The Guard Room

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

The weight of the tunic, breeches, hat and ruff combined is 16lbs (7.2kg); the sword weighs 2lb (1.5kg) and the partisan weighs 7lbs (3.15kg). The total marching weight of the Body Guard kit is 25lbs (11.8kg).

DOUBLET - Scarlet cloth Tudor, embroidered, back and front cut whole. Full sleeves gathered into wrist band with one hole and small button. Four skirts pleated into waist. Three small buttons and holes on left shoulder, and five small buttons and holes on left side seam. Blue Velvet and Gold lace shoulder strap on left shoulder with one large button. Trimmings: 3/8 inch gold spot lace and blue velvet. Linings: white cotton, body and sleeves, blue shalloon skirts.

BREECHES - Scarlet cloth, split falls, ¾ inch gold spot lace garter, with gilt buckle at knee; and three small buttons and holes. Red, white and blue ribbon rosettes at the knee.

TUDOR CROWN - found below the tunic's collar. This, along with the emblems beneath it, is also found on the rear of the tunic.

EMBROIDERY - The cluster of emblems below the Tudor Crown represent the Thistle (Scotland), the Tudor Rose (England) and the Shamrock (Ireland) above a Hawthorn bush (where Richard III's crown was found after the Battle of Bosworth 1485). Beneath the Hawthorn is the motto Dieu Et Mon Droit (God and My Right). Either side of the hawthorn is ER (Elizabeth Regina)

BUTTONS - Gilt, crown and German border.

The Tudor Crown, Yeomen during the reign of Queen Victoria wore St Edward's Crown
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I've been asked why Wales isn't represented on the tunic. As an Englishman with many Welsh friends and I would rather not get involved. This is a cowardly answer for which I make no apology.
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This is a button on the uniform of a Yeoman of the Guard. The buttons on the tunic of an Officer in the Guard is the Tudor Crown above the Thistle, Tudor Crown and Shamrock.
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Rosettes are attached to the gold-guilt knee strap. At the front is a large flap for use when one's taken short. This generally happens when the tunic, sword belt and crossbelt have been put on and you're ready to get on the transport.
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SERGEANT-MAJORS - On right arm four chevrons of ¾ inch gold spot lace surmounted by crown.

STICK - (Sergeant-Majors and Officers only) - Black varnished stick, silver boss let in top device, Royal Cypher and crown, with rose, thistle, and shamrock, and motto, plated band, eyes for tassel, plated ferrule.

HOSE - Scarlet Merino stockings or tights.

GLOVES - White cotton, buttoned at the cuff (used to be buckskin).

SHOES - Monk shoes with rosette-buckle, and red, white and blue ribbon rosettes. (Note, if any Yeoman arrived for duty with a pair of patent-leather shoes the Messenger Sergeant Major would have a coronary, regardless of what the Official Court Dress Regulations may state regarding patent-leather Oxfords. There is friendly rivalry between the various Regiments/Corps regarding the quality of the shine on one's shoes (patent leather is a lazy option and not to be tolerated).

RUFFS - White muslin, four rows 3 inches deep, goffered into neck band with tape drawstring.

HAT - Flat brimmed black velvet Tudor hat, gossamer body, crown 5 inches deep, brim 2 ¾ inches. Red, white and blue ribbons in bows all round close above brim.

Divisionl Sergeant Major (DSM) and Messenger Sergeant Major (MSM) rank insignia.
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There's great rivalry over the 'bulling' of the monk-shoes. No spit and polish but clean water, cotton wool, Kiwi Parade Gloss, bees wax, lint-free cloths and TLC. Must be carried out over a war story or two.
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When the Crown Jewels plates were carried over the head at the Royal Maundy Service a towel was placed inside to fill the void so that the weight of the plates didn't push the hat over one's eyes.
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This is was introduced during Elizabeth's reign.
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The gloves are white cotton and washed after every duty as they get quite soiled from carrying out drill with the partizan (8ft long wooden pole with a sharp pointy end)
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SWORD BELT - Maroon leather, diced, 3 ¼ inches wide, laced as Shoulder Belt with large baldric frog, gilt oval buckle the width of belt, with gilt metal slide.

