Background

Standards and Guidons have evolved from the
banners of the knights of the Middle Ages.

The Standard, a square banner in those days, was
carried by a knight; The Guidon, an ensign or standaard
ending with a tail or point (now swallow-tailed), was
carried by a banneret.

When a banneret was made a knight, the
point of his Guidon was cut off, thus turning it
into a Standard.

The Standards have become the symbols of
the spirit of the two Regiments of Household Cavalry,
for they bear the battle honours granted
in commemoration of gallant deeds performed
by members of both Regiments from the time
they were raised.

This association of Standards with heroic deeds
has caused them to be regarded with veneration.

The fact that Standards are consecrated
before being taken into use and, after service,
are laid up in sacred or public buildings,
helps to maintain the atmosphere of veneration
with which they are surrounded.

From the earliest origins The Life Guards,
the Royal Horse Guards (the Blues), and
The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons)
have carried Standards and Guidons
in varying numbers and designs.

The first ceremonial presentation
of Standards to the Household Cavalry
was made by King George V in 1927,
and it is the practice for each of the two Regiments
to receive one Sovereign and three Squadron
(or Union) Standards every ten years.

Nowadays, the presentation ceremony takes place
on Horse Guards Parade, when the Mounted Regiment
is joined by Armoured Reconnaissance Squadrons
from Windsor, as well as the Bands of both
Regiments - dismounted and mounted.

For the consecration service, the Standards
are placed on the silver Kettle Drums of the
1st and 2nd life Guards (presented by William IV in 1831)
and those of the Royal Horse Guards (the Blues)
presented by George III in 1805.

Household Cavalry
Standards and Guidon

The Life Guards have a Royal Standard and
three Squadron Standards - of crimson damask,
emblazoned with Battle Honours in gold embroidery.

The Blues And Royals have a Royal Standard and
three Squadron Standards (as for The Life Guards),
but also have a Guidon - resulting from the
amalgamation with The Royal Dragoons, in 1969.

Warrant Officers, or senior Non Commissioned Officers
carry the Standards, unlike in the Infantry, in which
Officers bear the Colours of their specific Regiment.

A Royal Standard is always carried when a
Sovereign's Escort accompanies The Queen.
Usually a Squadron Standard is paraded by
The Queen's Life Guard, at Whitehall, when
Her Majesty is resident in London.

On occasions with the Royal Procession,
for the State Opening of Parliament, passes
through Horse Guards, the Queen's Life Guard
for that day should be found by the opposite
Regiment to the one supplying the Standard
for the Sovereign's Escort.

This enables The Queen's Life Guard to turn out
with a Royal Standard.

If, however, this is not possible and The Life Guards
are furnishing the Standard for the Escort and mounting
The Queen's Life Guard in addition, the latter will
parade with a Royal Standard.

In the event of The Blues And Royals performing
this dual role, the Guidon will be carried on
The Queen's Life Guard.

Soverign's Standard of
The Life Guards

Household Cavalry

Armoured & Mounted

Union Standard of
The Life Guards

Guidon of
The Blues And Royals

Union Standard of
The Blues And Royals

The Presentation
of New Standards

The Presentation of New Standards Parade
incorporates a Service of Consecration, for which
the Clergy could include the Chaplain-General,
the Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain,
the Senior Chaplain to the Household Division,
and the Deputy Chaplain-General.

The Parade commences with the arrival
of the Armoured Recce Squadrons from the
Household Cavalry Regiment at Windsor,
who drive onto Horse Guards Parade
and take up their positions.

Then the Travelling Escort (which may be
found by The Life Guards or The Blues And Royals)
leaves Horse Guards for Buckingham Palace, from where
it escorts Her Majesty The Queen to Horse Guards.

The Mounted Band, followed by the Mounted Squadrons
of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - together with
the two Commanding Officers - ride onto Horse Guards Parade.

The Commander Household Cavalry takes over the Parade.

The Colonels - HRH The Princess Royal and
General the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank - are
conducted to the dais and received with
a Royal Salute.

The Old Standards and Guidon are received
on Parade with a Royal Salute.

Her Majesty The Queen, escorted by the
Travelling Escort with Sovereign's Standard
(found by one of the two Regiments), arrives at 11.00 a.m.
and is received by The Colonel of The Life Guards and
The Colonel of The Blues And Royals, and conducted
onto the dais.

A Royal Salute is given and the National Anthem is played.

The Queen, the two Colonels with the Commander
Household Cavalry in attendance, inspects the Parade
and returns to the dais.

The Old Standards and Guidon are trooped,
and leave Horse Guards Parade.

The silver Kettle Drums are brought to the
centre of the Parade, and the New Standards
and Guidon are placed upon them.

