel Row |
Commanders | |
Colonel-in-Chief | HM The Queen |
Colonel of the Regiment |
Gen. The Rt Hon Charles Ronald Llewellyn Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, GCB, LVO, OBE, ADC |
Insignia | |
Tactical Recognition Flash | |
Abbreviation | LG |
The Life Guards (LG) is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.
They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some years later.
Membership of these was originally restricted to gentlemen, and accordingly they had no non-commissioned officers; their corporals were commissioned, and ranked as lieutenants in the rest of the army. This state of affairs persisted until 1756.
These units, except for the horse grenadiers, first saw action at the Battle of Sedgemoor during the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.
In 1788, these troops were reorganised into two regiments, the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Life Guards (from 1877, simply 1st Life Guards and 2nd Life Guards). In 1815 they were part of The Household Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo.
In late 1918 after much service in the First World War the two regiments gave up their horses and were re-roled as machine gun battalions, becoming the 1st and 2nd Battalions, Guards Machine Gun Regiment. They reverted to their previous names and roles after the end of the war.
In 1922 the two regiments were merged into one regiment, the The Life Guards (1st and 2nd).
In 1928 it was re-designated The Life Guards.
In 1992, as part of the Options for Change defence review, The Life Guards were joined together with the Blues and Royals in a 'Union' - not an amalgamation - forming the Household Cavalry Regiment (armoured reconnaissance) and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (ceremonial duties). However, they maintain their regimental identity, with distinct uniforms and traditions, and their own colonel.
In common with the Blues and Royals, they have a peculiar non-commissioned rank structure: see the Household Cavalry page for details. (In brief, they lack sergeants, replacing them with multiple grades of corporal.)
Contents |
[combined battle honours of 1st Life Guards and 2nd Life Guards, with the following emblazoned]:1
1. the regiment maintained the fiction of separate regiments until 1928, receiving in 1927 two separate sets of Standards with different (but almost identical) battle honours emblazoned.
2. revised combined list issued May 1933, omitting from emblazonment "Passchendaele" and St. Quentin Canal" of the 1st Life Guards.
3. awarded jointly to The Life Guards and Blues and Royals, for services of Household Cavalry Regiment.
Preceded by First in Order of Precedence of the Cavalry |
Cavalry Order of Precedence | Succeeded by The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) |
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