, image = Överkommendanten i Stockholm vapen.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of the Royal Guards and the

Commandant General in Stockholm The Commandant General in Stockholm ( sv, Överkommendanten i Stockholm) is a military position in Sweden with responsibility for state ceremonial activities. Lieutenant General Michael Claesson, Chief of Joint Operations is the Commandant Gene ...

. , motto = , march = , type = Cavalry

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

, equipment = Swedish Army
Swedish Air Force
Swedish Navy , equipment_label=Services included , branch =

Swedish Armed Forces The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...

, dates = 1523–present , country = , allegiance = King

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, D ...

, size = , specialization =

Honor guard A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( 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, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

, garrison =

Stockholm Palace Stockholm Palace or the Royal Palace ( sv, Stockholms slott or ) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia use Drottningholm Palace as their usual residence). Stockholm Pala ...

Drottningholm Palace The Drottningholm Palace ( sv, Drottningholms slott) is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Drottningholm is near the capital Stockholm. Built on the island Lovön (in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County), it is one of Sweden ...

, battles = , notable_commanders = The Royal Guards ( sv, Högvakten) is the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

of Sweden's cavalry and

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

guards of honour Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

of the

, tasked with the protection of the

Swedish Royal Family The Swedish royal family ( sv, Svenska kungafamiljen) since 1818 has consisted of members of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. Today those who are recognized by the government are entitled to royal ti ...

. The Royal Guard is normally divided in two parts, the main guard stationed at the

, and a smaller detachment at

. The Royal Guards units has continuously guarded the Swedish royal family in Stockholm since 1523. The duty of forming a "Royal Guard" is rotated by all serving regular and reserve armed forces, including the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

. However, these detachments only serve for about 5–7 days in each rotation, so most of the year the duty is carried out by the Life Guards regiment of Stockholm, consisting of four

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 a ...

s, one

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

, two

security" \n\n\nsecurity.txt is a proposed standard for websites' security information that is meant to allow security researchers to easily report security vulnerabilities. The standard prescribes a text file called \"security.txt\" in the well known locat ...

, and one guard battalion. Tracing its history through the Household Brigade and Svea Life Guards and Life Guard Dragoons back to the original Royal Guards, this is what constitutes the regiment's claims to being one of the oldest military units and formations in continuous operation. Between April and August, the mounted squadrons in light blue

full dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...

s and silver pickelhaube helmets and the

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

in dark blue full dress uniforms with black pickelhaube helmets, both of the Life Guards, can be seen in Stockholm street parades and around the Royal Palace. Accompanied by the mounted

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

, they depart from the K1 Cavalry barracks in

Gärdet Gärdet is a part of Stockholm, east and northeast of Östermalm Östermalm (; "Eastern city-borough") is a 2.56 km2 large district in central Stockholm, Sweden. With 71,802 inhabitants, it is one of the most populous districts in Stock ...

, and arrive at the Palace around noon (1 p.m. on Sundays and

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...

s) for the changing of the guards ceremony. These events attracts large numbers of tourists each summer. In the regular guard mounts, the regular royal guard contingent is composed of the personnel from the King's Guards Battalion, Life Guards.

Gallery

File:Arrivée de la garde au palais royal 1897.webm, Arrival of the Royal Guards in 1897 File:20130525 Stockholm Royal Guard 4131.jpg, Royal Mounted Guards (2013) File:Stockholm - KMB - 16001000541491.jpg, Royal Mounted Guards (2016) File:Stockholm palace guards.jpg, Relieved guard after the changing of the guards ceremony at the Royal Palace. The clear blue uniform is used solely by the soldiers of the Cavalry Battalion File:A guard mounting ceremony at the royal palace in Stockholm.webm, A guard mounting ceremony at the Royal Palace of non-Life Guards units File:Royal guards sweden.jpg, Mounted Royal Guards in front of the palace File:US Navy 100430-N-9917S-005 Capt. Tim Mahan, commanding officer of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), inspects the Royal Palace guards in Stockholm, Sweden.jpg, Captain Tim Mahan, commanding officer of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG-69), inspects the Royal Palace guards (2010)

Sources

Military units and formations of Sweden Royal guards Swedish monarchy Swedish ceremonial units {{mil-unit-stub