The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the amalgamation of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Both regiments were allowed to maintain their identities, and each provides two squadrons for the HCR. This makes the HCR relatively unique in the British Army, in that it is an operational regiment only - it does not have its own ceremonial identity, as The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals have their own RHQs, uniforms and accoutrements.
The regiment is part of the Household Cavalry, which is a corps in its own right, rather than the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC). However, it serves as one of the five formation reconnaissance regiments, for which it is equipped with various vehicles, including the FV107 Scimitar, and is considered, for operational purposes, as part of the RAC. Uniquely among the army's formation reconnaissance regiments, in peacetime the Household Cavalry Regiment has four operational squadrons (the rest have three); one of the HCR's squadrons is permanently attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade.
It currently serves as the formation reconnaissance regiment assigned to 1 Mechanised Brigade and is based at Combermere Barracks, Windsor, one mile from Windsor Castle.
Famous quotes containing the words household, cavalry and/or regiment:
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—Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
“We had an inspection today of the brigade. The Twenty-third was pronounced the crack regiment in appearance, ... [but] I could see only six to ten in a company of the old men. They all smiled as I rode by. But as I passed away I couldn’t help dropping a few natural tears. I felt as I did when I saw them mustered in at Camp Chase.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)