SHOULDER BELT - Also called the crossbelt or carbine belt. The only piece of ceremonial uniform that distinguishes a Yeoman of the Guard from St James's Palace and a Warder from the Tower of London. Tower Warders do not wear the shoulder belt. Scarlet cloth 3¼ inches wide, lined blue shalloon; four rows gold 3/8 inch light of blue velvet between the laces; two gilt eyelets 4 inches from bottom of each end with blue ribbon tie; a large gilt swivel riveted with two plates to end of belt.

CLOAK - Blue Inverness with hood, lined Scarlet Italian, gilt rose clasp at neck, and eight buttons. Used rarely and then only during inclement weather but have been worn at Royal Funerals.

Last used at the Most Noble Order of the Garter Service at Windsor Castle in 2016 when it was very inclement weather.
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Worn so that the sword is carried on the left hip. The sword slots into a slit in the V-shaped fabric. The buckle and other brass parts of the belt quickly tarnish between duties and are cleaned with Brasso and with the same TLC as the shoes.
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This highly prized piece of uniform is the Crossbelt or Shoulder Belt of Carbine Belt for supporting the very heavy arquebus in the 16th century. The swivel (right) is at the end of the belt and was secured to the weapon. Only worn by Yeomen of the Guard at St James's Palace. Any image of a Beefeater wearing this is not from the Tower of London.
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The brass swivel is at the end of the cross belt (left) to which the arquebus was secured. See Arquabus below for more detail.
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For many years the Yeomen of the Guard uniform has been made by Dege & Skinner, Savile Row, London but this hasn't always been the case.

Mrs Gertrude Elizabeth Jacobs (formerly Boud) was born 1882 and originally lived in Ilford and worked as a military tailoress. After losing her husband on 22 Aug 1915 (1177 Pte William Cuthbery Boud 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers) at Gallipoli in WWI she moved to London with her 3 children. She found work at Pimlico making the full dress uniforms of the Yeomen of the Guard. The cuttings of the gold braid used for the uniforms was classed as a 'perk' and she was allowed to take home any little snippings. This could be quite profitable in that after hours of unwinding the gold thread from the cotton base, a small ball of gold thread could then be taken to the local pawnbroker and Gertrude would receive a £1 or so for it. Most welcome as her wages at the time were only about £1 and 6 pence per week.

In about 1936 Gertrude had to change employment and whilst it is not known what company she worked for it was situated in Lea Bridge Road, Silvertown, London where she trained women in the making of uniforms. Upon the outbreak of WWII, in September 1939, the making of Body Guard uniforms was abandoned and made way for the making of Officer's uniforms for the war. Gertrude moved to Barking and worked in Bromley by Bow, London eventually retiring at the age of 75 and passing away at the age of 82 years of age.

Webmaster comment: Thank you Gertrude and to all of those ladies that worked on these very heavy and superbly made uniforms. I think I'm still wearing the one in the picture!

PARTISAN - (right) - Steel head, blue and gilt with Royal Arms and Royal Cypher and Crown, fitted into long gilt socket, below which is a large yellow and crimson tassel. The blade is attached to a lance wood staff 6 feet 2 inches long to top of tassel, brass shoe. Carried by Yeomen only.

SWORD - Gilt hilt, half basket, with three bars; Royal Crest; Crown pommel; white fish-skin grip, gilt wired. Blade blued and gilt, with Royal Cypher and Crown; Black leather scabbard, gilt locket with hook, Royal Cypher engraved above hook; gilt shoe. The Wilkinson sword is carried on the left hip within its black-leather scabbard. But for cleaning, the sword is never drawn unless to protect the Sovereign.

ARQUEBUS - The fighting weapons of the Body Guard at Bosworth Field were those of the ordinary foot soldier – the pike and the long bow. Later as technology developed these were replaced by the breech-loading Arquebus, also called Harquebus or Hackbut. This was a long, portable smoothbore matchlock gun. Although it was the first gun fired from the shoulder it was generally fired from a support, against which the recoil was transferred from a hook on the gun. It was invented in Spain but its name seems derived from the German Hakenbüchse meaning "hooked-gun". The bore varied and its effective range was less than 650 feet (200m).

The Yeoman wore a carbine belt or cross-belt to take the weight of this cumbersome weapon.