A guard of honour (

Commonwealth English The use of the English language in current and former Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, countries of Commonwealth of Nations, the Commonwealth was largely inherited from British Empire, British colonisation, with some exceptions. Eng ...

), honor guard (

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

) or ceremonial guard, is a group of people, typically drawn from the military, appointed to perform ceremonial duties – for example, to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, especially funerals. In military weddings, especially those of commissioned officers, a guard, composed usually of service members of the same branch, form the sabre arch. In principle, any military unit could act as a guard of honour. In some countries, certain units are specially assigned to undertake guard of honour postings or other

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion (Armenia), Honour Guard Battalion of the Mi ...

Republican guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

s, royal guards and foot guards frequently have ceremonial duties assigned to them. Guards of honour also serve in the civilian world for fallen police officers, firefighters, and other civil servants. Uniformed firefighting and law enforcement personnel render military-style salutes, and color guards present the colors at funerals and memorial services for fallen firefighters, law enforcement personnel and other civil servants. Certain religious bodies, especially churches of the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

and the

Methodist movement Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christian tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significa ...

, have the tradition of an honour guard at the funeral of an ordained elder, in which all other ordained elders present "guard the line" between the door of the church and the grave, or

hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...

if the deceased is to be buried elsewhere or cremated.

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

chivalric orders, such as the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

, provide guards of honour for deceased knights and high-ranking officers during funerals. The practice of providing a guard of honour as a mark of respect also occurs in sports, especially throughout the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

Countries

Guards of honour have been mounted by a number of

military forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

, uniformed paramilitary organizations, and civilian

emergency service Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety, security, and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while oth ...

Africa

Algeria

The

Algerian Republican Guard The Algerian Republican Guard (, ), is a military corps of the Military of Algeria, Algerian army. It is under the direct authority of the President of Algeria. The Algerian Republican Guard is composed of about 12,000 troops. It includes a horse ...

is a mainly ceremonial military corps of the Algerian Army. Composed of 6,000 troops, it is very similar in its formation style to equivalent units in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

. The Republican Guard includes a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...

and a

cavalry 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 ...

unit, the uniform and traditions of which are based on those of the famous

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

cavalry, the

Numidian cavalry Numidian cavalry was a type of light cavalry developed by the Numidians. They were used by Hannibal during the Punic Wars, and later became commonplace in the Roman army of the late Republic. History Numidian cavalry is first mentioned by Polybi ...

, the French cavalry, and the

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

cavalry, as well as infantry.

Egypt

The Egyptian Republican Guard is a division level unit in the

Egyptian Army The Egyptian Army (), officially the Egyptian Ground Forces (), is the land warfare branch (and largest service branch) of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Until the declaration of the Republic and the abolishment of the monarchy on 18 June 1953, it w ...

which is the seniormost unit in the

Egyptian Armed Forces The Egyptian Armed Forces () are the military forces of the Egypt, Arab Republic of Egypt. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces directs (a) Egyptian Army forces, (b) the Egyptian Navy, (c) Egyptian Air Force and (d) Egyptian Air Defense Forces. ...

that has the responsibility of defending the President of Egypt, as well as major presidential and national institutions. It is a type of guard regiment that is composed of dozens upon dozens of armored brigades, mechanized brigades and divisional artillery, Being the seniormost unit in the armed forces, the Republican Guard Division is the only major military unit allowed in central

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 ...

besides the troops of intelligence services and Central Security Forces.

Namibia

The Guard of Honour unit in Namibia is the 21 Ceremonial Guard Battalion of the Namibian Defence Force. Falling under the 21 Brigade based in Windhoek. It was part of the presidential security detail until removed from this role and put on honour guard duty.