The Queen, preceded by the Clergy, is
conducted to the centre of the Parade by the two Colonels.

There then follows the Service of Consecration.

Once they are consecrated, the New Standards
and Guidon are presented to the Regiments by
Her Majesty The Queen, who presents them to
the Commanding Officers, who then hand them to
the Mounted Standard Bearers.

After the presentation, The Queen addresses the Parade,
and the Commander Household Cavalry replies.

Her Majesty then returns to the dais, and
the drums are removed from the parade ground.
The Mounted Standards and Guidon Parties join
their Regiments and are received with a Royal Salute,
and the National Anthem is played.

Next comes a Walk Past, then a Trot Past by
the Mounted Squadrons, followed by a Drive Past
by the Armoured Squadrons.

Once the Parade has re-formed, The Queen
meets twelve old comrades and the Clergy,
before entering hber carriage to leave
Horse Guards Parade, escorted by the Travelling Escort.

The Parade gives a Royal Salute and
the National Anthem is played.

Once Her Majesty has departed from
Horse Guards Parade, the Mounted Band
and the Squadrons march off parade,
the Dismounted Ban march off, and the
Armoured Recce Squadrons drive off.

This memorable event is usually followed by
a superb Luncheon attended by serving and former
soldiers and their families.

Life Guards
Standard Party
(Cavalry Sunday)

Life Guards
Warrant Officer
Standard Bearer

Blues And Royals
Standard Party
(Cavalry Sunday)

Standards Belt of The Life Guards

Standards Belt of The Blues And Royals

Standards Belt of The Life Guards

Standards Belt of The Blues And Royals

The Battle Honours

Some, but not all, of the Battle Honours
of the Household Cavalry appear on the Standards & Guidon,
so the following is by way of an explanation.

Battle Honours borne on the
Standards of The Life Guards

Date(s)

27 June

No specific date

18 June

13 September

No specific date

15 February

18 February

No specific date

Year(s)

1743

1813 - 1814

1815

1882

1882

1900

1900

1899 - 1900

Honour(s)

Dettingen

Peninsula

Waterloo

Tel el Kebir

Egypt 1882

Relief of Kimberley

Paardeburg

South Africa 1899 - 1900

 

Date(s)

23 - 24 August

26 August

7 - 10 September

12 - 15 September

12 October - 2 November

19 October - 22 November

22 April - 25 May

1 July - 18 November

1917

9 April - 4 May

21 August - 3 October

26 August - 3 September

12 September - 9 October

1914 - 1918

FIRST WORLD WAR

Mons

Le Cateau

Marne

Aisne

Messines

Ypres 1914

Ypres 1915

Somme, 1916

Ypres 1917

Arras 1917

Somme 1918 (2 LG)

Arras 1918 (1 LG)

Hindenburg Line (2 LG)

France and Flanders

Notes:

Mons, Le Cateau,
Marne, Aisne & Messines are all Battle Honours of the Household Cavalry
Regiment (HCR)

white

white

Somme (1918),
Arras (1918), and Hindenburg Line are
Battle Honours of the Guards Machine Gun Battalions (GMGB)

Note re Guards Machine Gun Battalions

In 1918, the 1st Life Guards, 2nd Life Guards, and
Royal Horse Guards (Blues) were redesignated
1st, 2nd and 3rd Guards Machine Gun Battalions.

They reverted to their original titles after the Armistice.

The Battle Honours 'Passchendaele' (1st Life Guards)
and 'St. Quentin Canal' (2nd Life Guards) were borne
on these Regiments' respective Standards, until 1933.

Date(s)

9 - 31 May

22 June - 23 July

8 June - 11 July

23 October

25 August - 2 December

11 April - 23 October

31 July

3 September

22 - 25 September

No specific date

P

 

Wadi al Batin

SECOND WORLD WAR

Iraq 1941

Palmyra

Syria 1941

El Alemein

North Africa 1942 - 1943

Italy 1944

Soulevre

Brussels

Nederrijn

N.W. Europe 1944 - 1945

SINCE 1980

Gulf 1991

Notes:

Iraq, Palmyra,
Syria, El Alemein, North Africa, and
Italy are all Battle Honours of the
1st HCR

