Household Cavalry Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Household Cavalry is part of the British Army and is made up of two regiments, The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st The Royal Dragoons). They are amongst the oldest and most senior regiments in the British Army with traditions dating from 1660. The regiments are Guards regiments and, with the five Foot Guards regiments, form the Household Division.
| Regiment | Tunic Colour | Plume Colour | Collar Colour |
| The Life Guards | Red | White | Black |
| The Blues and Royals | Blue | Red | Red |
The Household Cavalry as a whole is split into two different units which fulfil two very distinct roles. These are both joint units, made up of personnel from both regiments. Like other Cavalry regiments, the Household Cavalry is divided into squadrons (companies) and troops (platoons).
The first unit, generally known as the Household Cavalry Regiment, has an active operational role in armoured fighting vehicles which has seen them at the forefront of conflicts in the past and up to the present day. It consists of two squadrons from each regiment.
The second unit is the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, which is horsed and carries out mounted (and some dismounted) ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions. These include the provision of a Sovereign's Escort, most commonly seen at the present Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) in June each year. Other occasions include those during State Visits by visiting Heads of State, or whenever required by the British monarch. The regiment also mounts the guard at Horse Guards. It consists of one squadron from each regiment.
The rank names and insignia of non-commissioned officers in the Household Cavalry are unique in the British Army:
- Staff Corporal/Squadron Quartermaster Corporal = Staff Sergeant/Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant: Four chevrons, point up, with crown above, worn on lower sleeve
- Corporal of Horse = Sergeant: Three chevrons, point down, with metal crown above, worn on upper sleeve
- Lance Corporal of Horse = Corporal: Three chevrons, point down, with cloth crown above, worn on upper sleeve
- Lance Corporal: Two chevrons, point down, with crown above, worn on upper sleeve
The Warrant Officer ranks are the same as the rest of the army, but appointments include Regimental Quartermaster Corporal and Squadron Corporal Major (WO2) and Farrier Corporal Major and Regimental Corporal Major (WO1), again excluding the word sergeant.
Formerly, sergeant was exclusively an infantry rank: no cavalry regiment had sergeants. Only the Household Cavalry now maintains this tradition, possibly because sergeant derives from the Latin serviens (meaning servant) and members of the Household Cavalry, once drawn exclusively from the gentry and aristocracy, could not be expected to have such a title.
Uniquely, non-commissioned officers and warrant officers of the Household Cavalry do not wear rank insignia on their full dress uniforms (although officers do). Rank is indicated by a system of aiguillettes.
Private soldiers in the Household Cavalry, as in other cavalry regiments, are called Troopers.