Nigeria

The members of the Nigerian Presidential Guard Brigade are elite Nigerian soldiers who guard the residence of the President of the Federal Republic and his or her guests as well as performing ceremonial duties. It is similar to the

United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with conducting criminal investigations and providing protection to American political leaders, thei ...

in that its members also provide security for visiting heads of state. The brigade performs a weekly changing of the guard ceremony outside

Aso Villa The Aso Rock Villa (officially Aso Rock Presidential Villa) is the workplace and official residence of the President of Nigeria since 1991, when Nigeria moved its capital from Lagos to Abuja. It is located at Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Asokor ...

and stands guard at the Presidential Villa. Aside from that, the guards brigade also mounts the guard of honour for

state visit A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state, head of a sovereign state, sovereign country (or Governor-general, representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or ...

s, as well as the

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

Military Parade A military parade is a formation of military personnels whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as Drill team, drilling or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the ...

Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...

. The brigade is the senior unit in the

Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, and its professional head is the Chie ...

order of battle Order of battle of an armed force participating in a military operation or campaign shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and equipment of units and formations of the armed force. Various abbr ...

Senegal

The Red Guard of Senegal is a Senegalese Gendarmerie unit that is responsible for maintaining the security of the

President of Senegal The president of Senegal () is the head of state of Senegal. In accordance with the 2001 Senegalese constitutional referendum, constitutional reform of 2001 and since a 2016 Senegalese constitutional referendum, referendum that took place on 20 ...

. It is similar to the ceremonial elements in the French Republican Guard. The unit's uniform is derived from the French colonial

Spahi Spahis () were light cavalry, light-cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the Arab and Berber populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, w ...

. The Red Guard is under the direct command of the Security Legion of the Senegalese Mobile Gendarmerie. It is composed of many units that serve ceremonial duties, with the most notable being the honour guard battalion, which an infantry unit, and the mounted squadron.

South Africa

The guard of honour unit in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

was the State Presidents Guard (Staatspresidentseenheid) until 1990. The unit has since been replaced by the National Ceremonial Guard in the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The Chief of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister of ...

. Permanent honour guards in the country had not existed prior to the Staatspresidentseenheid's founding in 1967. In compensation for a lack of ceremonial units, the Citizen Force and the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment were often deployed for ceremonial events. Following the abolition of

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

in South Africa, the guard was disestablished, leaving the defence forces without an official guard of honour until 1995, when the NCG was founded.

Zimbabwe

The Presidential Guard is an elite combat unit of the Zimbabwe National Army, serving as a

Household Division The Household Division forms a part of the British Army's London District (British Army), London District and is made up of five regiments of foot guards#United Kingdom, foot guards and two Household Cavalry regiments. The division is responsible f ...

-like service for the President of Zimbabwe. The unit, in their green service uniform and yellow berets, mount the guard of honour on behalf of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. Past events where the guard of honour was provided by the presidential guard includes Defence Forces Day festivities, Heroes Day, the

Parade, and the inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa. The flag of the Presidential Guard of Zimbabwe consists of a beige background, with three equal horizontal stripes of red, green and red, and the centre having a shield which contains a white wreath beneath a bird, over which are two brown rifles in saltire. The brigade is based currently at Dzivarasekwa Barracks in

Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...

and is led by Brigadier Anselem Sanyatwe.

Americas

Argentina

The

Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers The Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers "General San Martín" () is the name of two Argentine Army regiments of two different time periods: a historic regiment that operated from 1812 to 1826, and a modern cavalry unit that was organized in 1903. The ...

serves as a part of the

Argentine Army The Argentine Army () is the Army, land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed For ...

, serving as the presidential guard and ceremonial mounted detachments. Two unmounted grenadiers are stationed in front of the Pink House as a symbol of the ceremonial and honour guard. They also provide security to the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, where its founder's remains are buried, and at the Palace of the Argentine National Congress, as well as in the other presidential residences. Raised in 1813, it is designated as the senior regiment of cavalry in the Army.