White

Soulevre, Brussels,
Nederrijn, and NW Europe
are Battle Honours
of the 2nd HCR

P

P

Battle Honours not borne on the
Standards of The Life Guards

COMPOSITE REGIMENT

23 August - 5 September

13 October - 2 November

REGIMENTS PROPER

21 - 24 October

29 - 31 October

11 November

24 April - 4 May

8 - 13 May

1 - 13 July

HOUSEHOLD BATTALION

3 - 14 May

4 October

9 October

12 October - 10 November

GUARDS MACHINE GUN BATTALIONS

21 August - 3 September

26 August - 3 September

31 August - 3 September

26 - 30 August

18 September

29 September - 2 October

3 - 5 october

8 - 9 October

17 - 25 October

White

31 May

3 August

12 August

2 September

30 July

15 August

8 - 11 August

10 - 17 September

17 - 21 September

2 April

4 April

FIRST WORLD WAR

Retreat from Mons

Armentieres

White

Langemarck 1914

Gheluvelt

Nonne Bosschen

St Julien

Frezenberg

Albert 1916

White

Scarpe 1917

Broodseinde

Poelcappelle

Passchendaele

White White Antideluvianarian

Somme 1918 (2 LG)

Arras 1918 (1 LG)

Bapaume 1918 (2 LG)

Scarpe 1918 (1 LG)

Epehy (2 LG)

St Quentin Canal (2 LG)

Beaurevoir Line (2 LG)

Cambrai 1918 (1 LG)

Selle (1 LG)

SECOND WORLD WAR

Baghdad 1941

Arezzo

Advance to Florence

Gothic Line

Mont Pincon

Noireau Crossing

Amiens 1944

Neerpelt

Nijmegen

Lingen

Bentheim

Notes:

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White Rose, Lancastrian Rose

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

White

Baghad, Arezzo,
Advance to Florence
& Gothic Line are all Battle Honours of
the 1st HCR

white

White

Mont Pincon, Noireau
Crossing , Amiens (1944), Neerpelt, Nijmegen, Lingen
and Bentheim are
Battle Honours of
the 2nd HCR

Battle Honours borne on the
Standards of The Blues And Royals

Date(s)

No specific date

27 June

31 July

26 April

10 May

No specific date

No specific date

18 June

No specific date

No specific date

13 September

No specific date

15 February

18 February

No specific date

No specific date

Year(s)

1662 - 1680

1743

1760

1794

1794

m

1813 - 1814

1815

m

m

1882

1882

1900

1900

0

1899 - 1900

Honour(s)

Tangier 1662 - 1680

Dettingen

Warburg

Beaumont

Willems

Fuentes D'Onor

Peninsula

Waterloo

Balaklava

Sevastopol

Tel el Kebir

Egypt 1882

Relief of Kimberley

Paardeberg

Relief of Ladysmith

South Africa 1899 - 1902

 

Date(s)

26 August

7 - 10 September

12 October - 2 November

19 October - 22 November

29 - 31 October

22 April - 25 May

8 April - 13 May

25 September - 8 October

9 April - 4 May

31 july - 10 November

No specific date

No specific date

No specific date

No specific date

4 November

No specific date

No

White

9 - 31 May

22 June - 22 July

8 June - 11 July

No specific date

23 October

No specific date

25 August - 2 December

No

11 April - 23 October

31 July

3 September

22 - 25 September

No specific date

No

N

No

FIRST WORLD WAR

Le Cateau

Marne 1914

Messines 1914

Ypres 1914

Gheluvelt

Ypres 1915

Frezenberg

Loos

Arras 1917

Ypres 1917 *

Somme 1918

Amiens

Hindenburg Line

Cambrai 1918

Sambre **

Pursuit to Mons

France and Flanders

SECOND WORLD WAR

Iraq 1941

Palmyra

Syria 1941

Knightsbridge

El Alemein

Advance on Tripoli

North Africa 1941 - 1943

Sicily 1943

Italy 1943-1944

Souleuvre

Brussels

Nederrijn

Rhine

N.W. Europe 1944 - 1945

SINCE 1980

Falkland Islands

Notes:

Le Cateau, Marne
& Messines are all
Battle Honours of
the HCR

 

WHitwe

* Ypres (1917)
is a Battle Honour
of the Household
Battalion

White

** Sambre is a
Battle Honour of
the GMGB

White

Iraq, Palmyra,
Syria, El Alemein,
North Africa and
Italy are all Battle
Honours of the
1st HCR

White

Souleuvre,
Brussels,
Nederrijn and
N.W. Europe are
all Battle Honours
of the 2nd HCR

Battle Honours not borne on the
Standards of The Blues And Royals

H

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

FIRST WORLD WAR

Mons

Retreat from Mons

Aisne 1914

Armentieres 1914

Langemarck 1914

Nonne Bosschen

St Julien

Scarpe 1917

Broodseinde

Poelcappelle

Passchendaele

St Quentin

Avre

Beaurevoir

SECOND WORLD WAR

Mont Pincon

Noireau Crossing

Amiens 1944

Neerpelt

Nijmegen

Veghel

Lingen

Bentheim

Baghdad 1941

Msus

Gazala

Defence of Alemein Line

El Agheila

Arezzo

Advance to Florence

Gothic Line

Notes: