Royal Household Guard
| Royal Household Guard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1 July 1934 |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Horse guards |
| Role |
Ceremonial (1 squadron) Reconnaissance (1 squadron) |
| Size | Two squadrons |
| Part of | Royal Corps of Cavalry |
| Garrison/HQ |
Berbera Barracks Kingsbury, CENT |
| Nickname | The Pickles |
| Motto | I Serve |
| March |
Fast: Soldiers Chorus Slow: March of the Royal Horse Guards Trot Past: Keel Row |
| Mascot | Clydesdale Horse 'Clyde' |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | HM The King |
| Insignia | |
| Shoulder Flash |
 |
| Abbreviation | RHG |
The Royal Household Guard is a ceremonial armoured unit of the New Ingrean Army. The guard is the smallest of New Ingrea's armoured regiments, with it consisting of just two squadrons. It is one of only two units, along with Royal Mountain Regiment, to retain a non-mechanised mounted cavalry role. The guard are nicknamed "The Pickles" after the Pickelhaube (or German spiked helmet) which members of the unit formerly wore when on ceremonial duty before it was replaced with the bearskin.
The guard was formed as a ceremonial unit in 1934, and along with the City of Kingsbury Regiment, maintains a special duty in protecting the Royal Household and escorting the King when he opens parliament every two years. The headquarters of the guard is the Berbera Barracks, adjacent to Kingsbury Palace.
Organisation
At present, the regiment is arranged into the following squadrons:
- A Squadron (ASqn RHG) - Ceremonial duties
- B Squadron (BSqn RHG) - Armoured reconnaissance
The squadrons swap roles every two years, with the change taking place in early November.
History
Formation
During the 1932 Royal Tour, Earnest V asked the Prime Minister, Donald Burleigh, to consider forming a ceremonial unit for protecting Government House and preserving the traditional equestrian practice and rituals used in the military for many hundreds of years. Burleigh was said to be greatly taken by the idea, and ordered the raising of a single squadron in late 1933, which was named the Household Guard upon it's formal activation in July 1934.
The regiment received it's Royal title from Arthur V in February 1938 as a reward for their high quality performance at the funeral of Earnest V.