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of the reigning monarch, with the name of the corps ("Gentlemen at Arms") put diagonally from top to bottom. Between the two pieces of text is the corps' portcullis badge, while at the end of the standard are a selection of battle honours. In 2009, at a celebration of the Corps' 500 years of personal
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Under Henry VIII, the Troop of
Gentlemen varied in size, according to funding available. As the "Nearest Guard" to the Monarch, the unit attracted an aristocratic and aspiring membership, which could be utilised as a cadre of young officers when levies were raised for overseas service.
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and Butler also assisted by the house keeper. All
Officers (except the Captain) must have served in the Corps prior to promotion to officer rank. In the 17th century, there was also the office of
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All subordinate officers, and all
Gentlemen, must be under the age of 55 years on joining, and are on average 52. The Gentlemen retain their prior military ranks (currently most rank between
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468:. The senior permanent officer is the Lieutenant. The Clerk of the Cheque and Adjutant issues all orders to the Corps. The Harbinger runs the
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of noble families and the highest order of gentry as his personal Body Guard or 'Nearest Guard'", cadets being the younger sons of nobles.
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Today, the duties are purely ceremonial: the
Gentlemen accompany and attend the sovereign at various events and occasions, including
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to protect the sovereign, in battle or elsewhere. Henry decided to have "this new and sumptuous Troop of
Gentlemen composed of
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364:'s troopers. They were always intended as a primarily ceremonial unit, but were on regular duty until the 19th century.
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Gentlemen at Arms marching alongside the coffin of Queen
Elizabeth II, as part of the procession following her funeral.
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460:) and 27 Gentlemen. The senior Officer is the Captain, a political appointee who is now always the Government
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The Field of Cloth of Gold was not actually a battle, but is listed by the Corps as a battle honour
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from Savile Row in London, with the helmets handcrafted and maintained by the royal warrant holder
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are worn, and long ceremonial battle-axes, over 300 years old, are carried by all the
Gentlemen.
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feather plumes are worn when on duty, even in church. Officers wear, in addition, gold
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Although all
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As his Body Guard, it accompanied Henry to France in 1513 and took part in the
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for the
Harbinger—which they receive from the Sovereign on appointment.
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His
Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
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at their goldsmithing and silversmithing workshops, also in London.
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for the Lieutenant, Standard Bearer and Clerk of the Cheque, and
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in 1520. In 1526, they became a dismounted bodyguard armed with
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and Co-Paymaster of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms.
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Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland
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Chandler, David; Beckett, I.F.W., eds. (7 November 1996).
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joined the Corps in 1999 after retiring from the Corps of
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The uniforms are produced by the royal warrant holder
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Paymaster of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
779:(New ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 25.
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Captains of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
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Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
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The uniform of the Gentlemen at Arms, depicted on a
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His Majesty's Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
660:. In the case of the Gentlemen at Arms, this is a
572:Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
456:, the Clerk of the Cheque and Adjutant and the
444:The Corps today consists of five Officers (the
436:. They also have three mess dinners annually.
352:, during which a Gentleman Matthews saved the
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348:. They last saw service in battle during the
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971:Positions within the British Royal Household
917:King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard
582:officer of the 1840s. It has a skirted red
299:The Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners
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870:
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801:"Leading Liverpool light moves to Chelsea"
297:. Until 17 March 1834, they were known as
976:Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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594:cuffs and facings embroidered with the
317:to act as a mounted escort, armed with
58:"Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms"
981:Organizations established in the 1500s
776:The Oxford History of the British Army
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951:Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
832:Gentlemen at Arms speech, 4 June 2009
726:are displayed on the corps' standard.
128:Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
7:
546:Another notable Gentleman was Major
472:and assists the Clerk. The Mess, at
47:adding citations to reliable sources
610:, and carry sticks of office—
396:. The Gentlemen now parade for the
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688:to be displayed on the Standard.
515:Richard ("Dick") H. Whittington,
500:). They must retire at 70 years.
554:, who served from 1870 to 1909.
255:Chief Whip in the House of Lords
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16:Bodyguard of the British monarch
126:His Majesty's Body Guard of the
34:needs additional citations for
956:1509 establishments in England
667:of crimson edged in gold. The
139:Badge of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
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251:The Lord Kennedy of Southwark
309:The corps was formed as the
440:Officers and administration
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680:service to the Sovereign,
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578:The uniform is that of a
550:, one of the pioneers of
488:Membership and age limits
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961:British ceremonial units
548:Walter Clopton Wingfield
476:, is run by a permanent
388:by heads of state, the
360:(1642) from one of the
707:Field of Cloth of Gold
675:. Next to this is the
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541:Royal Hospital Chelsea
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342:Field of Cloth of Gold
194:Sovereign's Body Guard
893:Sovereign's Bodyguard
602:. Helmets with white
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398:opening of parliament
390:opening of parliament
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336:(better known as the
684:presented a special
648:The corps carries a
412:, receptions of the
406:royal garden parties
166:Dismounted bodyguard
43:improve this article
634:Gieves & Hawkes
598:royal badge of the
543:from 2001 to 2013.
394:Order of the Garter
338:Battle of the Spurs
334:Battle of Guinegate
834:- British Monarchy
682:Queen Elizabeth II
669:cross of St George
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474:St. James's Palace
416:, royal weddings,
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358:Battle of Edgehill
340:) and then at the
311:Troop of Gentlemen
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857:Gentlemen at Arms
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714:Siege of Boulogne
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32:This article
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805:. Retrieved
803:. 2013-10-02
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677:Royal Cipher
654:British Army
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608:aiguillettes
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402:state visits
386:state visits
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266:Collar badge
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190:Part of
120:
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99:January 2013
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
722:Honours in
638:Thomas Lyte
552:lawn tennis
422:Investiture
418:coronations
313:in 1509 by
241:HM The King
218:Engagements
200:Garrison/HQ
966:Bodyguards
945:Categories
807:2016-07-28
760:References
749:Spatharios
671:is at the
600:portcullis
462:Chief Whip
450:Lieutenant
346:battleaxes
269:Portcullis
232:Commanders
69:newspapers
700:Guinegate
523:. He was
505:clergyman
478:Axekeeper
458:Harbinger
305:Formation
291:bodyguard
222:Guinegate
743:See also
665:standard
650:standard
644:Standard
574:in 1937.
537:Chaplain
525:ordained
513:Reverend
261:Insignia
226:Boulogne
923:Captain
910:Captain
624:Cavalry
558:Uniform
539:of the
509:Colonel
498:colonel
464:in the
446:Captain
424:of the
356:at the
293:to the
247:Captain
157:England
153:Country
83:scholar
919:
906:
783:
686:riband
627:swords
616:silver
592:velvet
588:Garter
584:coatee
533:priest
529:deacon
452:, the
448:, the
420:, the
408:, the
372:Duties
327:cadets
203:London
145:Active
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
754:Rynda
711:1544
705:1520
697:1513
673:hoist
620:ivory
596:Tudor
590:blue
586:with
494:major
323:lance
319:spear
289:is a
277:White
274:Plume
208:March
184:Troop
148:1509-
90:JSTOR
76:books
781:ISBN
724:bold
612:gold
604:swan
511:the
496:and
470:Mess
432:and
321:and
182:One
179:Size
171:Role
163:Type
62:news
517:MBE
45:by
947::
527:a
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87:·
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