The King's Body Guard
of the Yeomen of the Guard

Dress and Insignia Worn at Court 1921

A Brief But Important Clarification: It’s a common yet some what vexing misconception that The Bodyguard (from St James’s Palace) and the Yeoman Warders (from the Tower of London) are one and the same—they are quite distinct.  This website is dedicated solely to The Yeomen of the King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard (The Bodyguard). 


Yeomen of The Bodyguard are appointed by St James’s Palace, serve part-time, receive a taxable stipend of around £100 annually, apart from the salaried Messenger Sergeant Major. Meanwhile, the Yeoman Warders are employed full-time and salaried through Historic Royal Palaces. Both corps are indeed composed of veterans from the British Armed Forces, each with at least 22 years of service in the Army, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force, or Royal Navy. But the similarities end there. The Bodyguard, residing across the British Isles, is called to duty for ceremonial occasions: the State Opening of Parliament, the Garter Service, Royal Maundy, garden parties, investitures, coronations, royal weddings, state funerals, and diplomatic receptions, all managed from St James’s Palace. In addition to these occasional ceremonial duties, most Yeomen of the Guard are retired or hold civilian careers.


For information about the Yeoman Warders, please visit the Tower Warders website or Facebook page.


The Yeomen of the Guard Story


Ah, the Yeomen of the Guard—a subject so steeped in English history that even the dustiest tome could hardly contain its grandeur and colourful characters! The story of England’s royal bodyguards is not merely a tale of swords and pageantry; it’s a tribute to the peculiar British genius for blending loyalty, spectacle, and that indefinable quality we might call duty, seasoned with a dash of ostentation. Let us, then, journey back to those early days, when rulers of all shapes, sizes, and degrees of sanity gathered loyal blades around them in a bid to keep both enemies and potential usurpers at arm’s length (or a spear’s length, at least).


From time immemorial, monarchs have craved protection, whether from rival claimants, wayward barons, or the occasional foreign invader with grand designs on their throne. The sovereign’s retinue has, at times, been as much a feature of English life as the Tower of London or the sound of Big Ben (which, alas, they could not yet enjoy). One cannot help but marvel at the variety of these early bodyguards—a veritable tapestry of characters, some noble, some ignoble, and some, no doubt, with dubious dental hygiene.


Let us take our first step back to the Anglo-Saxon period, a rather rowdy time. Here, the only available security force was the militia, known as the fyrd, comprised of free men whose military obligations were more a matter of personal honour than land-bound feudal duty. This arrangement worked well enough until Canute the Great, evidently unimpressed by the haphazard martial spirit of his English subjects, introduced the huscarls, the nation’s first professional fighting men. Here we see the seeds of a professional army—a notion that must have caused no small degree of consternation among Anglo-Saxon traditionalists who viewed paid soldiers as a distinctly foreign extravagance.


Fast-forward to William the Conqueror, a man with both a profound sense of strategic planning and a knack for avoiding pitchfork-wielding mobs. After his victorious romp at Hastings, William wisely decided that one should never put all one’s eggs (or armed retainers) in one basket. Hence, he retained both the feudal army and the fyrd for occasions of national defence, a strategy that proved rather useful when defending against both Scots and unruly Normans.


The idea of a permanent guard, however, was slow to catch on. The English have long held a certain suspicion of “standing armies,” fearing that a monarch could, Heaven forbid, turn their swords against the very people they were sworn to protect. It was not until Edward III’s time that archers began to gain some permanence in royal employ. Known for their lethal prowess with the longbow, these archers proved their worth on countless battlefields, even as far afield as the storied fields of Poitiers, where they scattered French knights like so many leaves in the autumn wind.


By Richard II’s day, personal guards had taken on a rather different hue—sometimes quite literally. These early guards were recruited from the King’s most loyal subjects in Cheshire, a lawless region known for producing men who were unyieldingly loyal, if a tad undisciplined. Froissart, that most indefatigable chronicler, remarked that Richard kept some 10,000 of these chaps—a slight exaggeration, but nevertheless indicative of the impression they made.


Yet it wasn’t until 1485 that the guard became something recognizable as a permanent force. King Henry VII, with his eye on both security and grandeur, created the Yeomen of the Guard, whose presence lent both safety and spectacle to the royal household. Resplendent in their tunics, each embroidered with the Tudor rose, these guards not only protected the monarch but also lent an air of decorum to royal events—a welcome contrast, one imagines, to the rough-and-ready archers of earlier reigns.


Thus, the Yeomen of the Guard were formed to protect the newly crowned King Henry VII. In the centuries since, their steadfast commitment to the monarchy remains as immovable as ever. While they no longer bear the harquebus or a quiver of arrows from days of yore, nor guard the sovereign’s person in the literal sense, their pride and loyalty are unwavering. They are, after all, The King’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard—and they wear that title with the utmost reverence.


Today, the Yeomen of the Guard endure as both a symbol of loyalty and a nod to an England that once was: an England of pageantry, of duty, and of pride. They march with unwavering solemnity, a touch of historic grandeur threading through their every movement, embodying the timeless duty of a royal guard that serves not just to defend the sovereign, but to honour the nation itself.


Below is a brief history of The Bodyguard and for a more detailed history see detailed history.  For those intrigued by ceremonial details, fine descriptions of their uniforms and weaponry await within. We even lay to rest a few myths along the way. You may navigate by section for easy reference, or, should you be in possession of a leisurely afternoon and a flagon of ale, indulge in a deeper perusal. Either way, we hope you enjoy, and do share your thoughts with us through our Contact page.


Their uniforms are Tudor-inspired and scarlet red, with a unique shoulder belt—a carbine belt—originally designed to support the harquebus, a weapon of considerable heft. Though the harquebus has long since disappeared from use, the crossbelt remains, proudly worn. See Uniforms and Weaponry.


Amongst their ranks, the Bodyguard boasts no less than seven holders of the Victoria Cross as well as hundreds of other gallantry awards, as a testament to their distinguished history.

Pre-Creation

Seal of Edward the Confessor

The earliest official royal bodyguard was the Sergeants-at-Arms, mounted guards established by Richard I in 1191, originally filled by the sons of knights. By the 15th century, however, their role had diversified and shifted, moving away from exclusive protection of the sovereign.


A distinct royal guard appears in English history in Edward I’s reign (1272–1307), described as “Crossbow men of the Household.” Their tenure was brief, however, soon eclipsed by the longbow, which was gaining prominence as the national weapon. In the records of Edward II’s reign, the term “Yeoman Archer” appears around 1485, describing “archers on foote for garde of the Kinge’s body who shall go before the Kinge as he traveleth through the countrye.”


Edward II expanded this guard of archers, establishing a degree of permanence, which every monarch since has maintained to some extent. Certainly, Henry V had his “Archers of the Household” accompany him to the battlefield, particularly in the heroic campaign of Agincourt in 1415. These archers continued until the austerity measures of Henry VI’s court in 1454, when the political turmoil of the Wars of the Roses curtailed all but the most hereditary appointments.

There had been a long dynastic power struggle even before the forty years of battles (Wars of the Roses) between the Wars of the Roses lineage from Edward III. Lionel,Duke of Clarence (York) and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. descendants of King Edward III.  The feuding bloodlines, or Houses, the House of Lancaster (its badge being a red rose) and the House of York (its badge being a white rose) fought for the possession of the Crown of England and the power, wealth and influence that went with it.  The Wars of the Roses began at St Albans in Pikeman and Longbowman wearing the a green tabard and green tights.1455 and saw the weak Lancastrian King Henry VI (he often suffered from bouts of madness) deposed by the House of York and the new King, Edward IV, enthroned in 1461.  In 1483, and seventeen battles later, a fourth King, Richard III (Lancastrian) became Sovereign of England but by now, and thousands dead in battle, the rival Houses wished for peace. The decision was that the throne should be offered to Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, on condition that he marry Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV, thus uniting the Houses of York and Lancaster and ending this costly war both in money and lives.  Henry Tudor accepted the invitation and eventually embarked from Harfleur, France, for England in July 1485 with his “private guard of faithful followers,” and a small military force of about 2000 men.  Being himself of Welsh extraction, most of his adherents being Welshmen, and his private guard being Welsh born, it was but natural that Henry Tudor selected Wales as his base. He stepped ashore at the village of Dale in Milford Haven on the 1 August 1485; he was soon joined by the Welsh, who flocked to his Standard. With an increasing force Henry pressed forward to attack King Richard III. 


