Editing Foot guards

{{Short description|Senior infantry regiments in some militaries}}
'''Foot guards''' are senior [[infantry]] regiments within the [[British Army]] and the [[Canadian Army]] whose primary role includes military and combat operations, while its secondary role include [[public duties]] responsibilities which reflect their senior status.<ref name=guardsmuseumtoday>{{cite web|url=https://theguardsmuseum.com/about-the-guards/the-guards-today/|title=The Guards Today|publisher=The Guards Museum|access-date=14 December 2024|website=theguardsmuseum.com}}</ref><ref name=ggfg>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/4-canadian-division/governor-generals-foot-guards.html|title=Governor Geneal's Foot Guards|publisher=Government of Canada|date=11 January 2022|access-date=14 December 2024|website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> Foot guards regiments were historically infantry soldiers who fought on foot who also performed public duties like [[guard mounting|mounting a guard]].<ref name=guardmuseumwork>{{cite web|url=https://theguardsmuseum.com/about-the-guards/the-work-of-the-regiments/|title=The work of the Regiments|publisher=The Guards Museum|access-date=14 December 2024|website=theguardsmuseum.com}}</ref>

The British foot guards were established in the 17th century, and served as an infantry unit and [[royal guards]] for the monarchy. In the 19th century, the Canadian foot guard were formed, modelled after their British counterparts as a reflection of [[monarchy of Canada|Canada’s relationship with the monarchy]] and to undertake ceremonial duties in Ottawa. Historically, other countries have also maintained units called "foot guards," though not all of these were the senior infantry regiments of their forces or were units that were tasked with both military combat responsibilities with ceremonial public duties.

{{Asof|2024}}, the British Army maintains five regiments of foot guards, while the [[Canadian Army Reserve]] maintains two regiments of foot guards. While most foot guard units continue to serve in [[light infantry]] or infantry roles, two of the five British foot guards regiments have transitioned to [[mechanised infantry]] roles.

==United Kingdom==
[[File:His Majesty's Foot Guards Art.IWMPST0579.jpg|thumb|An illustration of an [[Irish Guards|Irish]], [[Scots Guards|Scots]], [[Coldstream Guards|Coldstream]] and [[Grenadier Guards]]man. The illustration was created prior to the formation of the [[Welsh Guards]] in 1915.]]
The [[British Army]] maintains five regiments of foot guards. The [[Grenadier Guards]], [[Coldstream Guards]], and [[Irish Guards]] specialise in [[infantry]] and [[light infantry]] roles, while the [[Scots Guards]] and [[Welsh Guards]] specialise in mechanised and light [[mechanised infantry]] roles.<ref name=guardmuseumwork/> The five foot guard regiments form the infantry component of the [[Household Division]].<ref name=guardsmuseumtoday/>

===History===
The oldest foot guards regiment dates back to 1642. Foot guards units have historically been front-line troops, with their ceremonial public duties always being a secondary function. As [[royal guards]] to the [[British monarchy]], the foot guards have accumulated unique privileges and traditions over its existence.<ref name=guardmuseumhist>{{cite web|url=https://theguardsmuseum.com/about-the-guards/history-of-the-foot-guards/|title=History of the Foot Guards|publisher=The Guards Museum|access-date=14 December 2024|website=theguardsmuseum.com}}</ref> The reigning British monarch traditionally serves as the colonel-in-chief of the regiments within the Household Division.<ref name=householddivcere>{{cite web|url=https://www.householddivision.org.uk/ceremonial-events|website=www.householddivision.org.uk|title=Ceremonial Events|year=2024|access-date=15 December 2024|publisher=The Household Division}}</ref>

The three oldest regiments—the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, and Scots Guards—were formed during the [[English Civil War]], while the Irish Guards and Welsh Guards were established in the 20th century. The Irish Guards were created in 1900 after [[Queen Victoria]] was impressed by the actions of Irish units during the [[Second Boer War]]. The Welsh Guards were formed in 1915 by King [[George V]], after it was pointed out that the Household Division lacked representation from [[Wales]].<ref name=guardmuseumhist/> A sixth regiment of foot guards briefly existed after the [[First World War]], the [[Guards Machine Gun Regiment]].<ref name=householddivcere/>

===Public duties===
[[File:State Opening of Parliament 2015 (18165064562).jpg|thumb|The [[Grenadier Guards]] performing [[public duties]] during the 2015 [[State Opening of Parliament]] by Queen [[Elizabeth II]], accompanying her procession to the [[Palace of Westminster]].]]
The regiments of the foot guards are responsible for performing public duties, most notably mounting the [[King's Guard]] at [[St. James's Palace]] and [[Buckingham Palace]], as well as [[guard mounting|mounting]] the [[Windsor Castle]] Guard, and the [[Tower of London]] Guard, all key locations of significance to the monarchy. Although the regiments of foot guards perform the majority of these public duties, they occasionally are supported by other units in the [[British Armed Forces]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].<ref name=householddivcere/>

Historically, the foot guards also manned ten other sentry posts around [[London]], including [[Horse Guards (building)|Horse Guards]], [[Savoy Place|Savoy Prison]], and [[Montagu House, Bloomsbury|Montagu House]].<ref name=householddivcere/>

