| Unit Name: | The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) |
| Dates: | 2 May 2015 – Current |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | British Army |
| Type: | Armoured cavalry |
| Role: | Close-quarters combat Reconnaissance Desert warfare Forward observer Maneuver warfare Patrolling Raiding Cold-weather warfare Screening Urban warfare |
| Size: | One regiment with four squadrons |
| Command Structure: | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Garrison: | RHQ – Prince William of Gloucester Barracks Regiment – Catterick |
| Nickname: | The Death or Glory Boys |
| Motto: | Death or Glory |
| March: | Quick: Wellington Slow: Coburg |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Tactical Recognition Flash |
| Identification Symbol 2: | Lances and Prince of Wales's feathers from 9th/12th Royal Lancers |
| Identification Symbol 4: | RL |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Arm Badge |
| Identification Symbol 4 Label: | Abbreviation |
| Ceremonial Chief: | The Queen |
| Ceremonial Chief Label: | Colonel-in-Chief |
| Colonel Of The Regiment: | Col Richard Charrington |
The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by an amalgamation of 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers on 2 May 2015. It serves in the 1st Deep Recce Strike Brigade Combat Team. The Royal Lancers are part of the 3rd (UK) Division.
It appears that the regimental amalgamation of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers was envisaged as part of Army 2020.[1]
The amalgamation was announced in July 2012, and the regiment was formed with an amalgamation parade before their colonel-in-chief, Queen Elizabeth II, at Richmond Castle on 2 May 2015.[2] [3]
On 5 April 2017, to mark her 70th anniversary as colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers and its predecessors, The Queen granted the regiment the honorific suffix "Queen Elizabeths' Own", to recognise their service to Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.[4]
On 8 June 2023, Queen Camilla was appointed colonel-in-chief of the regiment.[5]
The regiment is an Armoured Cavalry Regiment.[6] Previously equipped with the Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle, it started converting to the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle in 2022.[7] This was intended to be replaced by the Ajax (Scout SV) from 2019;[8] however, after considerable delays, British Army trials of the Ajax were paused in the summer of 2021 due to excessive vibration.[9] The Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle is also currently used.[7]
The regiment consists of three Sabre Squadrons of sixteen vehicles each and one Command and Support Squadron.[10] The Royal Lancers forms part of the Royal Armoured Corps.[10] It is based in Catterick as part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, one of the three Armoured Brigade Combat Teams of the 3rd (UK) Division.[11]
Since 2015, the Regiment has deployed soldiers operationally on Operation Elgin (Bosnia / Kosovo),[12] Operation Tosca (Cyprus),[13] Operation Orbital (Ukraine), and as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Poland.[14]
Regimental Commanding Officers included:[15]
The regiment retains order of precedence from the more senior antecedent regiment, the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's).
The Royal Lancers is now the last regiment in the British Army to retain the title of "lancers". It has directly or indirectly inherited the traditions of the six British lancer regiments that were in existence until a series of amalgamations began in 1922.
| 1922 Amalgamations | 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review – today | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16th (The Queen's) Lancers | 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers | Queen's Royal Lancers | Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) |
| 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers | |||
| 17th (Duke Of Cambridge's Own) Lancers | 17th/21st Lancers | ||
| 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers | |||
| 9th (The Queen's Royal) Lancers | 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) (amalgamated 1960) | ||
| 12th (Prince Of Wales's Royal) Lancers | |||
The Regimental Cap Badge is referred to as the 'Motto' and stands for 'Death or Glory'.[16]
The historic lance, complete with pennant, is still carried by detachments of the regiment on ceremonial occasions.[17]