On the Eve of St Bartholomew's Day, 22 August 1485, they met at the Battle of Bosworth Field.  Richard III was killed and it is said that the Royal crown, that he had worn over his helmet on the battle field, was found in a hawthorn bush by Henry’s “private guard”.  The crown was placed on the head of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who was then and there Richard IIIhailed as King Henry VII of England. This historical episode was commemorated in the Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, by his son Henry VIII after his death in 1509. There, in its stained glass windows can be seen at the present day, the design of the Crown on theTop left hand corner of the Standard displays the Badge of Henry VII which is depicted by a hawthorn bush, the English Crown and the initials HR on either side of the bush. hawthorn bush under the Tudor rose, with the initials HR on the sides. From Bosworth, King Henry proceeded to Leicester and thence to London, where, on the 1st September, he attended a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, and deposited there the three Standards under which he had fought and those he had captured on the field of battle. Hall, the historian, described them minutely, “The first had an Image of St George; the second, ‘a Fiery Dragon beaton on white and green sarsenet,’ the Ensign of Cadwaladr, the last King of the Britons; the third was of ‘Yellow Tartine’ on which was painted a ‘Donne Kowe’ which being interpreted means dun cow.”  Henry VII was surrounded by his “private guard” of fifty men, now known as the Yeomen Guard or the Yeoman Archers.
Archer during the reign of Henry VII

It may well be asked why Henry did not retain the name “Archers” of the Guard, seeing that it was these archers who had become the terror of the men-at-arms and won the glorious victories of Crecy and Poitiers, and defeated the hitherto invincible mailed cavalry. Historians of the time say that there is no doubt King Henry VII conferred the title of Yeomen of the Guard as a proclamation to the people that he had selected his body-guard not from the nobility, but from that class just below them who had proved themselves as the national strength of the country at home and abroad. In the pardons granted by the King on his Badge of the House of HanoverAccession, this class is described as “Yeomen or Gentlemen just below the rank of Esquire.” Such was the status of the Yeomen of the fifteenth century.


Since its creation as a permanent Corps, the Bodyguard has an absolutely unbroken history of 539 years; for even during the brief period of The Commonwealth between 1649-1659 it continued to serve with King Charles II during his enforced absence in France, and at the Restoration accompanied him on his return to England, took its historic place in his triumphal entry into London, and stood around him at his immediate Coronation. It is certain, therefore, that Henry VII created The Body Guard between The Battle of Bosworth on 22 August and the 18 September 1485 when a warrant was issued to a William Browne:


“To William Browne, Yeoman of the King’s Guard, for good service that our humble and faithful servant hath heretofore done unto us us well beyond the seas as at our late Victoreuse journeye”


The King took the occasion of the great ceremony of his Coronation on the 31 October to let it be known that the Yeomen of the Guard who attended him were not for his personal protection, but for the upholding of the dignity and grandeur of the English Crown in perpetuity, his successors, the Kings and Queens of England, for all time.  The full title of the Guard in the old Latin MSS Warrants of the Tudor period is:       

                          

                                                                                    “Valecti Garde (Corporis) Domini Regis" “Yeomen of the Guard (of our Body) of our Lord the King”
Queen Victoria's Body Guard c1885

The designation “Yeoman” is of interest, as it was introduced for the first time into the Bodyguard upon the institution of this permanent body. As far as the etymology of the word is concerned, the most probable origin is believed to be a derivation from “gau”, meaning “district” and the word “man” signifying “man of the district”.


The term “yeoman” had for some time been applied to subordinate members of the sovereign’s household, but previous body guards had been designated “The Cross-Bowmen of the Household”, “Archers of The Guard”, “Archers of the Crown”, “Archers of the Household”, “The Body Archers”, or “The King’s Bowmen”.  The 14th and 15th centuries, the golden period of English agriculture, saw the rise and prominence of the yeoman class and its recognition by the State. They lived well and in the winter did not have to contend with the hunger and cold endured by those who served them. Thus they were well suited to make fine soldiers, for as a wise statesman propounded  "To make good infantry it requireth men bred not in a servile and indigent fashion, but in some free and plentiful manner". The rewards granted took the form of appointments, such as bailiffs of certain towns, keepers of parks or castles, carrying emoluments, fees, commodities and profits.


The title of “The King’s (or Queen’s) Bodyguard of the Yeomen of The Guard” has persisted to the present day, though during the Victorian era it had been altered to “The Royal Guard”. Before leaving the subject of correct designations, it is intriguing to discover the origin of misapprehensions, which have arisen in relation to the Yeomen of The Guard. A common acceptation of the work “yeoman” as coming from the “yeu”, the wood from which bows were then made, is as incorrect as the assumption that the yew trees of this country provided the source of our bows. In fact the best bows were imported from abroad, being mad from yew trees grown slowly on high ground in a dry climate.


