The 2nd Tangier Regiment was raised by the

Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth (1657 – 17 October 1680) was the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, by Catherine Pegge. He had a sister called Catherine FitzCharles who is believed to have become a nun. His mother went o ...

in 1680. Part of the

Standing army A standing army is a permanent, often professional, army. It is composed of full-time soldiers who may be either career soldiers or conscripts. It differs from army reserves, who are enrolled for the long term, but activated only during wars or ...

of King Charles II, the regiment's intended role was to help to garrison the Colony of Tangier, but that was evacuated four years later. After a number of changes of name, it became the

4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the ...

when regimental numbers were introduced in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

in 1751.

References

{{Tangier Infantry regiments of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1680 History of Tangier 1680 establishments in the British Empire