Our Affiliated Regiment-The Blues and Royals

We are so very proud to be Badged (affliated) to the Blues and Royals the second most senior regiment in the British Army and part of the Household Cavalry and the Household Division, an abridged history of the Regiment is below:

The Household Cavalry consists of two Regiments, The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). They are the senior Regiments of the British Army and are the personal bodyguards of the Sovereign.

THE LIFE GUARDS
This Regiment has its origins in a group of loyal gentlemen who accompanied King Charles II to the continent during his exile (1652-59) and formed themselves into a military bodyguard for the protection of their Sovereign. They escorted His Majesty back to England at the Restoration in 1660. Since then the Regiment has undergone many changes in title and establishment but has always remained the senior Regiment of the British Army. Horse Guards building, Horse Guards Parade and Horse Guards Avenue all owe their names to the fact that originally the Life Guards were organised into Troops of Horse Guards which did duty at the Guard House of the Old Royal Palace of Whitehall. These Troops were re-organised in 1788 into the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Life Guards and remained as such until 1922 when they were amalgamated into a single Regiment known as The Life Guards.

THE BLUES AND ROYALS (ROYAL HORSE GUARDS AND 1ST DRAGOONS)

This Regiment was created in 1969 by the amalgamation of two famous Cavalry Regiments, the Royal Horse Guards and The Royal Dragoons. The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) were descended from a Parliamentary Regiment of Horse, which King Charles II re-raised when founding the Regular British Army in 1661. Always known as The Blues in view of the colour of their tunics, the Regiment became a favourite of King George III. In recognition of their valour at Waterloo, they were promoted to Household Cavalry status although from their formation they had carried out duties similar to those of The Life Guards. The 1st Royal Dragoons (Royals) were originally raised in London in 1661 to form part of the Garrison of Tangiers and were formerly known as the Tangier Horse. On their return to England in 1683 they were re-designated by King Charles II as "Our Own Regiment of Dragoons" and granted precedence over all other cavalry regiments of the Line. The Royals also distinguished themselves at the Battle of Waterloo with the capture of the Colour of Napoleon's 105th Infantry Regiment, surmounted by an Eagle. This is commemorated today in the uniform of the amalgamated Regiment, by the wearing of an Eagle on the left sleeve of its tunics, and in the Regimental emblem. Prince Harry's aunt, HRH The Princess Royal, is Colonel of The Blues and Royals.

PRESENT ORGANISATION OF THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY

In 1992 The Life Guards formed a 'Union' with The Blues and Royals as part of the overall reduction in the size of the Army. The Household Cavalry now consists of an Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment stationed at Windsor (Household Cavalry Regiment) and a Ceremonial Regiment mounted on horses and stationed in Hyde Park Barracks (Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment). Each Regiment is manned half by soldiers of The Life Guards and half by those of The Blues and Royals. All Household Cavalrymen alternate their service between the Armoured Reconnaissance and Ceremonial Regiments, a career pattern unique in the British Army. Many of them will have seen service in the Falklands, the Gulf, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
Both The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals have Regimental bands each of 35 musicians who play either on foot or, uniquely within the British Army, mounted. Drawn from the bands are the State Trumpeters who play fanfares and salutes across the country on Royal occasions.

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY REGIMENT

As a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment, the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is at the forefront of the British Army's operational capability. The Regiment is trained and equipped to operate forward of the main forces, to gain information on the enemy and ground, to protect our own forces from enemy reconnaissance, and to exploit opportunities as they occur. The Regiment has an important additional task to provide a squadron as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. Many Household Cavalrymen are parachute trained, an illustration of the versatility and operational focus of the Regiment. Equipped with the CVR(T) series of light armoured vehicles, the Regiment is capable of operating over large distances in difficult terrain with minimal support. Air transportable in the C130 Hercules aircraft, CVR(T) is especially suitable for rapid deployment by air to all operational theatres.

Based at Combermere Barracks in Windsor (home to the Household Cavalry since 1804) with three Sabre Squadrons, a command and Support Squadron of specialist troops and support elements, HCR deployed D Squadron to support 16 Air Assault Brigade during the initial battles in Iraq. This squadron was in the thick of these battles and its members were awarded a number of operational Gallantry awards including the George Cross (Trooper Finney) and the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (Corporal of Horse Flynn) two of the highest medals awarded during the campaign. In 2004, HCR deployed two squadrons to Iraq as part of 1 Mechanised Brigade while in 2005, three squadrons deployed to Canada to act as the enemy for troops preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. The HCR itself deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007