A royal guard shares 5 hidden details on his iconic blood-red uniform and the meaning behind them (2024)

FAQs

Why do the royal guards wear red? ›

The uniforms of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Yeomen Warders, both formed in 1485, have traditionally been in Tudor red (representing the colour of the Welsh dragon) and gold. The Gentlemen Pensioners of King James I wore red uniforms with yellow feathers in their hats.

Why are bearskin hats worn over eyes? The reason for the hats being worn so low over the eyes is that it forces the guardsmen to maintain an upright posture in order to see.

The Irish Guards have a blue plume. The Welsh Guards have a white/green/white plume. And the Scots Guards have no plume. The location of the plume: The plume on the bearskin cap is not on the same side for all regiments.

Adopting the color was also a way for kings in the Middle Ages to show their God-given right to rule. Red became the color of regal majesty and power: Charlemagne wore red shoes at his coronation as a visible symbol of his authority, as did Louis XIV in his official portraits.

shifts are often 2 hours on and 4 hours off. However, if they do end up having to relieve themselves during their shifts, they're instructed to just do it where they stand. According to Guardsman Shaun Marsden, their thick pants are “sufficiently dark to cover their embarrassment”.

If a soldier was shot, the heavy hat could fall backward and cause the soldier's neck to break if they were wearing a chin strap. Therefore, wearing their helmet straps under their lips would be less dangerous.

To which, QueensGuard62, replied: "To be honest, normally we're good at just going to the toilet just before we go in duty and we are okay for the duration of duty. "If it's really bad, and you p*** yourself, then you p*** yourself, but you might have to wear those trousers again in a few hours.

Contrary to popular belief, the members of the Royal Guard are allowed to talk, but only in very specific circ*mstances: if people get too close to them or become aggressive. Oh, side note, try not to get in their way because they'll most likely knock you over! You'll also never see one of them smiling for a selfie.

Smiling is Forbidden

Regardless of which jokes you crack or funny faces you pull, you'll fail to snap the Queen's guards out of their sombre expression. This is because the Queen's guards are expected to display the utmost professionalism, in spite of being a marvel for tourists across the globe.

Orders for sentry duty read out before each two-hour 'tour of duty', make it clear that sentries "may not eat, sleep, smoke, stand easy, sit or lie down during [their] tour of duty". Sentries receive instruction on how to eliminate nuisance or any suggestion of threat from members of the public.

How heavy is a bearskin hat? ›

The tradition of wearing bearskins on ceremonial occasions and for guard duty continues to this day. These headdresses are made with real bearskins. Each hat is 18 inches (46 cm) tall, and weighs 1.5 pounds (. 7 kg).

Today, there are 5 regiments and each one has a special coloured feather plume in their bearskin to distinguish their regiment. Prince William is part of the Irish regiment, whose bearskins have a blue plume (below, right).

A bearskin is a tall fur cap derived from mitre caps worn by grenadier units in the 17th and 18th centuries. Initially worn by only grenadiers, its usage was extended to several other military units in the 19th century.

They are called the Queen's Guard. They consists of Foot Guards in full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins (hats).

Most guards wear a black bearskin hat, but the feather plume's color depends on the regiment, the guard said. The guard said all officers wear a black bearskin hat but each specific regiment has a different color plume.

This uniform dress not only gave the British Army a sense of cohesion across the globe, but the bright color allowed individual soldiers to easily distinguish between friends and foes. On San Juan Island, redcoated Royal Marines deployed to English Camp in March of 1860, where they lived for more than twelve years.

There are regiments of the Brigade of Guards and the Household Cavalry Regiment which make up the Household Division and who usually (but not always) do public duties such as guarding the Royal palaces. And yes, there are many of them who are black.