Foot guards

Foot guards are senior infantry regiments within the British Army and the Canadian Army whose primary role is military and combat operations, and secondary role include public duties responsibilities which reflect their senior status. Foot guards regiments were historically infantry soldiers who fought on foot who also performed public duties like mounting a guard.

The British foot guards were established in the 17th century, and served as an infantry unit and royal guards for the monarchy. In the 19th century, the Canadian foot guard were formed, modelled after their British counterparts as a reflection of Canada’s relationship with the monarchy and to undertake ceremonial duties in Ottawa.

As of 2024, the British Army maintains five regiments of foot guards, while the Canadian Army Reserve maintains two regiments of foot guards. While most foot guard units continue to serve in light infantry or infantry roles, two of the five British foot guards regiments have transitioned to mechanised infantry roles.

United Kingdom

An illustration of an Irish, Scots, Coldstream and Grenadier Guardsman. The illustration was created prior to the formation of the Welsh Guard in 1915.

The British Army maintains five regiments of foot guards. The Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, and Irish Guards specialise in infantry and light infantry roles, while the Scots Guards and Welsh Guards specialise in mechanised and light mechanized infantry roles. The five foot guard regiments form the infantry component of the Household Division.

History

The oldest foot guards regiment dates back to 1642. Foot guards units have historically been front-line troops, with their ceremonial public duties always being a secondary function. As royal guards to the British monarchy, the foot guards have accumulated unique privileges and traditions over its existence. The reigning British monarch traditionally serves as the colonel-in-chief of the regiments within the Household Division.

The three oldest regiments—the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, and Scots Guards—were formed during the English Civil War, while the Irish Guards and Welsh Guards were established in the 20th century. The Irish Guards were created in 1900 after Queen Victoria was impressed by the actions of Irish units during the Second Boer War. The Welsh Guards were formed in 1915 by King George V, after it was pointed out that the Household Guards lacked representation from Wales. A sixth regiment of foot guards briefly existed after the First World War, the Guards Machine Gun Regiment.

Public duties

The Coldstream Guards performing public duties during the 2015 State Opening of Parliament by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanying her procession to the Palace of Westminster.

The regiments of the foot guards are responsible for performing public duties, most notably mounting the King's Guard at St. James's Palace and Buckingham Palace, as well as mounting the Windsor Castle Guard, and the Tower of London Guard, all key locations of significance to the monarchy. Although the regiments of foot guards perfom the majority of these public duties, they occassionally are supported by other non Household Division and Commonwealth units.

Historically, the foot guards also manned ten other sentry posts around London, including Horse Guards, Savoy Prison, and Montagu House.

Canada

Members of the Governor General's Foot Guards mount a sentry post at Rideau Hall. The unit is one of two regiments of foot guards in Canada.

The Canadian Army Reserve includes two regiments of Foot Guards, the Governor General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards, both formed in the 19th century. The two regiments of foot guards are the senior reserve infantry regiments in Canada and its train in an infantry role to support Canadian Armed Forces domestic operations and support the Regular Force in international operations. Two two units fom part of Canada's household troops and serve as symbol of the armed forces relationship with the Canadian monarchy and also perform public duties in Ottawa as a result.

The Canadian Army Regular Force also established a foot guard regiment in 1953, known as the Canadian Guards. However, the unit was reduced to nil strength in 1970 and reassigned to the army's Supplementary Order of Battle. Although the Royal Regiment of Canada are uniformed as a regiment of foot guards, it is maintained as a line infantry regiment.

Public duties

Along with their infantry role, the two regiments of foot guards are also tasked with ceremonial public duties at Rideau Hall and Parliament Hill in Ottawa as the country's household troops. While both units perform public duties in the capital, only the Governor General's Foot Guards are based in Ottawa, with the Canadian Grenadier Guards based in Montreal.

In addition to supporting ceremonial duties at Rideau Hall and other events for the Governor General of Canada, the Governor General's Foot Guards' Public Duties Company also oversees the Ceremonial Guard. The Ceremonial Guard is a subunit of the Governor General's Foot Guards that operates during the summer and is open to members of the Canadian Armed Forces who want to participate in ceremonial public duties. All Canadian Armed Forces members serving in the Ceremonial Guard are uniformed as part of one of the Canadian foot guard regiments for the duration of the assignment, regardless of their originating unit.

Other uses

The hatamoto were high-ranking samurai who served as personally served the daimyo in feudal Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate that included a subgroup called the kachi or "Foot Guards", and the umamawari-shū or "Horse Guards". However, only the umamawari-shū were tasked as bodyguards for the daimyo, while the kachi were not assigned ceremonial duties and engaged in combat as part of their training for higher positions.

See also

• Guard of honour
• Imperial guard
• Life guard (military)
• Protective security unit