A very special visit
It was a pleasure to welcome Amin and his father Esmail to the museum yesterday (10/04/2024) for a very special visit.
Amin, a keen fan of the Household Cavalry, had the chance to get up close with the uniforms, history, and traditions he admires so much at our museum.
It was a joy to see his enthusiasm and curiosity come to life during the tour. We’re honoured to have shared this memorable experience with them both and to showcase how accessible and family friendly our museum is.
Contents
Latest stories
Regimental Histories
The Extraordinary Objects of Waterloo
17th June 2026
More than 200 years after the Battle of Waterloo ended Napoleon Bonaparte's ambitions and brought the Napoleonic Wars to a close, a handful of remarkable artefacts continue to tell the human stories behind the famous victory. Among the most fascinating items in the Household Cavalry Museum are the skull cast of Corporal of Horse John Shaw, the prosthetic leg of...
Regimental Histories
Soldiers' stories
Blog stories
The Charge of the 1st Life Guards at Genappe
17th June 2026
On 17 June 1815, just one day before the Battle of Waterloo, the 1st Life Guards hurled themselves into battle at the Belgian village of Genappe, fighting a savage rearguard action that rescued their comrades of the 7th Hussars and 23rd Light Dragoons from French lancers. Their timely intervention successfully threw back the French cavalry pursuing the Anglo-Allied army as...
Arms, Armour & Uniform
Regimental Histories
Dressed for Duty: The History of the Household Cavalry Uniforms
27th May 2026
The two regiments of the Household Cavalry, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, are visually distinctive on parade, particularly in the coming months when they are a focal point of the summer pageantry on Horse Guards Parade. But what is the significance of their vibrant and ornate uniforms? Why do some members of the Household Cavalry differ from...
Blog stories
The Household Cavalry at the State Opening of Parliament
13th May 2026
The State Opening of Parliament is one of the most magnificent ceremonial occasions in the British calendar - and at its heart, the Household Cavalry play a central and historic role. Each year, as Parliament begins its new session, the Monarch travels in procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. It is the Household Cavalry who lead the way: over one...
Regimental Histories
What the Objects Don’t Say: Inside the Household Cavalry Museum Collection
13th April 2026
Every artefact displayed in the Household Cavalry Museum comes with a unique story attached, some far stranger than others - from a phenomenally expensive officer’s breastplate worn only once, to a sword wielded in combat at the Battle of Waterloo, to a campaign medal awarded to a cavalry horse for bravery. It is the Museum’s responsibility to preserve this historical...
Regimental Histories
Philip the Bear: The Household Cavalry's Most Unlikely Companion
23rd March 2026
Horses more likely come to mind than bears when one mentions the Household Cavalry, but strange as it sounds, a bear has a unique claim to fame in the Household Cavalry’s regimental history, a fitting story for World Bear Day today… Phillip was a brown bear, possibly imported from Canada where they are a native species, owned as a pet...
Cavalry Horses
From Waterloo to Hyde Park: The Horses of the Household Cavalry
25th February 2026
International War Animal Day commemorates the animals of all shapes and sizes that have served, suffered and died in human conflicts throughout history: from cavalry horses and military service dogs to carrier pigeons and camels. The occasion holds particular significance for the Household Cavalry. Across centuries of military service, the Cavalry Blacks have taken part in some of the bloodiest...
Soldiers' stories
The Day Burnaby Died: Legend and Loss at Abu Klea
16th January 2026
On 17 January 1885, the Household Cavalry lost one of its most legendary figures when Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby was killed in action at the Battle of Abu Klea in present-day Sudan, fighting beside old comrades and dying as he had lived - with daring and courage. When General the Lord Wolseley was ordered to lead the Nile Expedition to...
Cavalry Horses
Top 10 Facts about the Horses of The Household Cavalry
17th December 2025
Towering, disciplined and steeped in centuries of tradition, the Horses of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) are as much a part of Britain’s ceremonial heritage as the soldiers who ride them. At full strength, the Regiment cares for more than 280 horses, including those fully trained and in training. To help visitors better understand these remarkable animals and the...
Regimental Histories
The Household Cavalry’s Royal Connections
17th April 2025
For over 350 years, the Household Cavalry has stood as a living link between the British Monarchy and its armed forces. From its origins under Charles II to its modern ceremonial duties, the Household Cavalry’s story is woven tightly into the fabric of royal history. Charles II: The Founding Monarch The story begins in the reign of Charles II, who,...
Regimental Histories
The Household Cavalry Timeline: 350 Years of History, Honour and Horses
17th April 2025
The story of the Household Cavalry is not just a tale of ceremonial pomp - it's a living timeline of royal service, military tradition, and national history. From the battlefields of Europe to the heart of London’s ceremonial life, the regiments that make up today’s Household Cavalry have played a continuous and evolving role since the 17th century. 1660 –...
Soldiers' stories
John Edwards (1st Life Guards)
31st December 2024
John Edwards was born on the 4 October 1799 in Westminster, London and joined the 1st Life Guards (1st LG) in 1809 aged just 9 years old and under 4 feet tall....
