Life guard (military)

Not to be confused with lifeguard, in the meaning of an emergency service worker.

Changing of the guard in Whitehall, London

A life guard (also known as household troops) is a military unit charged with protecting a high-ranking individual, such as a monarch.

Germany

Since the 15th century, Leibgarde^[1] has been the designation for the military security guards who protected Fürsten (royals and nobles) – usually members of the highest nobility who ruled over states of the Holy Roman Empire and later its former territory – from danger. The Leibgarde should not be mixed up with bodyguard (Leibwächter), which may refer also to a single private individual.^[2]

France

In the Kingdom of France, the Garde du Corps was established (with reference to the sergents d'armes) in 1440. It was abolished after the French Revolution, re-established in 1815 after the Bourbon Restoration, and finally dissolved in 1830 after the July Revolution. In addition, Napoleon III set up the Cent-gardes for his own protection.

List of life guard units

• Germany:
  • Kingdom of Bavaria: Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment – part of the Bavarian Army
  • Kingdom of Prussia: Prussian Life Guards – part of the Guards Corps of the Prussian Army
  • Nazi Germany: 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" – incorporated into the Waffen-SS during World War 2
• Kingdom of France: French Life Guards – part of the Maison Militaire du Roi de France of the French Royal Army
• Imperial Russia: Imperial Guard (Leibgarde) – regiments of life guards that evolved into many elite combat units in the Imperial Russian Army
• United Kingdom: Life Guards – part of the British Army
• Sweden: Life Guards – part of the Swedish Army
• Denmark: Royal Life Guards – part of the Danish Army
• United States: Washington's Life Guard – part of the Continental Army

See also

• Royal guard

References

1. Langenscheidt's Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English and German language: "Der Große Muret-Sander", Part I German–English, First Volume A–K, 9th edition 2002, p. 1006 – "de: Leibgarde / en: mil. especially – lifeguard, Br. life-guard"
2. Dictionary to the German Military History, 1st edition (Liz.5, P189/84, LSV:0547, B-Nr. 746 635 0), military publishing house of the GDR (VEB) – Berlin, 1985, Volume 1, page 223, definition: "Garde, Leibgarde".