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Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Uniforms of the Garde Royale

The Garde Royale was formed 1 September 1815 and it's familar uniform was adopted a month later.

The Infantry was organised as a single Division of three Brigades, each Brigade having its own distinctive colour:

                    Regiments      Colour      Location
1e Brigade   1e Regiment   Crimson    Cuffs. Turnbacks
                    4e Regiment   Crimson    Cuff flaps. Turnbacks

2e Brigade  2e Regiment   Scarlet      Cuffs. Turnbacks
                   5e Regiment   Scarlet      Cuff flaps. Turnbacks

3e Brigade   3e Regiment   Jonquille  Cuffs. Turnbacks
                   6e Regiment   Jonquille   Cuff flaps. Turnbacks

Within each regiment,the 1st and 2nd Battalions each had one Grenadier Company, one company of Voltigeurs and six companies of Fusiliers.
The 3rd Battalion had one company of Carabiniers (who wore bearskins without a plate), six companies of Chasseurs and one of Voltigeurs.





Grenadiers wore a bearskin with a brass plate bearing the Arms of France, and with a white pleated lace cockade, white plume and white cords. The backpatch bore a Fleur de Lys on a patch of the facing colour.
Carabiniers and Voltigeurs wore a similar bearskin but devoid of a plate.
Fusiliers and Chasseurs wore a shako.

Grenadiers and Carabiniers wore scarlet fringed epaulettes; Voltigeurs wore yellow;  Chasseurs green and Fusiliers white.

Grenadiers and Carabiniers whore white grenades on their turnbacks; Voltigeurs wore hunting horns; Chasseurs wore one hunting horn and one Fleur de Lys whilst Fusiliers wore Fleur de Lys.


Front view of a Habit for a Fusilier,  2e Regiment (Scarlet facings to the turnbacks, cuff and piping).
The white metal buttons bearing the Arms of France can be clearly seen. The white brides retained white fringed epaulettes.

 Rear view of the same Fusilier's habit: the turnbacks are decorated with white Fleur de Lys and the button holes on the long pockets with white Cul de de lace.


Detail of the embroidered Fleur de Lys worn by a Fusilier or Chasseur




Officer's Habit, 3e Regiment (Jonquille cuffs, piping and turnbacks). The white lace of the OR has been replaced by silver and the buttons are silver, also. 

Rear view of the same Grenadier officer's habit - note the beautifully embroidered tail grenades (detail below)





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