HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY INFORMATION - STANDARDS & BATTLE HONOURS

THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY -

STANDARDS, GUIDON AND

BATTLE HONOURS

The Standards & Guidon

Some Background Information

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 standard 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, and it is an occasion 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.

Images of Standards & Guidon

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 when 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.

Some Historical Illustrations

I am indebted to Osprey Publishing Ltd, who graciously granted
me permission to reproduce the images in the panels below.
Artwork by Richard Hook . . .

British Colours & Standards 1747-1881, Volume 1
Ian Summer - Illustrated by Richard Hook

This book, and other military books, may be obtained direct from the publisher:

www.ospreypublishing.com

The Second
Squadron Standard of the
Royal Horse Guards, c1746.
Sheet: crimson damask with
a gold fringe. Lettering: gold.

Source:
Dawnay, Standards of
the Household Division.

A camp colour of the
Royal Dragoons, 1806.
Sheet: blue with gold
characters. This more closely,
but still not completely,
matches the requirements
of the regulations.

Source:
Dawnay, Standards of
the Household Division.

The Regimental Standard pf
the Royal Horse Guards, 1824.

Sheet: crimson damask
with a gold fringe.
Lettering: gold.

Source:
Dawnay, Standards of
the Household Division.

The Royal arms were displayed on one of
the standards of the Royal Horse Guards,
and on the standards and guidons of
numerous yeomanry regiments.

They underwent several changes in this
period as indicated:

(Top) The arms borne until 1801;

(Bottom left) After the abandonment of
the claim to the French throne in 1801;

(Centre, small) After the cap on the
central shield had been replaced by the
crown, once the Electorate of Hanover
had become a Kingdom in 1816;

(Bottom right) After the arms of Hanover
had been removed completely in 1837
on the accession of Queen Victoria,
who did not inherit that Kingdom.

(Top) 2nd Troop Guidon,
Horse Guards, 1747.

(Centre left) 1st Troop Standard,
Horse Grenadier Guards, c.1780.

(Centre right) Union Standard,
Royal Horse Guards (The Blues), 1760.

(Bottom) Union Standard,
Household Cavalry, 1820s.

(Figure) Troop Corporal-Major,
Royal Horse Guards, 1835, with
King William's Standard.

(Upper) King William's Standard,
Royal Horse Guards, 1835.

(Lower) Sovereign's Standard,
Household Cavalry, 1853.

King's Guidon,
1st Royal Dragoons, 1750.

King's Standard,
1st Royal Dragoons, 1820.

Royal Guidon,
1st Royal Dragoons, 1868.

Present-Day Standards & Guidon

Soverign's Standard of
The Life Guards

The Household Cavalry

Armoured Reconnaissance
Regiment
&
Mounted Regiment

Sovereign's Standard of
The Blues And Royals

Union Standard of
The Life Guards

Guidon of
The Blues And Royals

Union Standard of
The Blues And Royals

The Life Guards Standard Party
on Cavalry Sunday, Hyde Park

The Life Guards Standards, on the occasion of the
Presentation of New Standards Ceremony, Horse Guards

The Blues And Royals Standards and Guidon, on the occasion of
the Presentation of New Standards Ceremony, Horse Guards

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

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

White

1914

1915

1916

1917

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

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

Wadi al Batin

Whe

1941

1942

1942 - 1943

1944

1944 - 1945

1991

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

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

W

1914

white

1914

1915

1916

white

1917

white white whi

1918

1941

1944

1945

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 Rose, Lancastrian Rose

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

18 June

No specific date

13 September

No specific date

15 February

18 February

No specific date

Year(s)

1662 - 1680

1743

1760

1794

1813 - 1814

1815

1882

1900

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

4 November

No specific date

White

9 - 31 May

22 June - 22 July

8 June - 11 July

No specific date

23 October

No specific date

25 August - 2 December

11 April - 23 October

31 July

3 September

22 - 25 September

No specific date

Whie

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1914 - 1918

White

1941

1942

1942 - 1943

1943

1944

1944 - 1945

1982

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

1914

1917

1944

1941

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:

The Life Guards Standards, on the occasion of the Presentation of New Standards Ceremony, Horse Guards

The Life Guards Standards, on the occasion of the
Presentation of New Standards Ceremony, Horse Guards