Royal Guard

A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as Emperor/Empress, King/Queen, or Prince/Princess. They often are an elite unit of the regular armed forces, or are designated as such, and may maintain special rights or privileges.

Institution and tasks[]

Royal Guards have historically comprised both purely ceremonial units serving in close proximity to the monarch, as well as regiments from all arms, forming a designated substantial elite and intended for active service as part of the army. An example of the first category would include the Tropas de la Casa Real of the Spanish Monarchy prior to 1930, comprising halberdiers and a mounted escort. Examples of the second would include the Imperial Guards of the Russian and German Empires prior to 1917-18.^[1]

Monarchs frequently modelled their Royal Guards upon those of fellow rulers. Thus, Napoleon I's Garde Imperiale was imitated by his opponent Alexander I of Russia, his Bourbon successor Louis XVIII and his nephew Napoleon III. The modern Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers regiment of the Netherlands and the Escorte Royale of Belgium retain features of uniform and other distinctions that can be traced back to Napoleonic influences.^[2]

Political importance[]

Because of their location, status, role and nature, Royal Guards have frequently been able to play a political role beyond their intended military and social ones. In times of revolution, the continued loyalty or defection of such units has often played a key part in the outcome of wider unrest. Historical examples were England in 1688, Spain in 1808, Sweden in 1809, France in 1789 and again in 1814-15, Russia in 1917 and Persia in 1906 and again in 1953.^[3]

List of Royal Guards[]

see also List of protective service agencies

Past[]

Somatophylakes, in the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia
Imperial Guard, in the Achaemenid Empire of Persia
Praetorian Guard, in the Roman Empire
Jovians and Herculians, in late Roman Empire and early Byzantine Empire
Jìn Jūn (禁军), in the Tang Dynasty of China
Spatharii and the Varangian Guard, in the Byzantine Empire
Mona Spa in the Kingdom Of Georgia
Tobang, in the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea
Naegeumwi, in the Joseon Dynasty of Korea
ValaShahis, in Mughal Empire
Kheshig, in the Mongol Empire
Walloon Guards, in Spanish Netherlands
Maison militaire du roi de France (to which belonged the Swiss Guards and the French Guards), in the Kingdom of France
Leyb-gvardiya, in the Russian Empire
Imperial Guard, in Napoleon I's First French Empire
Imperial Guard, in Napoleon III's Second French Empire
Leibgarde der Hartschier, in the Kingdom of Bavaria
Noble Guard and Palatine Guard, in the Holy See until 1970
Corazzieri, in the Kingdom of Italy
Personal Cavalry Convoy, in the Principality of Bulgaria and Kingdom of Bulgaria
Arcièren-Leibgarde, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Evzones, in the Kingdom of Greece
Royal Guard of the Halberdiers, in the Kingdom of Portugal
Imperial Guard of the Halberdiers, in the Empire of Brazil

Present[]

Queen's Guard (most commonly known); Gentlemen at Arms; Life Guards Blues and Royals; Foot Guards; King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery; Royal Company of Archers; and Yeomen of the Guard, in the United Kingdom
Royal Guard, in Bahrain
Den Kongelige Livgarde, in Denmark
Royal Escort and Royal Palace Guard, in Belgium
Hans Majestet Kongens Garde, in Norway
Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince, in Monaco
Royal Guard, in Morocco
Grenadiers' and Rifles Guard Regiment, Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene and the Royal Marechaussee in the Netherlands
Royal Guards, in Sweden
Royal Guards, in Thailand
Guardia Real, in Spain
Konoe Shidan (近衛師団), in Japan
Royal Guard, in Oman

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal guards.

↑ José M. Bueno, El Ejército de Alfonso XIII - Tropas de la Casa Real, ISBN 84-86071-01-1
↑ Philip Mason, Pillars of Monarchy, ISBN 7043-2424-5
↑ Philip Mason, page 167 Pillars of Monarchy, ISBN 7043-2424-5

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Royal Guard and the edit history here.

[1] José M. Bueno, El Ejército de Alfonso XIII - Tropas de la Casa Real, ISBN 84-86071-01-1

[2] Philip Mason, Pillars of Monarchy, ISBN 7043-2424-5

[3] Philip Mason, page 167 Pillars of Monarchy, ISBN 7043-2424-5

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