Brazil

The Brazilian armed forces and

Brazilian Military Police Military Police are the police uniform, uniformed Preventive police, preventive state police of the States of Brazil, states and of the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District of Brazil. The Military Police units are the main ostensive police ...

have several units designated as guards of honour, which perform public and ceremonial duties on behalf of the Armed Forces and the

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

units. The most important of them is the Brazilian president's honour guard units, all of the

Brazilian Army The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...

. It is composed of the 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment (1o Regimento de Cavalaria de Guardas – RCG, in Portuguese) – " Independence Dragoons", the Presidential Guard Battalion (Batalhão da Guarda Presidencial – BGP, in Portuguese) and the Cayenne Battery. All these units fall under the

Planalto Military Command The Planalto Military Command ( or CMP,) is one of the eight Military Commands of the Brazilian Army. The Planalto Military Command is responsible for the defense of the state Goiás, most of the state of Tocantins, the Federal District (Brazil), Fe ...

. The Brasilia Marine Group of the

Brazilian Marine Corps The Brazilian Marine Corps (, CFN; or 'Corps of Naval Riflemen') is the Brazilian Navy's naval infantry component. It relies on the fleet and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Naval Aviation and fields its own artillery, amphibious and land armor, COMA ...

, a component of the

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

, provides ceremonial guards of honour as well. The

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

maintains its own joint service honour guard.

Canada

Military public duties in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Canada's national capital, are formally the responsibility of two regiments of foot guards: the

Canadian Grenadier Guards The Canadian Grenadier Guards (CGG) is a reserve infantry regiment in the 34 Canadian Brigade Group, 2nd Canadian Division, of the Canadian Army. The regiment is the oldest and second-most-senior infantry regiment in the Primary Reserve of t ...

and the

Governor General's Foot Guards The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) is the senior reserve infantry regiment in the Canadian Army. Located in Ottawa at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry unit, and the members are part-time soldiers. ...

. One of their main tasks is the provision of sentries at ceremonial and other official state functions organized by the Government of Canada. Their tasks include mounting the guard of honour at military funerals and other events attended by visiting dignitaries. The two regiments of foot guards, together with the Governor General's Horse Guards, based in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, make up Canada's

. The Canadian Army also operates a summer public duties detachment known as the Ceremonial Guard, which assumes public duties in Ottawa from late-June to late-August. The Ceremonial Guard is made up of regulars or

reservists A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person ca ...

of the Canadian Army, although its membership is also augmented by members regulars and reservists of the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

, and the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

. Like the foot guards, the Ceremonial Guards also mount the guard of honour for military funerals, and visiting dignitaries while in season. Members of the Ceremonial Guard wear the uniforms of the Canadian foot guards, as they have historically staffed the summer public duties detachment, before membership in the Ceremonial Guard was opened to the entire Canadian Armed Forces in the 21st century. The Ceremonial Guard is considered an

ad hoc ''Ad hoc'' is a List of Latin phrases, Latin phrase meaning literally for this. In English language, English, it typically signifies a solution designed for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a Generalization, generalized solution ...

detachment, as its members are drawn from various units of the armed forces, and does not constitute a permanent unit in the Canadian Forces'

. Beside the Canadian foot guards and the Ceremonial Guards, units with regularly scheduled guard mountings include the

Royal 22nd Regiment The Royal 22nd Regiment (R22R; ) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Known colloquially in English as the Van Doos (representing an anglicized pronunciation of the French number twenty-two, ) or in French as , the mostly francophone re ...

, which mounts the guard from late June to

Labour Day Labour Day is an annual day of celebration of the labour movement and its labor rights, achievements. It has its origins in the trade union, labour union movement, specifically the Eight-hour day movement, eight-hour day movement, which advoca ...

(the first Monday of September) at the

Citadelle of Quebec The Citadelle of Quebec (), also known as , is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of the governor general of Canada. It is atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec. The citadel ...

