The Gold Stick and the Silver Stick are bodyguard positions in the British Royal Household, personal attendants to the

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

on ceremonial occasions.

Gold Stick

Earl Mountbatten of Burma 33 Allan Warren

Although now only in evidence on ceremonial and state occasions, the office of ''Gold Stick'' dates from Tudor times, when two officers were placed close to the Sovereign's person to protect him or her from danger. The office is held jointly by the

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

s of the

Life Guards Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy transf ...

(LG) and the Blues and Royals (RHG/D), both being

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

s of the Household Cavalry of the

Household Division Household Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country's most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly wit ...

. The Gold Sticks, of whom one at any time is on duty as Gold Stick-in-Waiting, were originally entrusted with the personal safety of the Sovereign. Since the reign of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

these officers' duties have been mainly ceremonial; they attend all state occasions and take part in the processions for the

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of o ...

and the

State Opening of Parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes plac ...

. On these occasions, Gold Stick conveys the Sovereign's orders to the Household Cavalry. The name derives from the staff of office, which has a gold head. The current Colonel of the Blues and Royals is the Princess Royal, the daughter of the late

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

and younger sister to King Charles III. The current Colonel of the

is Lieutenant General Sir

Edward Smyth-Osbourne Lieutenant General Sir Edward Alexander Smyth-Osbourne, (born 18 May 1964) is a retired senior British Army officer. Early life and education Smyth-Osbourne was born on 18 May 1964 in Plymouth, England. He was educated at Eton College, an all-bo ...

. Court Circular, 7 June 2019.

Silver Stick

The ''Silver Stick'' is the Commander of the Household Cavalry and holds the rank of colonel. Silver Stick-in-Waiting is the deputy (assistant) to Gold Stick-in-Waiting, but there are occasions when Silver Stick only is summoned for duty—for example, on the arrival of a

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

on a state visit. The office was created in 1678, and until 1950 was held by the

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

s in command of the Household Cavalry regiments. Originally, only the Life Guards were included; in 1820, the Royal Horse Guards were added, and since 1969 the Blues and Royals have been included. They served by monthly rotation. Now the (Colonel) Commander Household Cavalry holds the office alone. Through the authority of the Gold Stick he has the detail of regiments and individuals to carry out royal duties. In general, the Silver Stick has charge of all ceremonial duties for the Sovereign. Silver Stick's principal aide when on duty is termed Silver Stick

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

Scotland

There are separate Gold and Silver Sticks in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and these are the senior officers of the Sovereign's Bodyguard of the

Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a per ...

References

{{British Monarchy Household Bodyguards Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom Household Cavalry Positions within the British Royal Household