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 Co ...

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 Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

Historical development

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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

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 bodyguards 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. 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: ''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, th ...

. There are two Canadian household regiments of foot guards—the

Governor General's Foot Guards The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) is the senior reserve infantry regiment in the Canadian Army. Located in Ottawa at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry unit, and the members are part-time soldiers. ...

and the

Canadian Grenadier Guards , colors = , march = Quick: "The British Grenadiers""Slow: "Grenadiers Slow March""Slow: "Scipio" , mascot = , identification_symbol = White (left side of bearski ...

—while the

Governor General's Horse Guards The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group and is based in Toronto, Ontario. It is the most sen ...

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 sta ...

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 Changing the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill and posts sentries at Rideau Hall, with the National War Memo ...

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. In addition to supplementing the Ceremonial Guard, other

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...

performed by the Foot Guards include trooping their regimental colour each year at

Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...

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 ...

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 offi ...

. Prior to 1970, the four Regular Force battalions of the

Canadian Guards The Canadian Guards (officially known as the Regiment of Canadian Guards) was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October 19 ...

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; 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 posts esta ...

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 th ...

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 The President's Bodyguard (PBG) is an elite household cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the senior-most regiment in the order of precedence of the units of the Indian Army. The primary role of the President's Bodyguard is to escort and ...

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 sta ...

, 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 The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are parachute train ...

and the

Royal Ranger Regiment The Royal Ranger Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Renjer Diraja; RRD) is an infantry regiment of the Malaysian Army. Although it is second in seniority to the Royal Malay Regiment (''; RAMD''), the RRD can trace its origins back to the mid 19th century an ...

and the

Malaysian Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps or ''Kor Armor Diraja'' (KAD) is the armoured forces of the Malaysian Army. The Royal Malaysian Armoured Corps have had its beginning with two army units formed by the British Administration headed by General Sir Gera ...

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 of ...

'' 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, 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 of the ...

for 'seven joined in one'): *

(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 in ...

) * 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 ceremonia ...

, 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, 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-Genera ...

, who is also general officer commanding

London District London District (LONDIST) is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was established in 1870 as ''Home District''. History In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in ...

. The divisional command is made up of the major general, his chief of staff (usually a colonel), the

brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section dire ...

(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 t ...

. 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

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 carrie ...

(for the Foot Guards) and the

Silver Stick The Gold Stick and the Silver Stick are bodyguard positions in the British Royal Household, personal attendants to the Sovereign on ceremonial occasions. Gold Stick Although now only in evidence on ceremonial and state occasions, the offi ...

in Waiting (for the

). 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

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

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 Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

inspects the Foot Guards at the

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