British Foot Guards Cap Stars/Badges

When I posted my line infantry regiment cap badges, I said I omitted the guards. Well, here they are.

The Foot Guards were originally raised to guard the monarch, and have always been considered elite infantry. I’m not certain how old these particular badges are, but they could have seen service in either of the World Wars. Technically speaking, there was a sixth guards regiment in WWI, the Guards Machinegun Regiment, but it only existed from 1918 till 1920. These are the ones that have endured:

1. The Grenadier Guards linage can be traced back to 1656. After defeating the Napoleon’s Imperial Guard Grenadiers at Waterloo, they adopted the title of Grenadier along with the Grenadier’s flaming grenade badge.

2. The Coldstream Guards were raised in 1650 as part of Cromwell’s Army, and then taken into service by the King in 1661, becoming second in seniority to the Grenadiers. Their cap star is the Star of the Order of the Garter. This particular badge came from a trophy belt.

3. The Scots Guards were raised as far back as 1642 and were the personal guard to Charles I, but came under the English system in 1686. Their cap star is the Order of the Thistle. My example is brass like the others, but with a very dark patina.

4. The Irish Guards was formed in 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to honor the Irishmen who fought in the Second Boer War. Their cap star is the Order of St. Patrick. This badge lacks the patina and sharpness I usually like to see, but will do till I upgrade.

5. The Welsh Guards were raised by order of George V in 1915 in order to include the Welsh as a national component of the Guards along with the Scots and Irish. This is why I don’t include the Foot Guards with my 1914 infantry badges – I’d have to leave this one out! The Welsh Guards wear the Leek, which had been worn in ancient times to distinguish the Welsh in battle.