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Harald V,theKing of Norway,inspectsHans Majestet Kongens GardewithDmitry Medvedev.The unit acts as foot guards for the Norwegian Army.

In some militaries,foot guardsare seniorinfantryregiments.Foot guards are commonly responsible for guarding royal families or other state leaders, and they also often perform ceremonial duties accordingly, but at the same time are combat soldiers.

Foot Guards by country

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Canada

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TheGovernor General's Foot Guardsis one of two active foot guards regiments in Canada.

Two regiments of foot guards exist in theCanadian Army'sPrimary Reserve,theGovernor General's Foot Guards(GGFG) and theCanadian Grenadier Guards(CGG). The two foot guards, along with theGovernor General's Horse Guards,form Canada'sHousehold Division.Although the GGFG has its buttons in pairs, compared to the single buttons of the CGG, it is the more senior regiment. The paired buttons on the GGFG'sscarlet tunicis a result of its historical alliance to the BritishColdstream Guards,whose tunics are styled similarly.

TheCanadian Guardswas another regiment of foot guards from the Canadian Army'sRegular Force,although it was reduced to nil strength and placed on theSupplementary Order of Battlein 1970. Its colours are deposited atRideau Hallshould it be desired to stand up the regiment again.

TheRoyal Regiment of Canada,despite being aline infantryregiment, wears foot guards full-dress uniform. This is in token of the alliance its predecessorThe Royal Grenadiershad with theGrenadier Guards.The full-dress uniform has a scarlet-over-white plume, and buttons are worn singly in like manner.

Uniform details
Regiment Plume Button
grouping 		Badge
Position Colour Collar Shoulder
Governor General's Foot Guards Left Scarlet Pairs GGFG guards star Maple leaf
Canadian Grenadier Guards Left White Singly Grenade Grenade
Canadian Guards(reduced to nil strength) Left Red and white Singly Crowned maple branch Crowned maple branch

Denmark

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The foot guards of Denmark consists of theRoyal Life Guards(Den Kongelige Livgarde). It is primarily amechanized infantryregiment in theDanish Army,with theGuard Companyof the regiment performingguard/ceremonialpublic dutiesfor theDanish monarchy.They provide a permanent guard at theAmalienborg Palace,as well as mount at guard atFredensborg Palace,Marselisborg Palace,Gråsten Palace,andChristiansborg Palaceon occasion.

The regiment is currently composed of 4 active duty units:

Finland

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TheGuard Jaeger Regimentis aFinnish Armyunit that provides a guard of honour for thePresident of Finland.

TheGuard Jaeger Regiment(Finnish:Kaartin Jääkärirykmentti,Swedish:Gardesjägarregementet) is a Finnish Army unit inSantahamina,an island district ofHelsinki.The regiment trains guard jaegers for fighting in an urban environment. The Guard Battalion's (Finnish:Kaartin Pataljoona) two military police companies of the Guard Jaeger Regiment provide the ceremonial guard of honour for thePresident of Finland.

France

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The first infantry regiment of theRepublican Guardis responsible for protecting thePresident of Franceand for ceremonial duties. Other historical French foot guard regiments include:

Germany

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TheWachbataillonperforms ceremonial guard duty for theGerman Armed Forces.

TheWachbataillonperform ceremonial guard duty for various branches of the German government. It is currently the largest battalion in theBundeswehr,having up to 1,000 soldiers based in Berlin. The battalion follows the tradition of the1. Foot Guard Regiment(1. Garde-Rgt. z.F.).

India

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ThePresident's Bodyguardregiment of theIndian ArmytheRepublican Guardresponsible for protecting thePresident of Indiaon ceremonial occasions.

Italy

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Foot guards functions in theItalian Armyare held by theGranatieri di Sardegnaregiment.

The foot guards functions in theItalian Armyare held by theGranatieri di SardegnaBrigade, direct heir of the original Guards' Regiment founded on April 18, 1659. The brigade's two regiments of guards infantry have a highly distinguished combat history and are still employed both in ceremonial and combat roles. The 3rd regiment serves as combat support.

TheCarabinieri(the militarisedgendarmerie-type law enforcement agency of Italy) also fields a ceremonial guards unit – theReggimento Corazzieri("CuirassiersRegiment "), based inRome,which carries its ceremonial role both on foot and on horseback at theQuirinal Palace– the official residence of thePresident of Italy.It is more compatible to a dragoons regiment while being more of a cuirassier unit due to its uniform.