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, a military installation and secondary residence of the King and Governor General. As the unit is based in Quebec City, it rarely mounts the guard of honour for foreign dignitaries. Guards of honour are also formed by civilian police, and fire services, including the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

. These civilian honour guards are typically mounted for funerals, and local ceremonies, with the honour guard units typically made up of 30 to 60 members. Some, like the

York Regional Police The York Regional Police (YRP; ) is the police service of the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. YRP was formed in 1971 from the police forces maintained by the nine municipalities which amalgamated into York Region at the time. The ...

, operate a mounted honour guard unit. Fire and rescue ceremonial units such as the Toronto Fire Services Honour Guard and the Calgary Firefighters Honour Guard are unique in that they are armed with a ceremonial

axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...

Colombia

The 37th Infantry Presidential Guard Battalion, composed of five companies, a historical company and one

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

plus a military band, a fanfare trumpet section and

Corps of Drums A corps of drums, sometimes known as a fife and drum corps or simply field music, is a traditional European military music formation. Historically, a Corps of Drums' primary role was communication. Today, the primary role of a Corps of Dru ...

, is the

President of Colombia The president of Colombia (President of the Republic) is the head of state and head of government of Colombia. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of Colombia, national government and is the commander-in-chief of the Mil ...

's honour guard service regiment under the

National Army of Colombia The National Army of Colombia () is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, and is the second largest army in the ...

. It is stationed at the Casa de Nariño in Bogota where the changing of the guard ceremony takes place three days per week and carries the traditions of Simon Bolivar's infantry guards company raised in the midst of the

Spanish American wars of independence The Spanish American wars of independence () took place across the Spanish Empire during the early 19th century. The struggles in both hemispheres began shortly after the outbreak of the Peninsular War, forming part of the broader context of the ...

in 1815.

Cuba

The Ceremonial Unit of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces provided honours for the

Communist Party of Cuba The Communist Party of Cuba (, PCC) is the sole ruling party of Cuba. It was founded on 3 October 1965 as the successor to the United Party of the Cuban Socialist Revolution, which was in turn made up of the 26th of July Movement and Popu ...

, the

Government of Cuba Cuba is communist and has had a socialist political system since 1961 based on the "one state, one party" principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a single-party Marxist–Leninist socialist republic with semi-presidential powers. The pre ...

, and the

Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (; FAR) are the military forces of Cuba. They include Cuban Revolutionary Army, Revolutionary Army, Cuban Revolutionary Navy, Revolutionary Navy, Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force, Revolutionary A ...

. It is a sort of mix between Russian and German ceremonial formations, with the unit notably adopting the German-born goosestep. Its ceremonial duties are usually performed at government buildings and notable areas in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Plaza de la Revolución (the main square in the capital) and the Palace of the Revolution (the workplace of the

President of Cuba The president of Cuba (), officially the president of the Republic of Cuba (), is the head of state of Cuba. The office in its current form was established under the Constitution of 2019. The President is the second-highest office in Cuba and ...

). The main purpose of the military unit is the performance of the changing of the guard every half an hour at the José Marti Mausoleum in

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

. Prior to

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

's 1959 Cuban Revolution, honour guards were performed by units that resembled honour guard units in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, such as The Old Guard.

Haiti

Haitian honour guard duties are performed by the General Security Unit of the National Palace of the

Haitian National Police The Haitian National Police (PNH; ) is the law enforcement and ''de facto'' police force of Haiti. It was created in 1995 to bring public security under civilian control as mandated in Haiti's constitution. As of 2023, the force has 9,000 acti ...

(L'Unité de Sécurité Générale du Palais National, USGPN) which is a major specialized unit of the PNH. It has, since 1997, mainly ensured security at the Palais National and the security of the

President of Haiti The president of Haiti (, ), officially called the president of the Republic of Haiti (, , ), is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government, which is headed by the prime minister of ...

. The USGPN works with the Presidential Security Unit (Unité de sécurité présidentielle, USP) to protect the president, as well as intervene when a crime takes place and or assist police officers in their duties, outside of the USGPN's ceremonial ones. Funeral honours, state visits, and military parades are some of the many ceremonies that the USGPN takes in.

