Monday, September 14, 2009

The Queen's Royal Lancers

The Queen's Royal Lancers is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, which can trace its lineage back 250 years to the death of General Wolfe. The Queen's visit marked the 250th anniversary of the raising of the 17th Light Dragoons. The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment most famous for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.

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The Queen inspects the Lance Guard after being received with a Royal Salute on her arrival at the base of The Queen's Royal Lancers in Catterick, North Yorkshire, 12 September 2009. Her Majesty is the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief. © Press Association

In 1759 Colonel John Hale of the 47th Foot was ordered home by General James Wolfe just prior to the General's death, with the final dispatches and news of Wolfe's victory in the Battle of Quebec. For bringing news of the victory, Hale was rewarded with land in Canada and permission to raise a regiment of light dragoons.

The new regiment was known as the 17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons and was also known as Hale's Light Horse after its founder. The admiration of his men for General Wolfe was evident in the cap badge Colonel Hale chose for the regiment: the Death's Head with the motto "Or Glory". Death or Glory is the motto of the regiment to this day.

Various amalgamations have resulted in its absorption into the Queen's Royal Lancers (which also incorporates the 5th Lancers, 16th Lancers and 21st Lancers).
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2009 at 10:31 PM

    Question: What is a lance?

    Answer: a lance is a pole weapon, kind of like a spear (only it's not thrown), which was used for thrusting by the cavalry, like the jousting that occured during medieaval tournaments. The infantry also used a pole weapon, however this is called a pike. This is why the Queen's Royal Lancers carry lances, and the Gentlemen-At-Arms carry pikes, even though they look similar.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 5, 2010 at 12:56 PM

    What are the historic recruiting areas for The Queen's Royal Lancers?

    ReplyDelete