Household Cavalry

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.

Household Cavalry
Badge of the 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), Unfortunate Gentlemen
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 is classed as a corps in its own right, and consists of two regiments: The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). They are the senior regular regiments in the British Army, with traditions dating from 1660, and act as the King's personal bodyguard. They are the cavalry element of the guards regiments and, with the five foot guard regiments, constitute the seven guards regiments of the Household Division.

Below is the structure of the regiment:

• 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 regiments (battalion-sized units) and squadrons (company-sized sub-units). The whole corps is under the command of the Commander Household Cavalry (formerly Colonel Commanding The Household Cavalry), who also holds the Royal Household appointment of Silver Stick in Waiting. He is a Colonel and is assisted by a retired lieutenant colonel as Regimental Adjutant.

The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) has an active operational role as a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment, serving in armoured fighting vehicles including the AJAX and Scimitar, which has seen them at the forefront of the nation's conflicts. The regiment forms one of five formation reconnaissance regiments in the British Army's order of battle. The HCR has four operational squadrons, three of which are traditional medium reconnaissance squadrons equipped with the combat vehicle reconnaissance (tracked) or CVR(T) range of vehicles (Scimitar, Spartan, Sultan, Samson and Samaritan) and the fourth is referred to as Command and Support Squadron and includes specialists, such as Forward Air Controllers. One of HCR's squadrons is assigned to the airborne role with 16 Air Assault Brigade since 2003. The Regiment was formerly based at Combermere Barracks, Windsor, one mile from Windsor Castle, until its move to Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, in May 2019. The members of the Household Division have sometimes been required to undertake special tasks as the Sovereign's personal troops. The Household Cavalry were called to Windsor Castle on 20 November 1992 to assist with salvage operations following the 1992 Windsor Castle fire.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) is horsed and carries out mounted (and some dismounted) ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions. These include the provision of a Sovereign's Escort, most commonly seen on The King's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) in June each year. Other occasions include state visits by visiting heads of state, royal weddings, coronations, or whenever required by the British monarch, including ceremonies associated with the Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II. The regiment also mounts the guard at Horse Guards. HCMR consists of one squadron from The Life Guards, one from The Blues and Royals and a squadron called Headquarters Squadron, which is responsible for all administrative matters and includes the regimental headquarters (RHQ), the Riding Staff, Farriers, Tailors and Saddlers. The Regiment has been based (in various forms) at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge, since 1795. New troopers and officers are generally first assigned to London upon completion of horsemanship training, referred to, alongside the rest of HCMR personnel, as Mounted Dutymen, and remain there for up to three years. Like the five Foot Guards regiments they rotate between the operational and ceremonial roles.

Officers

Second Lieutenants in The Blues and Royals are known as Cornets.

NCOs and other ranks

The rank names and insignia of non-commissioned officers in the Household Cavalry are unique in the British Army:

Household Cavalry	Insignia†	Standard British Army rank	Insignia
Regimental Corporal Major	Royal Coat of Arms worn on right wrist.	Warrant Officer Class 1
Regimental Quartermaster Corporal	Laurel wreath around a crown worn on right wrist	Quartermaster sergeant
Squadron Corporal Major	Brass crown worn on right wrist	Warrant Officer Class 2
Staff corporal Squadron Quartermaster Corporal	A brass crown worn above four inverted chevrons	Staff Sergeant Company quartermaster sergeant
Corporal of Horse	Three chevrons, point down, with metal crown above	Sergeant
Lance Corporal of Horse‡	Three chevrons with cloth crown above	Corporal
Lance 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 Second World War, recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 10 inches tall, but could not exceed 6 feet 1 inch. They initially enlisted for eight years with the colours and a further four years with the reserve.

 

 

There is a farrier on call twenty-four hours a day, at Hyde Park Barracks.

Farriers traditionally combined veterinary knowledge with blacksmiths' skills. They were responsible for hoof trimming and fitting horseshoes to horses. They also dealt with the "humane dispatch of wounded and sick horses", accomplished with the large spike on the end of their axes. Then they used the sharp blade of the axe to chop off the deceased animal's hoof, which was marked with its regimental number. This assisted in keeping track of animals killed in action.

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.

In The Blues and Royals, the farriers dress like their comrades in regimental uniform. The distinctive uniform and equipment of the farriers of The Life Guards—blue tunic, black plume and axe—is a historic reminder of the old British Army of the days of James Wolfe. Every cavalry regiment in the Army, other than the Royal Horse Guards (The Blues), originally wore scarlet for all ranks, except the farriers. Farriers were garbed invariably in sombre blue and bore axes, worn at the side, like the swords of their comrades. When on parade, the troopers drew swords, the Farriers drew axes and carried them at the "Advance".

Following every parade is a duty horse-box, known as the Veterinary Aid Post, with a specialist emergency team in attendance.

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.

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.

In the British Army Order of Precedence, the Household Cavalry is always listed first and always parades at the extreme right of the line, save in cases that the guns of the Royal Horse Artillery are to be first in line during parades.

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 British aristocracy. While this is no longer the case, the Household Cavalry still draws many of its officers from the upper classes and gentry, and maintains a close personal connection to the Royal Family; both William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex were commissioned into The Blues and Royals. On occasions, this has led the Household Cavalry to be accused of elitism.

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.

 

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.

• James Blount 1997–2002, stage name James Blunt (Life Guards), singer / songwriter
• Tommy Cooper, (Royal Horse Guards)
• Michael Flynn (Blues and Royals)
• Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (1st Life Guards, then Life Guards), paternal grandfather to Diana, Princess of Wales
• Elizabeth Godwin (Life Guards)
• Craig Harrison (Blues and Royals)
• 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)

Lieutenant Colonels commanding Household Cavalry

These have included:

• 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
• 2019–2022: Colonel Crispin Lockhart, MBE
• 2022–present: Colonel M. S. P. Berry

Monument

In the center of the village Zandvoorde, Zonnebeke in Belgium, there is a British war memorial, The Household Cavalry Monument , commemorating the role of the Household Cavalry in the battles of the First World War in this area.

• Barnsby Saddles (1793)
• Household Cavalry Museum
• Household Cavalry Coach Troop
• Household Division
• President's Bodyguard
• King's Guard
• Trooping the Colour