Jamaica

The Jamaica Regiment is primarily responsible for public duties in the capital of

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

on behalf of the

Jamaica Defence Force The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is the combined military of Jamaica, consisting of an infantry Regiment and Reserve Corps, an Air Wing, a Coast Guard fleet and a supporting Engineering Unit. The JDF is based upon the British military model, with ...

. The regiment's first battalion usually mounts the guard of honour at national ceremonies, serving as a foot guard to the

Governor-General of Jamaica The governor-general of Jamaica () is the representative of the Jamaican monarch, currently King Charles III, in Jamaica. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister of Jamaica. The functions ...

. Members of the regiment also provide sentries at the

National Heroes Park National Heroes Park (formerly King George VI Memorial Park) is a botanical garden in Kingston, Jamaica. The largest open space in Kingston at in size,

Mexico

The Honour Guard in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

consists of members selected from the

Mexican Navy The Mexican Navy () is one of the components of the Mexican Armed Forces. The Secretariat of the Navy is in charge of administration of the navy. The commander of the navy is the Secretary of the Navy, who is both a cabinet minister and a career ...

Mexican Army The Mexican Army () is the combined Army, land and Air Force, air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army. The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National Defense o ...

, Air Force and/or the

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

, and report to the Secretariats of National Defence, Security and Civil Protection and the Navy, while these three government secretariats maintain currently (since the 2018 disbandment of the Estado Mayor Presidencial), through the Presidential Guards Corps of the National Guard, a dedicated joint service guards corps with a division of presidential military police and selected other formations from these select secretariats. Some of their duties include protection of the Mexican flag in Zocalo, and the raising and lowering of it, as well as providing ceremonial guards at

National Palace Buildings called National Palace include: *National Palace (Dominican Republic), in Santo Domingo * National Palace (El Salvador), in San Salvador * National Palace (Ethiopia), in Addis Ababa; also known as the Jubilee Palace * National Palace (Guat ...

Campo Marte Campo Marte is a venue under the administration of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA). Named after the ''Campus Martius'' (Field of Mars), it is used for military and government events, as well as equestrianism, equestrian events. Camp ...

during state visits to Mexico. There are also those selected from other organizations, such as historic societies, schools, sports centers, celebrities, etc., but these are for national holiday events within the country. ''Escolta de la bandera'' or ''Escolta de guerra'' or ''Escolta de honores'' or simply ''La escolta'' is the term in Spanish for colour guards and flag parties.

Peru

The Presidential Life Guard Dragoons Regiment is the premier ceremonial unit of the

Peruvian Army The Peruvian Army (, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in s ...

having similar practices to the Cavalry Regiment, French Republican Guard. It is one of two official Household Cavalry and

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 ...

regiments in the army which have the affording of ceremonial protection to the

President of Peru The president of Peru (), officially the constitutional president of the Republic of Peru (), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is the head of the executive branch and is the supreme head of the Peruvian Armed ...

and to the Government Palace in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

as their foremost duties. Other units, such as the Hussars of Junín and the Peruvian Guard Legion Infantry Battalion, also perform public duties in the capital. The other services of the Peruvian Armed Forces have their own dedicated ceremonial units. They include the Fanning Marine Company (Compañía de Infantería de Marina Capitán de Navío AP Juan Fanning García) of the

Peruvian Navy The Peruvian Navy (, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Additional missions include ...

; and the Airborne Platoon of the 72nd Squadron of the

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force (, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of aerial warfare, air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding i ...

United States

Each uniformed service branch in the U.S. Armed Forces has its own official honour guard: the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

( 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment),

Marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

( U.S. Marine Corps Ceremonial Guard Company),

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

( U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard),

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

( U.S. Air Force Honor Guard),

Space Force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...

