The Royal Horse Guards (
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
: Livgarden til Hest) was a
Cuirassier
Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adop ...
regiment in the
Royal Danish Army
The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-based branch of the Danish Defence, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures ...
which was founded on orders from King
Frederick III in January 1661 and discontinued on 31 May 1866. It served both as
Royal Guard
A royal guard is a group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as the emperor or empress, king or queen, or prince or princess. They often are an elite unit of the regular arm ...
s and as a front line
cavalry unit.
History
The Royal Danish Horse Guards was founded on orders from King
Frederick III in
January 1661.
They were based at
Royal Horse Guards Barracks next to
Copenhagen Castle
Copenhagen Castle ( da, Københavns Slot) was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace.
History
In 1167, Bisho ...
.
The Royal Horse Guards played a particularly active role in the
Battle of Helsingborg
The Battle of Helsingborg was the last major engagement of the Great Northern War to take place on Swedish soil, and resulted in a decisive victory of a Swedish force of 14,000 men under the command of Magnus Stenbock against a Danish force of ...
in 1710 and the
Battle of Gadebusch
The Battle of Gadebusch or Wakenstädt (20 December 1712) was Sweden's final great victory in the Great Northern War. It was fought by the Swedes to prevent the loss of the city of Stralsund to Danish and Saxon forces.
Prelude
During 1712, ...
in 1712 during the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...
.
[
The regiment was disbanded on 31 May 1866. It had served both as ]Royal Guard
A royal guard is a group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as the emperor or empress, king or queen, or prince or princess. They often are an elite unit of the regular arm ...
s and as a front line cavalry unit.[
]
See also
* Royal Life Guards (Denmark)
The Royal Life Guards ( da, Den Kongelige Livgarde) is a mechanized infantry regiment of the Danish Army, founded in 1658 by King Frederik III. The primary task is to provide a number of soldiers from the Guard Company to serve as a guard/cere ...
* Guard Hussar Regiment Mounted Squadron
The Guard Hussar Regiment Mounted Squadron ( da, Gardehusarregimentets Hesteskadron, HESK), is part of the Guard Hussar Regiment. The purpose of the squadron is to provide mounted escorts for the Royal family and carry ceremonial services for the ...
References
Danish Army regiments
Former guards regiments
1661 establishments in Denmark
Military units and formations established in 1661
Cavalry regiments of Denmark
Military of Denmark
{{Denmark-org-stub