==Canada==
[[File:GuardKandahar.jpg|thumb|[[Canadian Grenadier Guards]]men next to a [[LAV III]] in [[Kandahar]], Afghanistan]]
The [[Canadian Army Reserve]] includes two regiments of foot guards, the [[Governor General's Foot Guards]] and the [[Canadian Grenadier Guards]], both formed in the 19th century.<ref name=ggfg/><ref name=govtcanadadress>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/military-identity-system/dress-manual/chapter-6/annex-b.html|title=Dress instructions - Annex B Royal military colleges and infantry regiments|publisher=Government of Canada|date=30 August 2023|access-date=14 December 2024|website=www.canada.ca}}</ref><ref name=cgg>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/2-canadian-division/the-canadian-grenadier-guards.html|title=Canadian Grenadier Guards|publisher=Government of Canada|date=2 February 2022|access-date=14 December 2024|website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> The two regiments of foot guards are the senior reserve infantry regiments in Canada and train in an infantry role to support [[Canadian Armed Forces]] domestic operations and support the [[Regular Force]] in international operations.<ref name=ggfg/><ref name=cgg/> The two units form part of Canada's household troops and serve as a symbol of the armed forces' relationship with the [[Canadian monarchy]] and also perform public duties in [[Ottawa]] as a result.<ref name=ceremonialguard>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/army/corporate/4-canadian-division/ceremonial-guard.html|title=Ceremonial Guard|publisher=Government of Canada|date=2 September 2021|access-date=14 December 2024|website=www.canada.ca}}</ref> 
[[File:Ottawa Ontario Canada ~ Changing of The Guard ~ Rideau Hall (49850732831).jpg|thumb|Members of the [[Governor General's Foot Guards]] mount a sentry post at [[Rideau Hall]]. The unit is one of two regiments of foot guards in Canada.]]
The [[Royal Regiment of Canada]] is another Army Reserve unit that is uniformed as a regiment of foot guards, although they are formally a [[line infantry]] regiment.<ref name=govtcanadadress/> The regiment adopted the uniform of its predecessor, the [[Royal Grenadiers]], which was uniformed after the British Grenadier Guards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.militaryheritage.com/royalregimentofcanada.htm|title=History and Uniform of the Royal Regiment of Canada, 1862-1970|access-date=15 December 2024|website=www.militaryheritage.com}}</ref>

The Canadian Army Regular Force also established a foot guard regiment in 1953, known as the [[Canadian Guards]]. However, the unit was reduced to nil strength in 1970 and reassigned to the army's [[Supplementary Order of Battle]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10191873/1/ljcs-3152-champion.pdf|doi=10.14324/111.444.ljcs.2023v37.005|title=The ‘Nation in Arms’, ‘Attempted Rearmament’ and the ‘Brigade of Guards’, 1936–1939|last=Champion|first=C. P.|year=2023|page=65|journal=The London Journal of Canadian Studies|volume=37|issue=1}}</ref> 

===Public duties===
Along with their infantry role, the two regiments of foot guards are also tasked with ceremonial public duties at [[Rideau Hall]] and [[Parliament Hill]] in Ottawa as the country's household troops.<ref name=ggfg/><ref name=cgg/><ref name=ceremonialguard/> While both units perform public duties in the capital, only the Governor General's Foot Guards are based in Ottawa, with the Canadian Grenadier Guards based in [[Montreal]].<ref name=ggfg/><ref name=cgg/> 

In addition to supporting ceremonial duties at Rideau Hall and other events for the [[Governor General of Canada]], the Governor General's Foot Guards' Public Duties Company also oversees the [[Ceremonial Guard]]. The Ceremonial Guard is a subunit of the Governor General's Foot Guards that operates during the summer and is open to members of the [[Canadian Armed Forces]] who want to participate in ceremonial public duties. Service members in the Ceremonial Guard wear the uniforms of the two Canadian foot guard regiments, regardless of their actual regimental or unit affiliation, as they perform public duties traditionally carried out by the foot guard regiments.<ref name=ceremonialguard/>

==Other historical uses==
===Germany===
[[File:Prinz Oskar - Einstellung in das 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß-Potsdamer Stadtschloss.jpg|thumb|[[1st Foot Guards (German Empire)|1st Foot Guards]] of the [[Imperial German Army]] form a [[guard of honour]] for Emperor [[Wilhelm II]] and [[Prince Oskar of Prussia]], 1898.]]
The [[Prussian Army]] of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and the [[Imperial German Army]] of the [[German Empire]] operated several ''Garde-Regiment zu Fuß'' ({{literal translation|lk=yes|guard regiment on foot}}) units, including the [[1st Foot Guards (German Empire)|1st Foot Guards]], [[3rd Foot Guards (German Empire)|3rd Foot Guards]], [[4th Foot Guards (German Empire)|4th Foot Guards]], and [[5th Foot Guards (German Empire)|5th Foot Guards]]. All Prussian princes received their military [[Commission (document)|commission]] through the 1st Foot Guards.<ref>{{cite book|title=Navy & Army Illustrated|page=122|publisher=Hudson & Kearns|year=1894|chapter=The German Emperor's Visit to Palestine}}</ref>

===Japan===
The ''[[hatamoto]]'' were high-ranking [[samurai]] who served as personally served the [[daimyo]] in feudal Japan during the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] that included a subgroup called the ''kachi'' or "Foot Guards", and the ''umamawari-shū'' or "Horse Guards". However, only the ''umamawari-shū'' were tasked as [[bodyguard]]s for the daimyo, while the ''kachi'' were not assigned ceremonial duties and engaged in combat as part of their training for higher positions.<ref>{{cite book|title=Samurai Vs Ashigaru|page=13|last=Turnbull|first=Stephen|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9781472832443}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Guard of honour]]
*[[Imperial guard]]
*[[Life guard (military)]]
*[[Protective security unit]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal bar|Canada|United Kingdom}}
[[Category:Guards regiments]]
[[Category:Infantry]]