The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) (QRH) is the most senior armoured regiment in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, equipped with
Challenger 2
The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MoD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom, Oman, and Ukraine.
It was designed by Vickers Defence Systems (now Rheinmetall BAE Systems ...
main battle tanks. The regiment was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of the
Queen's Own Hussars
The Queen's Own Hussars (QOH), was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed from the amalgamation of the 3rd The King's Own Hussars and the 7th Queen's Own Hussars at Candahar Barracks, Tidworth in 1958. The regiment served in Aden and ...
and the
Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. The regiment and its antecedents have been awarded 172
Battle Honours
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military ...
and eight
Victoria Crosses. The regiment was based in
Sennelager
Sennelager () is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable for its association with the military since the 19th century.
Location
Sennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn city centre in the west of t ...
, Germany, until 2019 when it was relocated to
Tidworth Camp
Tidworth Camp is a military installation at Tidworth in Wiltshire, England. It forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison.
History
The Camp was established when the War Office acquired a 19th-century mansion – Te ...
, England. The Queen's Royal Hussars serves as the
armoured regiment for the
20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team.
History
The Queen's Royal Hussars was formed in
Fallingbostel
Bad Fallingbostel (Northern Low Saxon: ''Bad Fambossel'') is the district town (''Kreisstadt'') of the Heidekreis, Heidekreis district in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Since 1976 the town has had a state-recognised Kneipp spa and ha ...
on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of the
Queen's Own Hussars
The Queen's Own Hussars (QOH), was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed from the amalgamation of the 3rd The King's Own Hussars and the 7th Queen's Own Hussars at Candahar Barracks, Tidworth in 1958. The regiment served in Aden and ...
and the
Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. Home Headquarters was formed shortly thereafter at
Regent's Park Barracks in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
where it remains today. After the amalgamation, the regiment became the cavalry of the following areas: Northern Ireland,
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
,
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...
,
West Midlands,
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, and
Sussex
Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
. For a short time the regiment maintained a regimental band formed by the amalgamation of the two former regiment's bands, designated as the Band of the Queen's Royal Hussars. However, following a reorganisation of the Army Music, the band was amalgamated with the Bands of the
King's Royal Hussars and
Light Dragoons to form the Band of the Hussars and Light Dragoons on 1 September 1994, part of the new
Corps of Army Music.
The Queen's Own Hussars, normally referred to by the abbreviation QOH, was a
cavalry regiment of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, formed from the amalgamation of
3rd The King's Own Hussars and the
7th Queen's Own Hussars at
Candahar Barracks,
Tidworth in 1958.
The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a
cavalry regiment of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
formed from the amalgamation of the
4th Queen's Own Hussars and the
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
in
Hohne,
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
in 1958.
The regiment, in January 1996, became the first to be deployed in
Challenger 1 tanks to Bosnia with
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's British-led Implementation Force
IFOR
The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''.
Background
In ...
.
The regiment received the
Canadian Forces' Unit Commendation for its actions in Bosnia on 15 June 1996.
In August 1997 the regiment deployed to Northern Ireland on
Operation Banner
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initia ...
and on their return moved in March 1998 to Athlone Barracks at
Sennelager
Sennelager () is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable for its association with the military since the 19th century.
Location
Sennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn city centre in the west of t ...
as armoured regiment for
20th Armoured Brigade. In 1999 the regiment converted to
Challenger 2
The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MoD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom, Oman, and Ukraine.
It was designed by Vickers Defence Systems (now Rheinmetall BAE Systems ...
tanks in which B Squadron deployed to Kosovo with
1PWRR Battle Group in August 2000. The regiment deployed to Kosovo in the dismounted role the following year from October 2001 to April 2002.
December 2003 saw the regiment deploy once again, this time to Iraq on
Operation Telic
Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
3.
[ The regiment saw its first ]Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
awarded to Lance Corporal Christopher Balmforth of B Squadron for his actions during an ambush in Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
.
April 2006 saw the regiment deploy once again to Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
on Operation Telic 8[ and December 2008 saw the regiment deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic 13.][ As the final Operation Telic The Queen's Royal Hussars were intimately involved in the drawdown from the main British base and spent many hours escorting convoys to and from Kuwait. In 2011 the regiment deployed on ]Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assi ...
15 as a ground holding Battle Group to Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
in the infantry role: they worked with the Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police (ANP; ; ), also known as the Afghan Police, is the national police force of the Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The first police officer i ...
handing over control of checkpoints.
On return from Afghanistan in 2012 the regiment was called on to support the security for the London Olympic Games. The remainder of the year was used to return to the armoured role. 2013 saw C Squadron training with 5 Rifles on Exercise Bavarian Charger, mounted on Challenger 2. The Queen's Royal Hussars Battlegroup, comprising sub-units from 5 Rifles and 1 PWRR deployed on Exercise Prairie Thunder 2 between July and August 2013.
In June 2014, the regiment deployed C Squadron to Operation Herrick 20 in Afghanistan, as the Warthog Group. This role involved crewing Warthog
''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly cons ...
armoured tracked vehicles and operating with dismounted infantry from 5 RIFLES to disrupt insurgents in Helmand during the draw down of British troops from Camp Bastion. They were the last British combat units on the ground in Helmand.
The regiment moved to Tidworth from Germany with 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade, forming the senior of three heavy armoured regiments of British Army's Reactive Force, in 2019. It was the last British tank regiment to leave Germany.
The Queen's Royal Hussars (QRH) took lead of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Estonia in March 2023.
In January 2025 they became one of the first regiments to be outfitted with the new Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
armoured fighting vehicle.
Organisation
The regiment comes under the direct command of 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, itself part of the 3rd (UK) Division, the British Army's only armoured division.
The regiment comprises five squadrons:
* HQ Squadron
* A Squadron (The Devil's Children) – Challenger 2
* B (Balaklava) Squadron – Command and reconnaissance squadron since October 2020, previously operated Challenger 2
* C Squadron (Fighting C) – Challenger 2
* D Squadron (The Black Pig) – Challenger 2
Tanks
The Queen's Royal Hussars is equipped with the Challenger 2
The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MoD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom, Oman, and Ukraine.
It was designed by Vickers Defence Systems (now Rheinmetall BAE Systems ...
, a third-generation main battle tank that has been in service since 1998. As part of the Future Soldier reforms, the regiment's reconnaissance troop will be equipped with Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
armoured fighting vehicles.
Challenger 3
From 2027, the Challenger 2 will be replaced by the new fourth-generation Challenger 3, which has a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun, providing commonality with the Leopard 2
The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. Various iterat ...
, M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heavies ...
and other NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
tanks (unlike Challenger 2's L30A1 rifled bore). The L55A1 has a longer barrel and the ability to handle higher chamber pressures. The L55A1 allows Challenger 3 use of programmable high-explosive ammunition such as the DM11, enabling airburst
An air burst or airburst is the detonation of an explosive device such as an anti-personnel artillery shell or a nuclear weapon in the air instead of on contact with the ground or target. The principal military advantage of an air burst over ...
capability. Under the ''Heavy Armour Automotive Improvement Programme'', Challenger 3 will receive an improved version of Challenger 2’s CV12-6A engine – CV12-8A – along with third-generation hydrogas suspension. The tank's survivability will also be increased, with the addition of the Elbit Laser Warning System (ELAWS); capable of "detecting, categorising and accurately pinpointing laser sources such as range finders, Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, target designators and infrared illuminators." The Challenger 3 will further be equipped with the Trophy active protection system from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. () is an Israeli Defense contractor, defense technology company. It was founded as Israel's National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Ministry of Defens ...
, which provides 360° azimuth protection from threats including " rockets to ATGMs and High-Explosive Anti-Tank
High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) is the effect of a shaped charge explosive that uses the Munroe effect to penetrate heavy armor. The warhead functions by having an explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity ...
(HEAT) rounds".
Victoria Cross
Holders of the Victoria Cross included:
* James Champion (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
)
* Samuel Parkes ( 4th Queen's Own Light Dragoons)
* Clement Walker Heneage (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
)
* George Hollis (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
)
* John Pearson (8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
)
* Joseph Ward
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, (26 April 1856 – 8 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 17th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the New Zealand Liber ...
(8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
)
* Cornet William Bankes ( 7th Queen's Own Hussars)
* Major Charles Fraser ( 7th Queen's Own Hussars)
Colonels-in-Chief
* 1993–2002: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...
* 2002–2021: Field Marshal Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
* 2023–present: Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibling of King ...
Deputy Colonel-in-Chief
* 1993–2002: Field Marshal HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
Regimental Colonels
Colonels of the regiment have been:
* 1993–1999: Maj-Gen. Richard Edward Barron CB
* 1999–2004: Maj-Gen. David John Malcolm Jenkins CBE
* 2004–2009: Maj-Gen. Arthur Denaro CBE
* 2009–2014: Brig Andrew Bellamy
* 2014–2023: Lt-Gen Sir Tom Beckett KCB CBE
* 2023–present: Brig Nicholas David Guise Cowley
Commanding Officers
Regimental Commanding Officers included:
* 1993–1994: Lieutenant Colonel Andrew N. Bellamy
* 1994–1996: Lt Col Nigel Q. W. Beer
* 1996–1998: Lt Col Nicholas G. Smith
* 1998–2000: Lt Col Christopher H. Vernon
* 2000–2002: Lt Col David J. L. Swann
* 2002–2004: Lt Col Andrew C. Cuthbert
* 2004–2007: Lt Col David H. Labouchere
* 2007–2009: Lt Col Christopher M. B. Coles
* 2009–2012: Lt Col Ian S. Mortimer
* 2012–2014: Lt Col James R. Howard
* 2014–2017: Lt Col Alexander J. H. Porter
* 2017–2019: Lt Col Nicholas D. G. Cowley
* 2019–2022: Lt Col James T. Shann
* 2022–2024: Lt Col Stephen Wilson
* 2024-Present: Lt Col Gerald Kearse
Museums
The Museum of The Queen's Royal Hussars is located at Trinity Mews, Priory Road, Warwick CV34 4NA.
The museum opened in 2022 and replaced the two previous museums:[
*The Queen's Own Hussars Museum was located at Lord Leycester Hospital in ]Warwick
Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...
until it closed.
*The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars Museum was located at The Redoubt Fortress in Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...
until it closed.
The Regimental Crest & Cap Badge
The crest and cap badge are as follows:[
* The Regimental Crest is made up from the Angel Harp of the 8th Hussars and the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, which is placed above the ]White Horse of Hanover
The Queen's Beasts are ten heraldic statues representing the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II, depicted as the Royal supporters of England. They stood in front of the temporary western annexe to Westminster Abbey for the Queen's coronation in 1 ...
of the 3rd Hussars and The Queen's Own Hussars. These are encircled by the Garter Belt, above which is placed the Queen's Crown.
* The Regimental Cap Badge is made up from the Angel Harp of the 8th Hussars and the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, superimposed on the Regimental cypher of The Queen's Own Hussars, originally bestowed on the 7th Hussars in 1727; the whole is surmounted by the Queen's crown and a lion, with a scroll underneath giving the Regiment's title in blue and gold.
Privileges & traditions
The regiment has gained a number of unique privileges and traditions:
Loyal Toast: Officers dining in the Regimental Officers’ Mess have the privilege of not drinking the loyal toast and ignoring the National Anthem when it is played at dinner. This originates from the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 when all Army officers were required to drink to the health of the Sovereign in their messes after dinner as a token of loyalty. The King, however, absolved the Regiment (3H) from this, saying their loyalty was always beyond question. This privilege was re-affirmed by the Sovereign prior to amalgamation.
;Badges and Symbols
The White Horse of Hanover: Ranking second, after the Crown, among the regiment's military badges, it was bestowed by the first three Georges to certain regiments for their part in suppressing the Jacobites. It was first granted, as a special head-dress badge, by King George I to The 3rd The King's Own Regiment of Dragoons in 1715 for their part in defeating James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs (British political party), Whigs or the King over the Water by Jacobitism, Jacobites, was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of Ki ...
(The Old Pretender).
Crossbelts: At the Battle of Almenar in 1710 the 8th Dragoons pursued the Spanish Cavalry Corps and, equipping themselves with the crossbelts of the enemy, cut down the Spaniards with their own swords. The crossbelts were worn with distinction for many years, and the nickname 'St Georges Crossbelts' was given to the regiment. Although the crossbelt worn today is based on the original 4th Hussar pattern, the continuing tradition of titling the regimental journal ''The Crossbelts'' is in recognition of this famous action.
The Maid of Warsaw: Every member of the regiment wears the Maid of Warsaw, the coat of arms of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. 2 (Service) Dress. This honour was awarded to the 7th Hussars by the Commander of the Second Polish Corps in recognition of their valour in support of the Polish forces during the Italian campaign in World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Traditionally the original crest presented to the regiment is placed in front of the commanding officer on Dinner Nights.[
The Fern Leaf: All vehicles in the regiment display the emblem of New Zealand, the fern leaf, to commemorate the association of The 3rd Hussars with the ]2nd New Zealand Division
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-G ...
at the Battle of El Alamein where the regiment lost all but five tanks breaching the German line. This honour was granted by General Lord Freyberg VC.[
Kettle Drums: By command of King George II the silver kettle drums captured by The King's Own Regiment of Dragoons, later The 3rd Hussars, at Dettingen are borne by a drum horse ridden by a sergeant kettledrummer - both being additional to the regimental establishment. The drums are always carried at the head of the regiment on ceremonial parades and are, uniquely amongst cavalry regiments, never covered by drum banners, the battle honours being engraved directly onto the sides of the drums. In 1772 when Lord Southampton commanded the regiment, his wife gave a silver collar to be worn by the kettledrummer, which is still worn today when parading in full dress with the drums. The present drum horse is named Alamein and its nickname is Dudley.][
;Other traditions
Winston Churchill: ]Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
, who has been described as 'the greatest Hussar of them all', was commissioned into the 4th Hussars in 1895, and later became the colonel of the regiment from 1941, until the 4th Queen's Own Hussars was amalgamated with the 8th Hussars in 1958, after which he became colonel of the new regiment, Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, remaining so until his death in 1965. In recognition of this, the Churchill Cup is awarded to the top-scoring troop in the regiment's annual gunnery competition. The commanding officer's tank is also named 'Churchill'.[
;Regimental Colours
The colours are as follows:][
*''Garter Blue'': The primary colour of the regiment is garter blue. This dates from when the Queen Consort's Regiment of Dragoons, later the 3rd Hussars, wore the queen's livery with garter blue feathered hats. It has been in continuous use ever since.
*''Green'': The use of green dates from 1748 when it was the facing colour of Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Dragoons, later the 4th Hussars. It has an association with Ireland, which remains a recruiting area for the regiment. Officers and senior ranks wear green jumpers and all ranks wear green berets. Officers can be distinguished by their distinctive tent hats (the only item of army headdress worn without a cap badge other than with combat uniforms).
*''Yellow'': The traditional ]Light Cavalry
Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and body armor, armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was p ...
colour is yellow, which has been used by all of the regiment's predecessors.
;Regimental song
The lyrics of the song go:
I'm a soldier in the King's Army.
I'm a galloping Queen's Hussar.
I've sailed the ocean wide and blue.
I'm a chap who knows a thing or two.
Been in many a tight corner.
Shown the enemy who we are.
I can ride a horse.
Go on a spree, or sing a comic song.
And that denotes a Queen's Hussar.
The Regimental Pipes and Drums
The Pipes and Drums were inherited from the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. There has been no formal adoption of pipe music by the regiment, but the pipe tunes have become very much a part of regimental parades, the following tunes have become part of the regiment's music.
* Killaloe Composed by Robert Martin in 1887 as part of the show "Miss Esmeralda".
* The Minstrel Boy The original words were composed by Thomas Moore, set to an old traditional Irish air originally named "The Moreen".
* Highland Cathedral A modern slow melody composed by M Korb for bagpipes, it is a haunting tune used as a slow march.
* St Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...
Played by the Irish Pipes at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745, though it has long been a popular patriotic Irish song.
Regimental days
The following are celebrated as battle honour days:[
* Dettingen 27 June
* Balaclava 25 October
* El Alamein 2 November
]St Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...
is also celebrated.
Lineage
Alliances
Commonwealth
* – The Sherbrooke Hussars
* – Royal Canadian Hussars
The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) (abbreviated as RCH) is an armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Primary Reserve in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is one of the oldest cavalry regiments in North America, tracing a direct history to the Mon ...
* – 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
* – 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
* – 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)
* – 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment
* – 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
* – Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
* – Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles
* – Umvoti Mounted Rifles
* – Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment
Non-Commonwealth
* – 2/4 Regiment Lansiers
* – 7eme Regiment de Chasseurs
* – ArmdBn 203 (Bonds of Friendship)
Affiliated Yeomanry
*The Royal Wessex Yeomanry
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) is a reserve armoured regiment of the British Army consisting of five squadrons, with the regimental headquarters based at Bovington Camp, Dorset. The regiment is part of 3rd (UK) Division and provides battle c ...
* The North Irish Horse
Order of precedence
References
Further reading
*
External links
The Queen's Royal Hussars - British Army Website
The Queen's Royal Hussars Regimental Association Website
Eastbourne Redoubt Fortress Military Museum
Information
from Culture24
4th(Queen's Own )Hussars, 8th(King's Royal Irish) Hussars Victoria Crosses
{{Authority control
Hussar regiments of the British Army
Military units and formations established in 1993
Royal Armoured Corps
Irish regiments of the British Army
1993 establishments in the United Kingdom