The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is now the oldest Royal Body Guard, and also the oldest military corps now existing in this or any other country, pre-dating the Gentlemen-at-Arms by 24 years and the Queen's Body Guard for Scotland, The Royal Company of Archers, who were founded in 1676. Though The Body Guard can be traced to the armed personal guards of the Saxon and Norman Sovereigns, its real historical origin is to be found in the body guards of the Plantagenet Kings of eight hundred years ago. These latter guards however, were known by various designations, such as “Cross Bowmen of the Household,” and “Archers of the Guard of the King’s Body,” and were often created anew by the Monarch on his accession. It was King Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty, to make his Royal Body Guard a permanent institution and confer on it a definite title, a title it continues to hold.
Since its creation as a permanent Corps, the Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard has an absolutely unbroken history of over 535 years; for even during the brief period of The Commonwealth between 1649-1659 it continued to serve with King Charles II during his enforced absence in France, and at the Restoration accompanied him on his return to England, took its historic place in his triumphal entry into London, and stood around him at his immediate Coronation.
The last personal appearance on the battlefield of an English monarch surrounded by his Body Guard was George II who won a glorious victory against the French at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. And between 1720 and 1830 a certain civilian element was admitted to The Body Guard but upon the accession of William IV in 1830 his majesty commanded that in future no one could belong to his Body Guard who had not served in the regular Army or Marines. Furthermore, it was stipulated that no one under the rank of Captain could become an Officer and no one under the rank of Sergeant could be a Yeoman in the King’s Body Guard.
The Officers and Yeomen of The Guard are re-sworn under each new Sovereign, and their ancient privileges are confirmed.