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.

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.

Royal Guards (Sweden)

The Royal Guards (Högvakten), the Main Guard at the Stockholm Palace is carried out by units of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is the King of Sweden's guard of honour and is responsible for the protection of the Royal Family. The Royal Guard is normally divided in two parts, the main guard stationed at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, and a smaller detachment at Drottningholm Palace. The Royal Guard traces its history back to the early 16th Century, and the unit has continuously guarded the Royal Palace in Stockholm since 1523.

The duty of forming a "Royal Guard" is bestowed upon all serving regiments and occasionally on other detachments of the National Forces (like the Home Guard). However, these detachments only serve for about 5–7 days in each rotation, so the main part of the year, the Royal Guard duty is being performed by the Lifeguards, with traditions and roots from the old Household Brigade and Svea Lifeguards and Lifeguard Dragoons. The Lifeguards consist of three battalions, one light infantry, one security and one guard battalion.

Royal Guards (Poland)

Royal Guards (also referred to as the Royal Foot Guards, Polish: Gwardia Piesza Koronna) were an elite military formation and regiment of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth directly responsible for the protection of the monarch and his family.

Background

The earliest mentioned document or decree referring to the Royal Guards of Poland dates back to the reign of King John II Casimir. In 1650, the newly established regiment under the command of foreign mercenaries and military commanders was entirely incorporated into the regular, main forces of the Crown over which the monarch or ruler was personally responsible and accountable for. The guards served at the royal courts of Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki (reigned as Michael I), John III Sobieski, Augustus II the Strong, Augustus III and the last king of Poland Stanisław II Augustus. The first commander-in-chief of the modern regiment was Field Marshal Jakub Henryk Fleming, who held this post between 1717 and 1732.