The 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a

cavalry regiment Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1751 and the 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards in 1765. It saw service for two centuries, including the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, before being amalgamated into the

3rd/6th Dragoon Guards The 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1922 as part of a reduction in the army's cavalry by the amalgamation of the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's) and the Carab ...

in 1922.

History

The

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

was first raised by

Thomas Hickman-Windsor, 1st Earl of Plymouth Thomas Hickman-Windsor, 1st Earl of Plymouth, PC ( 1627 – 3 November 1687), was the son of Dixie Hickman and his wife Elizabeth Windsor, sister and heiress of Thomas Windsor, 6th Baron Windsor. He assumed the additional surname of Windsor and ...

as the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse in 1685 as part of the response to the

Monmouth Rebellion The Monmouth Rebellion in June 1685 was an attempt to depose James II of England, James II, who in February had succeeded his brother Charles II of England, Charles II as king of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and ...

, by the regimenting of various independent troops, and was ranked as the 4th Regiment of Horse. The regiment saw action at the

Battle of Schellenberg The Battle of Schellenberg took place on 2 July 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement was part of the John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Duke of Marlborough's campaign to save the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg capital ...

in July 1704, the

Battle of Blenheim The Battle of Blenheim (; ; ) fought on , was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The overwhelming Allied victory ensured the safety of Vienna from the Franco-Bavarian army, thus preventing the collapse of the reconstituted G ...

in August 1704, the

Battle of Ramillies The Battle of Ramillies (), fought on 23 May 1706, was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand AllianceAustria, England, and the Dutch Republicthe battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of K ...

in May 1706, the

Battle of Oudenarde The Battle of Oudenarde, also known as the Battle of Oudenaarde, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession, pitting an Anglo-Dutch force consisting of eighty thousand men under the command of the Duke of Marlborough, Lord Ove ...

in July 1708 and the

Battle of Malplaquet The Battle of Malplaquet took place on 11 September 1709 during the War of the Spanish Succession, near Taisnières-sur-Hon in modern France, then part of the Spanish Netherlands. A French army of around 75,000 men, commanded by the Duke of V ...

in September 1709 during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

. In 1746 it was ranked as the 3rd

Dragoon Guards Dragoon Guards is a designation that has been used to refer to certain heavy cavalry regiments in the British Army since the 18th century. While the Prussian and Russian armies of the same period included dragoon regiments among their respective I ...

, and formally titled in 1751 as the 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards. Shortly thereafter, in 1765, it took the title 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards, for the future

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

. It took part in the suppression of the

Bristol riots The Bristol riots refer to a number of significant riots in the city of Bristol in England. Bristol Bridge riot, 1793 In 1794 the populace of Bristol were said to be "apt to collect in mobs on the slightest occasions; but have been seldom so sp ...

in 1831 and, after service in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, took part in the

British Expedition to Abyssinia The British Expedition to Abyssinia was a rescue mission and punitive expedition carried out in 1868 by the armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire (also known at the time as Abyssinia). Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, ...

in 1868. The regiment was employed chasing the elusive General

Christiaan de Wet Christiaan Rudolf de Wet (7 October 1854 – 3 February 1922) was a Boer general, rebel leader and politician. Life Born on the Leeuwkop farm, in the district of Smithfield in the Boer Republic of the Orange Free State, he later resided at ...

in spring 1901 during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

The regiment, which was in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

at the start of

, landed in France as part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade in the 3rd Cavalry Division in October 1914 for service on the Western Front where it fought at the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...

in October 1914, the

Second Battle of Ypres The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915, during the First World War, for control of the tactically-important high ground to the east and the south of the Flanders, Flemish town of Ypres, in western Belgium. The ...

in April 1915 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. It retitled as 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's) in 1921, and was amalgamated with the

6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1685 as the Lord Lumley's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as His Majesty's 1st Regiment of Carabiniers in 1740, the 3rd Regiment of Horse (Carab ...

to form the

the following year.

Regimental museum

The regimental collection is held in the

Cheshire Military Museum The Cheshire Military Museum is a military museum in Chester, Cheshire, England. History The museum has been housed in the former A Block in Chester Castle since 1972. It covers the history of four British Army regiments connected with the Cou ...

Chester Castle Chester Castle is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is sited at the southwest extremity of the area bounded by the city walls. The castle stands on an eminence overlooking the River Dee. In the castle complex are the remaining par ...

. Some items are also held by the

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum is a regimental museum displaying the collections of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and its predecessor regiments. It is based in the New Barracks (built between 1796 and 1799) at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. ...

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...

Battle honours

The regiment was awarded the following

battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military ...

