Today, there are 5 regiments and each one has a special coloured feather plume in their bearskin to distinguish their regiment. Prince William is part of the Irish regiment, whose bearskins have a blue plume (below, right).
Plumes tend to be made from horse-hair and are typically worn by Guards regiments on their bearskin caps.
The Irish Guards wear a Blue Plume in their bearskins, but you can also spot them by finding the shamrock on the collar of their tunics. The Regiment was founded in 1900 by The Queen's great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
Plume 'hackle' on Bearskin
The order in which regiments form up when on parade together is: Grenadiers on right flank, then the Welsh Guards, Scots Guards in the centre, the Irish Guards and the Coldstream Guards on the left flank.
The uniform is that of a Heavy Dragoon Guards officer of the 1840s. It has a skirted red coat with Garter blue velvet cuffs and facings embroidered with the Tudor royal badge of the Portcullis. Helmets with white swan feather plumes are worn when on duty, even in church.
The Coldstream Guards have a red plume, the Grenadier Guards have a white plume (see the Duke of Edinburgh above), the Welsh Guards have a striped white-green-white plume (see the Prince of Wales, below right) and the Scottish Guards have no plume.
Answer. Answer: The origins are that every gunner in the British military and the French military wore bearskin caps to make them taller and more intimidating because they were the ones that did the hand to hand fighting. In Napoleon's imperial guard everybody wore them, and they were supposed to be his elite troops.
Answer: It is regimental traditional as different regiments tend to wear the bearskin hat differently. The Blue royals will wear it under their chin and the Lifeguards will wear it underneath the lip. Individual regiments tweak the way they wear the hat in order to distinguish them from the other regiments.
A plume of St Patrick's blue was selected because blue is the colour of the mantle and sash of the Order of St Patrick, a chivalric order, founded by George III of the United Kingdom for the Kingdom of Ireland in February 1783 from which the regiment also draws its cap star and motto.
It's reported that the decision to wear the chained strap for these headpieces under the lip comes from when soldiers actually fought while wearing them. If a soldier was shot, the heavy hat could fall backwards and cause the soldier's neck to break if they were wearing a chin strap.
It's reported that the decision to wear the chained strap for these headpieces under the lip comes from when soldiers actually fought while wearing them. If a soldier was shot, the heavy hat could fall backward and cause the soldier's neck to break if they were wearing a chin strap.
Yes - those tall caps are made of real bear fur. And it's causing controversy. The sight of a member of the King's Guard standing on ceremony outside Buckingham Palace, sporting that immaculate red-and-black uniform and tall bearskin cap, is an iconic sight of London.
Approximately one bear is used to make one hat! To supply these hats, Canadian bears are legally shot or trapped in foot snares across the provinces. What makes these bear killings extremely cruel is that bears who are shot and escape die painfully from blood loss, starvation or infection.
The hats are worn by members of the five regiments — the Grenadier, Welsh, Irish, Scots and Coldstream Guards — who protect Buckingham Palace and other royal sites. The bearskin hats cost $1,218, and can last 20 to 40 years through wind, rain and sun exposure. The army said bears are not killed expressly for their fur.
a busby is a kind of hat; a bearskin is a bear's family.
While there is some debate about this topic, the answer is that in general, Buckingham Palace guards are not allowed to smile while on duty. This is due to the fact that their role is to be stoic and serious and to give off an air of authority, which smiling would detract from.
As the name suggests, many soldiers in the Irish Guards are drawn from Northern Ireland and the Republic – but you don't need to be Irish to be an Irish Guard. Whether they're from Belfast or Brixton, all are united by a proud history of loyal service and a sporting heritage.
An Irish wolfhound, the tallest breed of dog in the world, named Brian Boru – named after Brian Bóramha, the King of Munster and High King of Ireland who was killed in the Battle of Clontarf. As the first mascot, Brian was given military ceremonial training as the regiment was deployed to Bahrain.
Although we'd be forgiven for believing that the Queen's guards have taken a vow of silence while in post, they can indeed speak on some occasions. Although we do not recommend provoking them to do so, the can speak (or more specifically yell) if visitors come to close to them or acts aggressively.
Bearskin hats are made from the skin of black bears, hundreds of which are killed annually from a large population in Canada. The British Army takes 100 skins for itself. There have been endless calls to phase out the bearkin, and even an alleged offer from Stella McCartney to design new faux fur hats.
That's because the bearskin is stretched over a basket-like framework to which an adjustable leather skullcap and chin strap are attached for a secure fit. Wearers say the caps are quite comfortable, being both light and cool.
If a Queen's Guard needs the toilet, they must leave the area to use it. Royal Protocol does not allow for Guards to take toilet breaks while still on duty. Their primary role is to protect the Royal Family, so any request for a break is out of the question.
For each of the caps worn by the King's Guard, a bear is cruelly killed by being shot or ensnared, sometimes for days, in a painful trap – and British people, a good 95% of whom object to killing animals for fur, are unwittingly paying for it through their taxes.
The first black man to join an elite regiment that guarded the late Queen says writing a book about his experiences was "a coping mechanism" for the racism he faced. Bristolian Richard Stokes joined the Grenadier Guards in 1986 after encouragement from his adoptive father.