Blues and Royals
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| The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) | |
|---|---|
| Image:Blues and royals badge.jpg Cap Badge of the Blues and Royals | |
| Active | 23 March 1969-Present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Household Cavalry |
| Role | Formation Reconnaissance/Ceremonial |
| Size | Three squadrons |
| Part of | Household Cavalry |
| Garrison/HQ | Windsor/London |
| Motto | Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (Shame on him who thinks this evil) |
| March | Quick - Quick March of the Blues and Royals Slow - Slow March of the Blues and Royals Trot Past - Keel Row |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | HM The Queen |
| Colonel of the Regiment | HRH The Princess Royal |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash | Image:Guards TRF.PNG |
| Sleeve Badge | Waterloo Eagle from Royal Dragoons |
The Blues and Royals are a British Army regiment and are part of the Household Cavalry.
The regiment was formed in 1969 from the merger of The Royal Horse Guards who were known as "The Blues" and The Royal Dragoons who were known as "The Royals".
Since then, the new regiment has served in Northern Ireland, Germany and Cyprus. During the Falklands War of 1982, the regiment provided the two armoured reconnaissance troops. The Regiment also had a squadron on operational duty with the United Nations in Bosnia in 1994/1995.
As a result of the Options for Change Review in 1991, the Blues and Royals were amalgamated for operational purposes with the Life Guards to form the Household Cavalry Regiment. However they maintain their regimental identity, with distinct uniforms and traditions, and their own colonel. The Blues and Royals currently have two reconnaissance squadrons in Windsor, which are part of the Household Cavalry Regiment and a mounted squadron in London as part of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
The Blues and Royals is one of two regiments of the Household Division that can trace its lineage back to the New Model Army, the other being the Coldstream Guards.
The Colonel-in-Chief is Her Majesty The Queen and the Colonel is HRH The Princess Royal. HRH Prince Harry of Wales joined the regiment as a cornet in 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Battle honours
[combined battle honours of the Royal Horse Guards, and the Royal Dragoons, plus:]
- Falkland Islands 1982, Al Basrah, Iraq 20031
1. awarded jointly to The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals, for services of Household Cavalry Regiment.
[edit] Alliances
- Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canada - The Royal Canadian Dragoons
- Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canada - The Governor General's Horse Guards
[edit] Affiliated Yeomanry
[edit] Order of Precedence
| Preceded by: Life Guards | Cavalry Order of Precedence | Succeeded by: 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards |
