Royal Lancers

Last updated

The Royal Lancers
(Queen Elizabeths' Own)
Royal Lancers capbadge.png
Badge of the regiment [1]
Active2 May 2015 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Type Armoured cavalry
Role Close-quarters combat
Reconnaissance
Desert warfare
Forward observer
Manoeuvre warfare
Patrolling
Raiding
Cold-weather warfare
Screening
Urban warfare
SizeOne regiment with four squadrons
Part of Royal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQRHQ Prince William of Gloucester Barracks
Regiment Catterick
Nickname(s)The Death or Glory Boys
Motto(s)Death or Glory [1]
MarchQuick: Wellington
Slow: Coburg
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief Queen Camilla
Colonel of
the Regiment
Col Richard Charrington [2]
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash Royal Lancers TRF.svg
Arm Badge Lances and Prince of Wales's feathers
from 9th/12th Royal Lancers
AbbreviationRL

The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by an amalgamation of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers on 2 May 2015. It serves in the 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team. The Royal Lancers are part of the 3rd (UK) Division.

Contents

History

Royal Lancers at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June 2022. The Platinum Jubilee Pageant 3.jpg
Royal Lancers at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June 2022.

It appears that the regimental amalgamation of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers was envisaged as part of Army 2020. [3]

The amalgamation was announced in July 2012, and the regiment was formed with an amalgamation parade before their colonel-in-chief, Queen Elizabeth II, at Richmond Castle on 2 May 2015. [4] [5]

On 5 April 2017, to mark her 70th anniversary as colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers and its predecessors, The Queen granted the regiment the honorific suffix "Queen Elizabeths' Own", to recognise their service to Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. [6]

On 8 June 2023, Queen Camilla was appointed colonel-in-chief of the regiment. [7]

Operational role

The regiment is an Armoured Cavalry Regiment. [8] Previously equipped with the Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle, it started converting to the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle in 2022. [1] This was intended to be replaced by the Ajax (Scout SV) from 2019; [9] however, after considerable delays, British Army trials of the Ajax were paused in the summer of 2021 due to excessive vibration. [10] The Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle is also currently used. [1]

The regiment consists of three Sabre Squadrons of sixteen vehicles each and one Command and Support Squadron. [11] The Royal Lancers forms part of the Royal Armoured Corps. [11] It is based in Catterick as part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, one of the three Armoured Brigade Combat Teams of the 3rd (UK) Division. [12]

Since 2015, the regiment has deployed soldiers operationally on Operation Elgin (Bosnia / Kosovo), [13] Operation Tosca (Cyprus), [14] Operation Orbital (Ukraine), and as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Poland. [15]

Colonels-in-Chief

Colonels of the Regiment

Commanding Officers

Regimental Commanding Officers included: [16]

Order of precedence

The regiment retains order of precedence from the more senior antecedent regiment, the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's).

Preceded by Cavalry Order of Precedence Succeeded by

Lineage

The Royal Lancers is now the last regiment in the British Army to retain the title of "lancers". It has directly or indirectly inherited the traditions of the six British lancer regiments that were in existence until a series of amalgamations began in 1922.

1881 Childers Reforms 1922 Amalgamations1990 Options for Change 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review – today
16th (The Queen's) Lancers 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers Queen's Royal Lancers Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own)
5th (Royal Irish) Lancers
17th (Duke Of Cambridge's Own) Lancers 17th/21st Lancers
21st (Empress of India's) Lancers
9th (The Queen's Royal) Lancers 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
(amalgamated 1960)
12th (Prince Of Wales's Royal) Lancers

Traditions

The Regimental Cap Badge is referred to as the 'Motto' and stands for 'Death or Glory'. [17]

The historic lance, complete with pennant, is still carried by detachments of the regiment on ceremonial occasions. [18]

Alliances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Armoured Corps</span> Armour arm of the British Army

The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Army's armoured regiments, both the Royal Tank Regiment and those converted from old horse cavalry regiments. In September 2024, it comprised fourteen regiments: ten Regular Regiments; four Army Reserve. Although the Household Cavalry Regiment provide an armoured regiment, they are not part of the RAC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Scots Dragoon Guards</span> Cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British Army. The regiment is based at Waterloo Lines, Leuchars Station, as part of 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland, a light adaptable force brigade.

Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Tank Regiment</span> British Army tank unit

The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps, it is part of the Royal Armoured Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Royal Irish Hussars</span> Military unit

The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958. The regiment saw active service against insurgents in Aden; during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and during the Gulf War, as well as regular service in West Germany as part of the British Army of the Rhine. The regiment was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Hussars to form the Queen's Royal Hussars on 1 September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Royal Hussars</span> Military unit

The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) (QRH) is a British armoured regiment. It was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of the Queen's Own Hussars and the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. The regiment and its antecedents have been awarded 172 Battle Honours and eight Victoria Crosses. The regiment was based in Sennelager, Germany, until 2019 when it was relocated to Tidworth Camp, England. It is the armoured regiment for 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards</span> Regiment of the British Army

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) is a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales and the bordering English counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment of the line of the British Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th/12th Royal Lancers</span> British Army cavalry regiment

The 9th/12th Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1960 by the amalgamation of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 12th Royal Lancers. In the later years of its existence, the regiment served as a formation reconnaissance regiment, equipped with the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family of vehicles and was attached to the 7th Armoured Brigade, the Desert Rats. The regiment was based in South Wigston, Leicestershire, along with its affiliated Territorial Army unit, B Squadron, The Royal Yeomanry. It was amalgamated with the Queen's Royal Lancers on 2 May 2015 to form the Royal Lancers

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light Dragoons</span> Military unit

The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, from County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, South Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire. For this reason, the regiment is known as "England's Northern Cavalry". It is currently based in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Royal Lancers</span> Military unit

The Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1993 and amalgamated with the 9th/12th Royal Lancers on 2 May 2015 to form the Royal Lancers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Dragoon Guards</span> Military unit

The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Based in Battlesbury Barracks, Wiltshire, the regiment currently serves as the armoured cavalry reconnaissance unit of 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team. Previously equipped with the Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle, it started converting to the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Royal Hussars</span> British Army armored unit

The King's Royal Hussars (KRH) is a Royal Armoured Corps regiment of the British Army formed in 1992. Based at Tidworth it serves as the armoured regiment of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team (ABCT). Under Army 2020 Refine, it is intended to exchange its Challenger 2 tanks for Ajax vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars</span> Military unit

The 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of the 15th The King's Hussars and the 19th Royal Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it was amalgamated with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to form the Light Dragoons in 1992.

The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is a fighting unit provided by the Royal Armoured Corps or Household Cavalry.

The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is an Armoured Cavalry regiment of the British Army based in Bulford Camp in Wiltshire. It is the brother regiment of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) based at Hyde Park Barracks in London - both regiments together form the Household Cavalry (HCav). The Household Cavalry Regiment was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the union of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals in order to preserve the distinct identities of the regiments. A precedent for the Household Cavalry Regiment has previously been set by the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment - active during the Anglo-Egyptian War, the Second Boer War and latterly during both the First and Second World Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9th Queen's Royal Lancers</span> British Army cavalry regiment

The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, but was amalgamated with the 12th Royal Lancers to form the 9th/12th Royal Lancers in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17th/21st Lancers</span> Military unit

The 17th/21st Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it amalgamated with the 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers to form the Queen's Royal Lancers in 1993.

The 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 16th The Queen's Lancers and the 5th Royal Irish Lancers in 1922. The reason for the uniquely atypical regimental title was that the 5th had been re-raised in 1858 almost 60 years after being disbanded, and when re-raised took precedence after the 17th Lancers. After service in the Second World War and the Gulf War, the regiment amalgamated with the 17th/21st Lancers to form the Queen's Royal Lancers in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12th Royal Lancers</span> British Army cavalry regiment

The 12th Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army first formed in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, but was slated for reduction in the 1957 Defence White Paper, and was amalgamated with the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers to form the 9th/12th Royal Lancers in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team</span> British Army formation

The 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team is a formation of the British Army, currently headquartered in Delhi Barracks, Tidworth Camp, Wiltshire, as part of the 3rd Division.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Who we are: The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own)". www.army.mod.uk. British Army. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  2. "No. 62679". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2019. p. 10349.
  3. Beale, Jonathan (5 July 2012). "Army to lose 17 units amid job cuts". BBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  4. "Queen and Duke of York visit Richmond for amalgamation parade". Northern Echo. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  5. Short, J. H. T. (5 July 2012). "Notice of Regimental Amalgamation – 5th July 2012". 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) Charitable Association. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Royal Lancers renamed by Queen at Windsor Castle ceremony". BBC News. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  7. 1 2 @RoyalFamily (8 June 2023). "Her Majesty The Queen has been appointed Colonel-in-Chief of @TheRoyalLancers " (Tweet) via Twitter.
  8. "Regular Army Basing Matrix" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 21 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  9. "Scout: new eyes and ears on the battlefield". Ministry of Defence. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  10. "Ajax Fighting Vehicle Trials Paused As 'Precautionary Measure'". www.forces.net. British Forces Broadcasting Service. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Transforming the British Army" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  12. "Regular Army Basing Plan" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  13. Chambers, Kirstie (19 April 2021). "Royal Lancers Return Home After Six-Month Kosovo Deployment". Forces Net. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  14. Newton, Simon (27 July 2018). "Op TOSCA: Royal Lancers Peacekeeping In Cyprus". Forces Net. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  15. @BG_Poland_eFP (13 April 2023). "Reconnaissance soldiers from 🇬🇧 @TheRoyalLancers have arrived in Poland. The 🇵🇱 Brigade Commander and 🇺🇸 Battle Group Commander held a parade to welcome them. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023 via Twitter.
  16. Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960–.
  17. "The Royal Lancers". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  18. "The Royal Lancers are part of the procession for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday". Alamy. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2024.