: *''Early Wars'': Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Warburg, Beaumont, Willems, Talavera, Albuhera, Vittoria, Peninsula, Abyssinia, South Africa 1901–02. *''The Great War'': Ypres 1914, 1915, Nonne Bosschen, Frezenberg, Loos, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Somme 1918, St. Quentin, Avre, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, Beaurevoir, Cambrai 1918, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914–18.

Commanding Officers

The Commanding Officers have been: *1958–1960: Lt.-Col. J. M. Ashton *1960–1962: Lt.-Col. George P. Badham *1962–1965: Lt.-Col. Edward I. Stanford *1965–1967: Lt.-Col. William R. B. Allen *1967–1970: Lt.-Col. Henry S. L. Dalzell-Payne *1970–1971: Lt.-Col. Anthony J. Bateman

Colonels

The colonels of the regiment were as follows:

1685 4th Regiment of Horse

* 1685 Thomas, Earl of Plymouth —Windsor's or The Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse * 1687 Sir John Fenwick —Sir John Fenwick's Horse * 1688 Richard, Earl Rivers —Savage's or Earl Rivers' Horse * 1693 John, Lord Berkeley —Lord Berkeley's Horse * 1693

Cornelius Wood Cornelius may refer to: People * Cornelius (name), Roman family name and a masculine given name * Cornelius the Centurion, Roman centurion considered by Christians to be the first Gentile to convert to the Christian faith * Pope Cornelius, pope fr ...

—Wood's Horse * 1712 Thomas, Viscount Windsor —Lord Windsor's Horse * 1717

George Wade Field Marshal George Wade (1673 – 14 March 1748) was a British Army officer and politician who served in the Nine Years' War, War of the Spanish Succession, Jacobite rising of 1715 and War of the Quadruple Alliance. He went on to be a milit ...

—Wade's Horse

1746 3rd Regiment of Horse

* 1748 Sir Charles Howard K B —Sir Charles Howard's Horse

1751 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards

* 1751

Sir Charles Howard General Sir Charles Howard KB ( 1696 – 26 August 1765), was a British Army officer and politician. Background He was the second son of the 3rd Earl of Carlisle and Lady Anne de Vere Capell, daughter of the 1st Earl of Essex. Howard was a G ...

1765 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards

* 1765 Gen. Lord Robert Manners * 1782 Gen. Philip Honywood * 1785 Lt-Gen.

Richard Burton Phillipson Lieutenant-General Richard Burton Phillipson (c. 1723–1792) was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1762 and 1792. Career Burton was the son of William Burton of Herringswell, Suffolk and his wife Grac ...

* 1792 Gen. Sir William Fawcett * 1804 Gen.

Richard Vyse General Richard Vyse or Vise FRSE (11 July 1746 – 30 May 1825) was a British general, and briefly a Member of Parliament for Beverley. Life The family's earlier history in Staffordshire is outlined by the editor of Erdeswicke. Vyse was born ...

* 1825 Gen.

Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 1st Baronet General Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 1st Baronet (1759 – 16 April 1831) was a British soldier and Governor of the Leeward Islands. He was the youngest son of Ralph Payne by his second spouse Margaret née Gallwey, of St. Kitts, West Indies. He s ...

* 1831 Gen.

Samuel Hawker Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venerated a ...

* 1839 Lt-Gen. Sir

James Charles Dalbiac Lieutenant-General Sir James Charles Dalbiac (1776 – 8 December 1847) was a British Army officer and politician. Life He was born the eldest son of Charles Dalbiac of Hungerford Park, Berkshire. In 1793 he joined the 4th Light Dragoons ...

* 1842 Lt-Gen. Francis Newbery * 1847 Gen.

Charles Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart General Charles Murray Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart (21 December 1783 – 16 July 1859), styled Lord Greenock between 1814 and 1843, was a British Army general who became Governor General of the Province of Canada (26 November 1845 – ...

* 1851 Lt-Gen.

James Claud Bourchier James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince James ...

* 1859 Gen. Sir John Scott * 1866 Gen.

Robert Richardson Robertson The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, reno ...

* 1883 Gen. Sir William Henry Seymour * 1891 Lt-Gen.

Conyers Tower Conyers is a city and the county seat of Rockdale County, Georgia, United States. The city is 24 miles (38.6 km) east of downtown Atlanta and is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of 2020, its population was 17,305. The formerly ...

* 1903 Maj-Gen.

Andrew Smythe Montague Browne Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...

* 1905 Maj-Gen.

George Salis-Schwabe Brigade Major George Salis-Schwabe (Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Lancashire 6 July 1843 – Bad Kissingen / Franconia 13 June 1907) was a British army officer, calico printer and Liberal politician. Life Salis-Schwabe was the son of Salis (born Salom ...

* 1907 Maj-Gen. Sir Reginald Talbot * 1920 Maj-Gen. Sir Nevill Maskelyne Smyth

1921 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's)

* ''1922: regiment amalgamated with the