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Household Division is a term used principally in the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the ...
to describe a country's most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with the
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity), state#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international p ...
.


Historical development

In
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, the most able warriors were pressed into service as the personal
bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers ...
s to the monarch and other members of the royal or imperial household; as a result, Household troops are commonly referred to as Guards. From this origin developed the practice of designating a country's finest military units as forming Household or Guards regiments. Members of the Household Divisions would accompany the monarch to protect him when he ventured into the public. Hence, as kingdoms grew larger and more politically complex, the Household Divisions naturally became part of the public spectacle of the state. Their uniforms, weapons and even personal attributes such as height were selected to engender awe on ceremonial occasions. The Household Divisions thus developed a tradition of providing a theatrical ceremonial accompaniment to important national events. The prestige of serving directly with the monarch created an incentive for the Household Divisions to become dominated by members of the upper classes, irrespective of their actual skills as soldiers. From this development comes the association of Household Divisions with wealth, snobbery, and discrimination, which persisted until the middle of the 20th century. Today, members of the remaining Household Divisions continue to enjoy a certain social prestige within the armed forces and the state at large. They do, however, continue to fulfil their ceremonial roles at state occasions, and to uphold the more enduring traditions of military service.


Household Divisions throughout the Commonwealth


Australia

The household division concept is not applied in Australia, with the Australian Defence Force operating only one guard unit. In 2000, during the commemoration of the centenary of Australian federation, the Australian Defence Force established Australia's Federation Guard, the first ceremonial unit in the force's history. The unit performs at commemorative and ceremonial events with national significance as a
guard of honour A guard of honour (British English, GB), also honor guard (American English, US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, o ...
. The unit is a ceremonial unit, and does not have a protective role for the head of state. The unit draws its members from all three service branches of the Australian Defence Force. Although the unit maintains the only drum corp in the force, Australia's Federation Guard relies on the bands of other Australian military units for full musical support. The AFG is made up of personnel from all branches of the Defence Force, and thus they wear the uniforms, ranks and insignia of their parent service branch.


Canada

In Canada, the Household Division (
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Division des ménages'') is composed of the most senior armoured and infantry regiments of the
Canadian Army Reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the ...
. There are two Canadian household regiments of foot guards—the Governor General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards—while the Governor General's Horse Guards is Canada's sole
household cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment s ...
regiment. The Governor General's Horse Guards is the most senior armoured Army Reserve regiment, while the Governor General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards are, respectively, the first and second most senior infantry Army Reserve regiments. The Governor General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards have traditionally formed the ''
ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with '' a priori''.) C ...
''
Ceremonial Guard The Ceremonial Guard (CG; french: Garde de cérémonie) is an ''ad hoc'' military unit in the Canadian Armed Forces that performs the Guard Mounting, Changing the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill and posts sentries at Rideau Hall, with the Nati ...
unit, although membership in the Ceremonial Guard has also been opened to other
Regular Force In the Canadian Armed Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve which has more flexibility. There are many bases and wings across Canada, and factors like trade, career ...
and Reserve Force personnel from the
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
. In addition to supplementing the Ceremonial Guard, other public duties performed by the Foot Guards include trooping their regimental colour each year at Trooping the Colour on the grounds of
Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
on
Victoria Day Victoria Day (french: Fête de la Reine, lit=Celebration of the Queen) is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25. Initially in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday, it has since been celebrated as the off ...
. Prior to 1970, the four Regular Force battalions of the Canadian Guards provided the infantry element of the Household Division. In 1970, the Canadian Guards was reduced to nil-strength and moved to the
Supplementary Order of Battle In the Canadian Army, a regiment is placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle when the need for the regiment's existence is no longer relevant. When placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle, a regiment is considered "virtually disbanded", and ...
; with the infantry element of the Household Division assigned to the most senior infantry regiments of the Army Reserve. Before the establishment of the regiment in the 1950s, the CGG and the GGFG were together informally known as "His Majesty's Brigade of Canadian Guards". In early 2019, as a result of discussions on new
military beret Troops began wearing berets as a part of the headgear of military uniforms in some European countries during the 19th century; since the mid-20th century, they have become a component of the uniforms of many armed forces throughout the world. Mil ...
s for units, the Foot Guard adopted
khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...
berets as a way to highlight their status as the infantry component of the Household Division in Canada while following the British precedent adopted in the 1970s.


India

Although India is a republic, its history as a dominion within the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
has left it with a host of institutions of quasi-imperial forms. As a result, the
Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by ...
retains a Household Division, despite recognising the authority of no royal household, with a regiment each representing the infantry and cavalry of the Army. The
Brigade of the Guards The Brigade of The Guards is a mechanised infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised as the first "all India", "all class" infantry unit of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together, as opposed to other regiments that ...
was once the most senior line infantry regiment, before it was changed into a mechanised infantry unit. However, the unit is still recognised as the
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four ...
's most senior infantry regiment and is recognized as first in the order of precedence. The brigade was formally established in 1949, and includes three oldest infantry battalions in the Indian Army. The President's Bodyguard was established in 1773 as the Governor's Troop of Moghuls, and is the only Household Cavalry regiment in the Indian Army. The unit was renamed in 1784, 1859, 1944, and 1946, before it adopted its present name in 1950. Unlike the Foot Guards but more like the
Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment s ...
, these two regiments recruit nationally with officers and other ranks coming from every corner of India regardless of caste, religion and language.