Russia

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Russia's Presidential Regiment (also known as theKremlin Regiment), although not a part of theRussian Armed Forcesbut part of the RussianFederal Protective Service,which directly reports to thePresident of Russia,is the elite unit that provides the guard of honor at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Moscow'sAlexander Gardenand is tasked with the protection of the President, his family and the Kremlin complex. When in the Kremlin itself (atCathedral Square) or atRed Square,during important occasions and weekends, it maintains certain traditions of theRussian Imperial Guardthrough its uniforms and rifle and cavalry drills during the weekly Changing of the Guard ceremony together with the regimental band, Infantry units and the Cavalry Escort Squadron. The regiment, since the mid-2010s, has also provided sentries at theSpasskaya Towerentrance facing Red Square. In the future, the regiment will be reinforced by theSemyonovsky Regiment(reestablished in 2013), which falls under the Armed Forces and is currently the sole independent regiment of infantry in theRussian Ground Forces.The154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment,being a part of the Armed Forces, thus only performs honor guard duties only during state visits to Russia, wreath laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the major parades in Moscow (May 9 and November 7, respectively), as well as in major anniversary parades all over Russia if needed.

Spain

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Juan Carlos Iinspects theSpanish Royal Guard,a unit that originates from theMonteros de Espinosa.

Spain'sGuardia Realis one of the oldest bodyguard units in the world. On top of protecting the king and deploying overseas, they also perform ceremonial duties. The regiment primarily provide protection to members ofSpanish royal family,as well as royal households such as theRoyal Palace of Madrid,thePalace of El Pardoand thePalace of Zarzuela.Its origins come from theMonteros de Espinosa,which is the oldest royal bodyguard unit on theEuropean continent.Its organizational structure is based around five battalion-sized units including the High Command Group, Escorts Group, Honors Group, Logistics Group, and theMusical Unit of the Spanish Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard Honors Group is the principal foot guards unit of the Armed Forces, which provides ceremonial and actual security to the royal family. Permanently garrisoned in Madrid, the capital city, the battalion-sized formation is organized into:

  • Group HQ
  • Army Company "Monteros de Espinosa"
    • 1st Platoon
    • 2nd Platoon
    • 3rd Platoon
    • Drill Team Platoon
  • Navy and Marine Composite Company "Mar Océano"
    • 1st Platoon
    • 2nd Platoon
    • 3rd Platoon
  • Air Force Squadron "Plus Ultra"
    • 1st Flight
    • 2nd Flight
    • 3rd Flight
  • Mountaineering Group
  • Royal Guard Diving Unit

The other foot guards regiment of the armed forces is theSpanish Army'sInfantry Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" No. 1stationed in the Army Headquarters,Buenavista Palace,Madrid. It is one of the oldest standing guards units in the world, raised by KingFerdinand III of Castilein 1248. Traditionally, as the regiment is linked to the Spanish royal family and to the sovereign in his/her duty as Captain General and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, all theprinces of Asturiassince 1862 are enrolled as honorary soldiers in the 1st Guards Company. The duty of Foot Guards is the responsibility of the Honor Guard Battalion "Old Guard of Castille", which is part of the regiment and organized into:

  • Battalion HQ
  • 1st Guards Company
  • 2nd Guards Company
  • Artillery Honors Section
  • Battalion Corps of Drums
    • Drum and Bugle Section
    • Fife and Drum section

Sweden

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The SwedishRoyal Guardsis a unit responsible for protecting theSwedish Royal Family.

TheRoyal Guardsis responsible for protection of theSwedish Royal Family.They are made up of theLife Guards.The Royal Guard has been responsible for providing security toStockholm Palacesince 1523. It is the primaryhonour guarddetail for the king as well as an emergency unit for the capital. The guard is split up into two sections, the guard at Stockholm Palace, and a smaller detachment stationed atDrottningholm Palace.The Royal Guards are most visible at state arrival ceremonies for visiting heads of state visitingSweden,where it mounts theguard of honour.It performs the changing of the guard ceremony at the Outer Courtyard of the palace, drawing approximately 800,000 tourists per year. The foot guards component is made up of three foot guards companies that fall under the King's Guards Battalion, all performing public duties alongside their combat and security roles. In addition, the 12th Motorized Infantry Battalion (raised 2016) is also designated foot guards, but only performs combat operations.

Ukraine

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TheHetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky Independent Presidential Brigadeis a special military unit of Ukrainian Armed Forces which is mandated to defend thePresident of Ukrainein his duty as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the First Family, and the presidential residences and facilities assigned to the presidential office. With itsHonor Guard Battalionproviding ceremonial guard duty for official events.

The brigade was raised in 1992 as a National Guard infantry regiment and was transferred to the AFU in 2000.

United Kingdom

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Household DivisionSecond World Warmemorial, London — note the badges of the five regiments: grenade, thistle, leek, shamrock and Garter Star.

The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of theHousehold Divisionof theBritish Army.There have been six active regiments of foot guards and one reserve regiment, five of which still exist. TheRoyal Guards Reserve Regimentwas a reserve[1]formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900 to 1901. The Machine Gun Guards, which was formed during theFirst World War,was disbanded in 1920.

TheColdstream Guardsengage the French atHougoumont,during theBattle of Waterloo.The Guard is the oldest continuously serving regiment in theBritish Army's regular force.

