This is a list of numbered Regiments of Cavalry of the British Army from the mid-18th century until 1922 when various amalgamations were implemented. The Life Guards were formed following the end of the English Civil War as troops of Life Guards between 1658 and 1659. Regiments were subsequently raised as part of the response to (i) the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 (ii) the Jacobite rising in 1715 (iii) the Seven Years' War in 1759 and (iv) the Indian Rebellion in 1858.
The designation "dragoon guards" was introduced in 1746 to recognise the importance of some of the most senior regiments, who rode large strong horses, without actually increasing their pay. The more junior regiments, who rode lighter horses, were designated "dragoons" at that time, although some of them were subsequently re-designated "lancers" or "hussars".
The full list is as follows:
Household cavalry: NumberTitleFormedFateSuccessor 20181 1st Regiment of Life Guards 1658 (as troops of life guards) 1922: Life Guards Life Guards2 2nd Regiment of Life Guards 1659 (as troops of life guards) 1922: Life Guards Life Guards3 Royal Horse Guards 1661 (reformed on the Royal establishment) 1969: Blues and Royals Blues and Royals
Heavy cavalry NumberTitleFormedFateSuccessor 20181 1st King's Dragoon Guards 1685 1959: 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards2 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) 1685 1959: 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards3 3rd (Prince Of Wales's) Dragoon Guards 1685 1922: 3rd/6th Dragoon Guards Royal Scots Dragoon Guards4 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards 1685 1922: 4th/7th Dragoon Guards Royal Dragoon Guards5 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards 1685 1922: 5th/6th Dragoons Royal Dragoon Guards6 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) 1685 1922: 3rd/6th Dragoon Guards Royal Scots Dragoon Guards7 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards 1688 1922: 4th/7th Dragoon Guards Royal Dragoon Guards
Light cavalry: NumberTitleFormedFateSuccessor 20181 1st The Royal Dragoons 1661 1969: Blues and Royals Blues and Royals2 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) 1678 1971: Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Royal Scots Dragoon Guards3 3rd (The King's Own) Hussars 1685 1958: Queen's Own Hussars Queen's Royal Hussars4 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars 1685 1958: Queen's Royal Irish Hussars Queen's Royal Hussars5 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers 1689 1922: 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers Royal Lancers6 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons 1689 1922: 5th/6th Dragoons Royal Dragoon Guards7 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars 1689 1958: Queen's Own Hussars Queen's Royal Hussars8 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars 1693 1958: Queen's Royal Irish Hussars Queen's Royal Hussars9 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers 1715 1960: 9th/12th Royal Lancers Royal Lancers10 10th (Prince Of Wales's Own Royal) Hussars 1715 1969: Royal Hussars King's Royal Hussars11 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars 1715 1969: Royal Hussars King's Royal Hussars12 12th (Prince Of Wales's Royal) Lancers 1715 1960: 9th/12th Royal Lancers Royal Lancers13 13th Hussars 1715 1922: 13th/18th Royal Hussars Light Dragoons14 14th (King's) Hussars 1715 1922: 14th/20th King's Hussars King's Royal Hussars15 15th (The King's) Hussars 1759 1922: 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars Light Dragoons16 16th (Queen's) Lancers 1759 1922: 16th/5th Lancers Royal Lancers17 17th (Duke Of Cambridge's Own) Lancers 1759 1922: 17th/21st Lancers Royal Lancers18 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars 1759 1922: 13th/18th Royal Hussars Light Dragoons19 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars 1858, regiments.org 1922: 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars Light Dragoons20 20th Hussars 1858 1922: 14th/20th King's Hussars King's Royal Hussars21 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers 1858 1922: 17th/21st Lancers Royal Lancers
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