Malaysia

The
Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do t ...
maintains an administrative Household Division, which is actually an infantry brigade, the 12th Malaysian Infantry Brigade (Household and Guards Brigade), made up of two infantry battalions each from the Royal Malay Regiment and the Royal Ranger Regiment and the Malaysian Royal Armoured Corps Mounted Ceremonial Squadron. The Royal Malay Regiment serves as the Household Foot Guards Regiment of the ''
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The o ...
'' and the ''Raja Permasuri Agong'' (King and Queen of Malaysia), together with Royal Armoured Corps Mounted Ceremonial Squadron, which serve as the ceremonial royal cavalry escort unit. Their responsibilities are at the Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur as the Royal Household Troops and Guards. The 1st Battalion, Royal Ranger Regiment, the seniormost battalion of the regiment, also serves in the public duties role. Given the large size of the Royal Malaysian Regiment as the senior regiment of the Malaysian infantry, the ceremonial responsibility of Foot Guards are the permanent duties of the unit's 1st Battalion. While both the 1st Battalion RMR and 1st Battalion RRR recruit only Malays (with the latter also having in their ranks soldiers from the Sarawak and Sabah ethnic minorities), the Mounted Ceremonial Squadron is a multiracial formation, with Malay, Indian, Chinese and Orang Asli servicemen.


United Kingdom

In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, the Household Division consists of seven regiments, giving rise to the division's motto of ''Septem juncta in uno'' (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
for 'seven joined in one'): *
Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment s ...
(composed of the Life Guards and the
Blues and Royals 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 Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment i ...
) * Foot Guards (composed of the
Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...
, the
Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremoni ...
, the
Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the E ...
, the
Irish Guards ("Who Shall Separate s") , colors = , identification_symbol_2 Saffron (pipes), identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = Tactical Recognition F ...
, and the
Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards (WG; cy, Gwarchodlu Cymreig), part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the First World War, by Royal Warrant of George V. ...
) The seven regiments that form the Household Division in the United Kingdom are all currently units of the regular army. From 1950 to 1968, the term Household Brigade was used. In 2004, the Minister of Defence announced that the Foot Guards would gain a reserve (or Territorial Army) battalion, the
London Regiment London Regiment may refer to two infantry regiments in the British Army: * London Regiment (1908–1938) The London Regiment was an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Territorial Force (renamed the Territorial Army in 1921). The ...
, which was redesigned the London Guards in 2022, but as yet the division's motto has not been changed to reflect the eighth regiment. They are under the command of the
Major-General Commanding the Household Division The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the Household Division of the British Army and is also the General Officer Commanding London District. In British Army parlance, "The Major-General" always refers to the Major-General ...
, who is also general officer commanding London District. The divisional command is made up of the major general, his chief of staff (usually a colonel), the brigade major (usually a lieutenant colonel), the staff captain, staff officer ceremonial, superintending clerk and the
garrison sergeant major A garrison sergeant major (GSM) in the British Army is the senior warrant officer of a garrison and holds the rank of warrant officer class 1. The GSM London District, always a guardsman, holds one of the four most senior WO1 appointments in ...
. In addition, both the Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards have their own chains of command, as do the individual regiments.The Division Today (Guards Museum)
/ref> The connection with the sovereign remains important ceremonially, and the Household Division provides ceremonial for the Crown. The sovereign is colonel-in-chief of all the constituent regiments of the division. One of the five Foot Guards regiments is selected each year to troop their colour before the Sovereign at Trooping the Colour annually in June. This ceremony includes march-pasts in slow and quick time, and is attended by the Household Troops. Orders for the Household Division are conveyed to the major-general via officers who are part of the Royal Household: the
Field Officer in Brigade Waiting The Field Officer in Brigade Waiting holds an appointment in the Royal Household. He performs his duties at State Ceremonies under the authority of the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord Chamberlain and the Earl Marshal. When dismounted he carri ...
(for the Foot Guards) and the Silver Stick in Waiting (for the
Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment s ...
). The Foot Guards provide two
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s and incremental companies at any one time tasked for public duties together with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. File:QUEENS CAVALRY READY FOR SUMMER OF CEREMONIAL MOD 45162399.jpg, Troopers of the
Blues and Royals 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 Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment i ...
at Hyde Park in London File:Trooping the Colour Inspection.JPG,
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 ...
inspects the Foot Guards at the Trooping the Colour


References


External links

{{Commons category, Household Division of the United Kingdom
AU – Australia’s Federation Guard (AFG)CA – The Canadian Grenadier GuardsCA – The Governor General’s Foot GuardsCA – The Governor General’s Horse GuardsUK - British Army MusicUK – HQ Household DivisionUK – The Household CavalryUK – The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
Regiments of the British Army Military units and formations of the Canadian Army Infantry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947