The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
Encyclopedia
The Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment
of the British Army
from 1969 to 1992.
It was formed by the amalgamation of the 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
, and 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own).
It mostly served in Germany, as a heavy armoured regiment of the British Army of the Rhine
, with several tours to Northern Ireland
. One squadron was stationed with the Berlin Brigade
in 1979, and occasional detachments travelled overseas to the US, Cyprus, and Hong Kong, among other deployments. In 1983, whilst with the 7th Armoured Brigade, the regiment became the first unit to be equipped with the Challenger 1 main battle tank
.
In 1992, the regiment was amalgamated with the 14th/20th King's Hussars
to form The King's Royal Hussars.
The regiment is known for wearing the crimson
trousers that were Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg's family colour. Prince Albert was escorted from Dover
to London
by the 11th Hussars prior to his marriage to Queen Victoria. He was subsequently appointed Colonel (in-chief) of the 11th Hussars (hence the crimson trousers).
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
from 1969 to 1992.
It was formed by the amalgamation of the 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
The 10th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1715 to 1969.-Early history:In response to the Jacobite Rebellion, the regiment was raised in 1715 as Humphrey Gore's Regiment of Dragoons...
, and 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own).
It mostly served in Germany, as a heavy armoured regiment of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
, with several tours to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. One squadron was stationed with the Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
in 1979, and occasional detachments travelled overseas to the US, Cyprus, and Hong Kong, among other deployments. In 1983, whilst with the 7th Armoured Brigade, the regiment became the first unit to be equipped with the Challenger 1 main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
.
In 1992, the regiment was amalgamated with the 14th/20th King's Hussars
14th/20th King's Hussars
The 14th/20th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992.- History :Originally styled the 14th/20th Hussars, the regiment was created in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 14th King's Hussars and the 20th Hussars, as part of the reductions in the Army...
to form The King's Royal Hussars.
The regiment is known for wearing the crimson
Crimson
Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
trousers that were Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg's family colour. Prince Albert was escorted from Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by the 11th Hussars prior to his marriage to Queen Victoria. He was subsequently appointed Colonel (in-chief) of the 11th Hussars (hence the crimson trousers).
Notable members
- Jon Bosley - Texas Publisher
- Alexander KearseyAlexander KearseyAlexander Horace Cyril Kearsey DSO, OBE was a career highly decorated British Army officer who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. He was also an English cricketer, but his military career limited his cricketing appearances. The son of Francis Kearsey, he was born at Burstow Hall,...
- decorated Second Boer WarSecond Boer WarThe Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
officer