The Royal Life Guards

The Royal Swedish Life Guards

In 1521, King Gustav Eriksson Vasa created the Royal Life Guard. When Gustav Vasa created the Guard it acted like the private bodyguards to him. It consisted of 16 men, so called “Dalakarlar”, men from the Dukedom of Dalarna. The King is the official chief of the Guards. Today his Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf is the Honorary Chief of the Life Guards.


Bildresultat för livgardets vapen
The coat of arms of the Royal Life Guards
"Possunt nec posse videntur"
The Regiment has several victories on its banner, such as; Befrielsekriget, Rhen, Lützen, Warszawa, The March over Bält, Halmstad, Lund, Landskrona, Narva, Düna, Kliszów, Holowczyn, Svensksund.
The Regiment has fought upon Swedish and foreign fields for nearly 400 years, for King, God and Country. The pride and traditions in the Regiment are so overwhelming and great, they carry the traditions of the famous Swedish Caroleans.
The “Drabantvakten” consists of “Karl XI:s Drabanter” and “Karl XII:s Drabanter” who wear the classic uniforms of the Carolieans.


Bildresultat för drabantvakten
"Drabantvakten"
 The Royal Life guards consists of: 10. Life battalion, 11. Military police battalion, 12. Motorized shooting battalion, 13. Security battalion, Military region Middle, Swedint, Armed Forces Military Unit, The Commandant staff, The International Education Unit, Dala Regiments group, Gävleborgsgroup and The Life Guard group. The Regiment Chief today is Colonel Christer Tistam. As of the year 2000 the Regiment formally became a new Regiment which included the “Livgardets Dragoner” (a cavalry regiment) but it has the same heraldry, traditions and assignments as always.
Today the Headquarters of the Life Guards is stationed at Kungsängen in Stockholm. The Regiment also has activity in Sollefteå, Falun, Gävle, Märsta, Stockholm, Göteborg, and Karlskrona. A total of about 1 300 people are working at the Royal Life Guards, from soldiers to lawyers. Most famous of them are the Royal Guards, in Swedish known as Högvakten; wearing dark and light blues suits armored with traditional weapons to protect the King and his Royal Family. The Parliament and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden.

Bildresultat för överkommendanten
The coat of arms of the Royal life guards and the "Överkommendanten"
 Because the Royal Life Guards is one of the oldest military institutions in our Kingdom it has a lot of old and illustrious traditions, such as the ceremonies, military masses etc. The biggest, yet an immaterial tradition, is the pride of the Guards or as known in Sweden; Livgardister. The Regiment has 5 marches, including: 

For the infantry: Kungl. Svea Livgardes Marsch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xgOFtDFhOY), 

Kungl. Svea Livgardes Defileringsmarsch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhGgbCtWWhA), 

Livgardets Gamla Marsch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiCw0PduV9E). 

For the cavalry: Dragonerna Komma (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrhMf1juKXY&t=38s

and Fehmarn-Sunds Marsch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP5EdBsZKk4).

To end the brief information and history of the Royal Life Guard, I will declare the Swedish Warriors Prayer.
Gud bevare Konungen och Fäderneslandet!

Kevin Sundin
Writer at the Swedish Armed Forces Editorior Office






Kommentarer

Populära inlägg