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Sovereign's Bodyguard is the name given to three ceremonial units in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...
who are tasked with guarding the
Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
. These units are: * His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Armsformed 1509 * King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guardformed 1485 * Royal Company of Archers, the King's Body Guard for Scotlandformed 1676; entered royal service 1822 Although the Yeomen of the Guard is older, the Gentlemen at Arms are more senior, due to their being classed as '
gentlemen A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
' rather than '
yeomen Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...
', and because they are classed as the 'nearest guard', i.e. the personal guard to the Sovereign. The Royal Company of Archers performs this role when the Sovereign is in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
.


External links


The Queen's review of all of her bodyguardsThe King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at ArmsThe Royal Company of Archers
{{Authority control British ceremonial units Bodyguards Positions within the British Royal Household