The Queens Guard

The Foot Guards or Queens is a group of regiments in the Household Division of the British Army. There are currently five regiments of foot guards - Grenadier Guards ; Coldstream Guards ; Scots Guards ; Irish Guards ; and Welsh Guards.

The Foot Guards have a role as the primary garrison for the capital, for the military security of the Queen Sovereign, and for ceremonial duties in London, such as the historic changing of the guards and trooping of the colours. The Guards Battalion stationed at Windsor generally provides the Windsor Castle Guard.

How can you tell which regiment the different guards are from? .....

This can be done by observing the colour of the plume, and what side it is worn on the bearskin, button spacing, the collar badge and the shoulder badge. When all five regiments parade together, they are in the order Grenadier Guards on the right flank, then Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, Irish Guards and Coldstream Guards on the left flank.

Regiment Plume Plume colour Button spacing Collar badge Shoulder badge
Grenadier Guards Left White Singly Grenade Royal Cypher
Coldstream Guards Right Scarlet Pairs Garter Star Rose
Scots Guards None N/A Threes Thistle Thistle Star
Irish Guards Right Blue Fours Shamrock St Patrick Star
Welsh Guards Left White-Green-White Fives Leek Leek
Guards Cap Badge Guards Cap Badge Guards Cap Badge Guards Cap Badge Guards Cap Badge
Grenadier Coldstream Scots Irish Welsh