Similarly, the nickname of “Beefeaters” as applied to the Yeomen has been misquoted in its origin. The authentic source of the misnomer is to be found in the narration by Count Cosmo, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, on his travels in England in the 17th century. The Count was frequently at court in 1669, and in referring to the Yeomen of The Guard, he stated: -  They are called ‘Beefeaters’, that is Eaters-of-Beef, of which a considerable portion is allowed them daily by the Court. The nickname was evidently in use at about that time, as it is on record that a respected member of parliament ironically applied it to the Yeomen of The Guard in a speech made in the House of Commons on the 9th November 1685.  See The Beefeaters
Yeomen on duty with partisans and swords at the Royal Italian Opera, Covern Garden, during the reign of Queen Victoria.

The multifarious duties performed by the Yeomen of The Guard are full of fascination and amply repay study. They encompass, as their founder intended, not only the personal protection of the monarch, but also the upholding of the dignity of the Crown.


Yeomen on duty with partisans and swords at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Apart from The Guarding the outer doors of the palace and doors to ante-rooms, they lined the approaches to the audience chambers at all state ceremonies, and accompanied their sovereign whenever he went out. The most elaborate precautions were taken in serving the Royal dinner, when one of the Yeomen would be required to take a sample of the food before it was permitted to go forward to the King’s table. Even the making the King’s bed had its own set of rules and to this day the connection with this ancient and quaint ceremony is maintained in the descriptions affixed to the names of certain yeomen on the Muster Rolls – YBH (Yeoman of Bed Hanger) and YBG (Yeoman Bed Goer) – though, needless to say, the duties concerned have long been obsolete. It is relevant to note, however, that these estimable duties extended to the ‘viewing of such houses as should be fit to entertain his Majesty’ on progresses through the country, which was a feature of Tudor times.


As previously stated, the position of Captain of The Guard was of particular significance. Not only was he answerable for the sovereign’s personal safety, but he also carried the responsibility for ensuring that all details of court ceremony were accurately performed. In addition, it was his duty to look after and protect, together with the Yeomen, important guests such as foreign potentates and ambassadors, escorting them to and from the royal presence. Indeed, on many occasions the Captain was actually dispatched abroad, accompanied by a group of Yeomen, to escort diplomatic missions to great emperors or kings, or to act himself as an ambassador. Negotiations for royal marriages were often included in such missions. In cases where a noble had to be arrested, perhaps for plotting against the sovereign, the Captain was responsible for apprehending him. Several times in their history the Yeomen of The Guard found themselves in the ironic position of having to seize a great or royal personage who, a few years earlier, had actually come under their protection. Such was the fate of Cardinal Wolsey, the Lord Protector Somerset, and Anne Boleyn.


Until the end of Queen Victoria’s reign it was mandatory for members of The Yeomen of the Guard to wear beards. It's said that Ismail Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt, was so impressed by the stern appearance of Queen Victoria's Yeomen that he provided his own bodyguard with false beards in an attempt to render them as impressive. 


The appointments of Captain of The Guard and Vice-Chamberlain were held by one official, but as the daily duties of The Guard in attendance on the Sovereign gradually diminished, the connection of the two appointments became unnecessary and was finally severed. The Vice-Chamberlain became a separate appointment and was bestowed on an official whose duties were of a less important nature. Whilst the Captaincy of The Guard, removed of its daily and hourly responsibilities, became a ministerial and honourable sinecure, as it is at the present day. Though no longer Vice-Chamberlain, the Captain is under the direct orders of the Lord Chamberlain, and with The Guard attends his/her Sovereign, as a member of the Royal household, on all state occasions.


The Clerk of the Cheque had special responsibility for maintaining the roll of everyone connected with the royal household, in addition to handling large sums of money in his capacity of paymaster. Until modern times a portion of The Guard was mounted, as a travelling escort to the monarchs of England. The Yeomen of The Guard figure prominently in a number of old engravings and examples of sculpture, in some instances being shown on horseback, always very closed to the Sovereign’s person whether in representations of battles or ceremonial occasions.


Yeoman within the Guardroom of St James' Palace, even at this time of the Commonwealth the King’s Bodyguard continued its celebrated history, serving Prince Charles (eventually Charles II) during his enforced absence abroad. At the restoration The Guard accompanied him on his return to England, taking its historic place at his triumphant entry in to London, and at his magnificent coronation.


In addition to attending the sovereign, the Yeomen were also called upon to serve the Queen and heir to the throne. During George III’s long illness, the Prince of Wales became Regent, in 1811. The King’s portion of the Yeomen of The Guard was transferred to Carlton House, where Prince George resided. This led to a significant change in the board and pay of The Guard. At the time, the yeomen were the only court officials still receiving their meals at St James Palace, which it was then contended was an unnecessary extravagance and should cease. Arrangements were made for payment in lieu of these meals, thus dispensing with the ancient position of The Guard as part of the royal household.


When William IV decreed that no more civilians were to be allowed appointment to The Guard, he commanded lists of retired officers and non-commissioned officers, recommended for distinguished service in the field desirous of becoming members of his guard, should be kept by the Commander-in-Chief. When vacancies occurred selections should be made from these lists and submitted to the Captain of The Guard for final approval. The Lieutenancy was assigned to a Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel of the Army or Royal Marines; the positions of Ensign and Clerk of the Cheque were to be held by a Lieutenant Colonel or Major; and Exons were to be selected from Captains.

The Yeoman State Dress worn is, in its most striking characteristics, the same as it was in Tudor time some 530 years ago. Because so few changes have taken place in the accoutrements of The Guard, it is not difficult to envisage its appearance through a great part of English history. Although in 1809 the ancient records of The Guard were destroyed during a disastrous fire at St James’ Palace, enough information has been compiled from other sources to provide a vivid description.  It consists of:


Voluminous royal scarlet tunic trimmed with imperial purple velvet, embroidered with real gold thread.  Sometimes the sleeves have been fuller, the skirts longer, otherwise it is identical with the first coat. 

Scarlet (sometimes white) stockings.  In recent years we have been able to wear tights.

Scarlet knee breeches with a small red, white and blue rosette on the outside of each knee.

White ruff hand-made of starched cotton.

Black shoes with large red, white and blue rosettes.

Round low-crowned dark-purple or black velvet hat with red, white and blue ribbons.


The weight of the tunic, breaches, hat and ruff combined is 16lbs (7.2kg); the sword weights 1lb (.45kg) and the partisan weights 7lbs (3.15kg).  The total marching weights of The Body Guard kit weighs 24lbs (10.8kg).

Since its inception The Bodyguard has been headed by a Captain of the Guard; an important and highly prized position that grew in power as successive Captains were appointed a member of the Privy Council and Vice-Chamberlain, thus, becoming the executive-officer of the Lord Chamberlain.  Other officers of The Bodyguard in descending order are Lieutenant, Clerk of the Cheque and Adjutant, Ensign or Standard Bearer, and the Exon.  Non-commissioned officers are Messenger Sergeant Major, Divisional Sergeant Major, Yeoman Bed Goer, Yeoman Bed Hanger and Yeomen.  Confusingly, several of the 56 serving Yeomen are also commissioned officers.  Some commissioned from the ranks during regular service, others after completing regular armed forces service  by joining the Royal Marines, Army, Royal Navy or Royal Air Force reserve units throughout the country. 

 

Common to all Yeomen is at least 22 years service in the regular armed forces and to have attained the rank of sergeant though the majority have gone on to serve as warrant officers or commissioned officers.  However, as ex-rankers, they are not eligible to service as an officer in the Bodyguard. 


Recruitment to the Yeomen of The Guard until 1823 was by purchase and the majority of The Guard were civilian.  From 1830 candidates must have served in the Army or Marines.  In 1934 the first Royal Air Force candidate was accepted (WO Joseph Enoch Beresford, formerly Grenadier Guards).  In 2017 Sgt Jon Ward, and incedibly so given that the Parachute Regiment were formed during WWIII, was  afater 82 years our first Paratrooper. Until 2011 members of the Royal Navy were excluded from becoming Yeomen due to their tradition of not swearing allegiance to The Sovereign; this has now changed and in 2018 the first Sailor Warrant Officer Jamie Flanagan was appointed. Also in 2018 another very important milestone was reached by the appointment of the first two female yeomen (yes! Yeomen and not Yeowomen).  


As already mentioned, selection is made from service personnel who have served with distinction, and a very long list is maintained of those seeking entry to this exclusive and venerable “Body Guard”.  Successive monarchs have confirmed rules for the selection of suitable candidates eg King Charles II emphasizing that candidates "...should be of tall personage, strong, active and of manlie presence." in Queen Victoria's reign this included the mandatory wearing of a beard; in 1936 the beard wasn't as fashionable and a request was made to King Edward VIII that beards become optional; this was granted in June 1936. 


For  further details of our splendid Corps please visit our links and thank you for visiting The King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard  unofficial website.
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