While these regiments have other distinguishing features, a simple method of distinguishing members of the different Guards units by their appearance is by the spacing of buttons on the tunic. The ascending number of buttons also indicates the order in which the regiments were formed, although the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, an ancestor of the Grenadier Guards, is younger than the regiment that now takes the name of the Coldstream Guards, the oldest continuously serving regiment in the regular British Army (there are older regiments in theArmy Reserve). There are various other distinguishing features of the uniforms of the regiments, such as the colour of the plume, which side it is worn on thebearskin,the collar badge and the shoulder badge. When all five regiments parade together, they are in the order of Grenadier Guards on the right flank, then Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, Irish Guards and Coldstream Guards on the left flank. This is because although the Coldstream are ranked second in seniority, their motto is "Nulli Secundus" ('Second to None').

The five regiments of Foot Guards, lined up as they parade:

Regiment Plume Button
grouping 		Badge Officer
pips
Position Colour Collar Shoulder
Grenadier Guards Left White Singly Grenade Royal Cypher Garter Star
Scots Guards — Threes Thistle Thistle Star Thistle Star
Welsh Guards Left White-green-white Fives Leek Leek Garter Star
Irish Guards Right Blue Fours Shamrock St Patrick Star St Patrick Star
Coldstream Guards Right Red Pairs Garter Star Rose Garter Star

Units of the Foot Guards

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A group of foot guards drawn from theHousehold Infantry Division
  • Grenadier Guards
  • Coldstream Guards
  • Scots Guards
  • Irish Guards
    • 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
    • No. 9 Company, Irish Guards
    • No. 12 Company, Irish Guards
    • No. 15 (Loos) Company,Irish Guards,Camberwell
  • Welsh Guards
    • 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards

The first four regiments each have separateincremental companies,which keep custody of thecoloursand maintain the customs and traditions of the currently dormant 2nd Battalions. These companies perform ceremonial and security duties inLondon.

British Foot Guards are appointed forpublic duties,such as mounting theKing's Guard.

One battalion is appointed for public duties, along with the incremental companies, it provides theKing's Guard,theTower of LondonGuard and theWindsor CastleGuard. The Guards Battalions on Public Duties are located in barracks close toBuckingham Palacefor them to be able to reach the Palace very quickly in an emergency. The independent incremental companies of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards are permanently based at Wellington Barracks, Westminster, which is located just 300 yards from Buckingham Palace. A battalion is based atVictoria Barracks,Windsor, a quarter of a mile south of the Castle.

The Guards Division received a new battalion following therestructuring of the army in 2004,when theLondon Regimentbecame the firstreserve armyunit in this division. The regiment was subsequently disbanded, and its personnel moved to reserve companies of the four senior foot guards regiments.

TheRoyal Guards Reserve Regimentwas in existence during theSecond Boer Warfrom 1900 to 1901. TheGuards Machine Gun Regimentwas raised for service during theFirst World War.Initially, each brigade of the Guards Division had a machine gun company attached. In 1917, these companies were regimented to form a battalion. Further battalions (the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions) were formed by conversion of theHousehold Cavalryregiments.King George Vordered that the regiment be classified as the Sixth Regiment of Foot Guards, or Machine Gun Guards. However, it was disbanded in 1920.

Before theSecond World War,Guards recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a further five years with the reserve or four years and eight years. They trained at the Guards' Depot inCaterham,Surrey.[2]

United States

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TheUnited Stateshas ceremonial units for each of the six branches of the Armed Forces with one unit serving two branches. They form honor guards for the President, foreign heads of state, and other military and civilian dignitaries. They form the core military element of state-level ceremonies including the Inauguration of the President and state funerals. The3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment,also known as "The Old Guard", is the Army's escort/ceremonial guard to the President, and their units include the Tomb Guards for theTomb of the UnknownsatArlington national cemetery.

TheState Defense ForceofConnecticuthas a battalion of theGovernor's Foot Guard,a part-time unit that provides ceremonial functions organized into two guards infantry companies. It consists of four different units of an organized militia in theConnecticut State Militia,two of which are foot guards and the other two being horse guard units.

TheRoyal Guards of Hawaiiis a ceremonial foot guard unit of theHawaii Air National Guardwhich acts as the honour guard for theGovernor of Hawaii.It re-enacts 19th century royal bodyguards ofKing Kalakauain theKingdom of Hawaii.Their uniform includes a pith Helmet, and white dress pants. When on parade, the 50-member royal guard carries theSpringfield 45-70rifle.

The54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment,inheritor of the traditions and lineage of the legendary54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment,is a foot guards regiment of theMassachusetts Army National Guardthat serves as the official ceremonial guards of honor for theGovernor of Massachusetts.

Other nations

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Many other nations have regiments of foot guards in their armies, as the term 'guards' is an honorific to distinguish elite soldiers. Most monarchies have at least one regiment of guards, part of whose duties is to guard theRoyal Family.The same goes for most republics; for instance:

Other countries that have Guards Units

Guards Bands

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The unitmilitary bandsof these guards hold senior positions within the armed forces of their home country. These bands, often internationally known informally as Guards Bands have included the following:

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^"Welcome".
  2. ^War Office,His Majesty's Army,1938
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British and Commonwealth

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Other nations

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