Dates: 1969 -
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.
The regiment was formed in 1969 from the merger of The Royal Horse Guards, which was known as "The Blues" or "The Oxford Blues", and The Royal Dragoons, which was 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 formed a union for operational purposes with the Life Guards as the Household Cavalry Regiment. However they each maintain their regimental identity, with distinct uniforms and traditions, and their own colonel. The Blues and Royals currently has 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. Both HRH Prince William of Wales and HRH Prince Harry of Wales joined the regiment as cornets in 2006.
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving Blues and Royals
" The complete list of operational honours is below. OPERATIONAL AWARDS LIST NO 25 Honours and Awards to members of the Armed Forces for services on operations in Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and other miscellaneous ..."
Click For More
" Prince Harry is to join the Household Cavalry and serve with the Blues and Royals when he leaves Sandhurst, Clarence House has said. Harry, 21, is due to complete his Army officer training in April. The news comes just weeks after Prince William also entered the Surrey academy to undertake the ..."
Click For More
" Looking for any life Guards/ or Blues and Royals that i trained with at the depote 1981 to 1982 Egypt 6 intake. myself and Lee Peckover ae trying to get intouch with everyone for a reunion on the 8th of september this year its our 25th year since we joined up. we have contacted approx 20 of us so ..."
Click For More
" I am an avid reader, and consequently have lots of books, and they are stashed in bookcases all over the house. One is a collection of Royal Navy anecdotes, such as this. "In 1980 I was in charge of 40 RN Medical Assistants providing crews for military ambulances to cover London during the ..."
Click For More
" Doug, I visited the Mary Rose a few years ago, and in that book shop spotted one with the above title, "A Collection of Royal Navy Anecdotes" The book is "dedicated to the Royal Navy’s single most important factor-Jack". Every entry is true! Here’s one of them. " In 1980 I was in charge of 40 ..."
Click For More