( U.S. Space Force Honor Guard), and

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

( U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard). Most state national guard units and state defence forces have a ceremonial guard unit as well. High Frontier Honor Guard is the official United States Air Force ceremonial unit assigned to

Peterson Space Force Base Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a United States Space Force base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to ...

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

, and acts as the de facto official honor guard unit for the

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space force branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces, armed forces of the United States and one of the eight uniformed services of the Unite ...

The official honour guard of every branch is located in the National Capital Region, though nearly every military installation will have its own honour guard for local ceremonies and events. The honour guard units in National Capital Region, formed into the ''Joint Service Honor Guard of the National Capital Region and the Department of Defense'', an ad hoc unit of battalion size, represent the military as a whole and the United States as a nation, and perform numerous ceremonies on behalf of the President of the United States, the commander-in-chief of the federal Armed Forces, with musical accompaniment by each of the central bands of the Armed Forces based in the capital. Since World War II, The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) has served as the official Army honour guard and escort to the President, and it also provides security for Washington, D.C., in time of national emergency or civil disturbance.

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

's Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded by members of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Regiment. Since 2007, a Joint-Service Drill Competition has been held every April in front of the Reflecting Pool of the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institu ...

. Other ceremonial military units also include the Royal Guards of Hawaii of the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia (United States), militia of each U.S. ...

and the High Frontier Honor Guard at Peterson Air Force Base. The organized militia for the Connecticut State Militia also maintains a ceremonial guard unit, the Governor's Foot Guard. Many local, state, national and federal public safety agencies in the United States maintain Honour Guards, Pipes & Drums and Buglers, including fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, and search and rescue agencies, who typically use adaptations of military honour guards, and honour those who die in the line of duty (LODD-Line of Duty Death), off-duty but still on the job, and retirees, as well as participating in support of other agencies, and parades. Some Law Enforcement agencies are able to maintain a Rifle Team for 'three volley' salutes. Most, even those within major career paid agencies, are not paid for performing and preparing for the honour guard duty.

Venezuela

The Presidential Honour Guard is the joint service military unit mandated to ensure the immediate security of the

President of Venezuela The president of Venezuela (), officially known as the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (), is the executive head of state and head of government of Venezuela. The president leads the National Executive of the Venezuelan go ...

and his First Family and for the performance of public duties in the most important places in the country. The most distant antecedents of the Presidential Honour Guard go back to the Hussars Troop of Simon Bolivar, of the Venezuelan War of Independence and of the larger Spanish American wars of independence, raised in June 1815 and part of a more bigger guards brigade targeted for the immediate security of the Liberator, and the early 20th century 1st Cavalry Regiment "Ambrosio Plaza" that until the 1950s, albeit reduced to squadron size, provided the ceremonial security of the President and was modeled on the Prussian horse guards units of the late 19th century. El Salvador President at Maduro inauguration 2019 01

El Salvador President at Maduro inauguration 2019 01

The modern brigade serves as a ceremonial escort to the President of Venezuela at Miraflores Palace and attends all state arrival ceremonies conducted there, as well as providing security for the palace complex. The brigade also provides honour guards (i) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Carabobo Field, Carabobo commemorating the memory of national heroes and the fallen of the

Battle of Carabobo The Battle of Carabobo, on 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Venezuelan General Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led ...

of 1821, (ii) at the Montana Barracks in Caracas in memory of the late

Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; ; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician, Bolivarian Revolution, revolutionary, and Officer (armed forces), military officer who served as the 52nd president of Venezuela from 1999 until De ...

; and (iii) at the National Pantheon in Caracas in memory of Bolívar and other national heroes buried there. The brigade also performs public duties functions as required. Brigade personnel come from all branches of the

National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela The Bolivarian National Armed Forces ( - FANB) of Venezuela are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief (the President of Venezuela, President) and the Ministry of Defense (Venezuela), Minister of Defense. In addition to the Venezuelan Army, army, ...

(NBAF) and public security services. The brigade is commanded by a general or flag officer and includes a Presidential mounted escort of platoon or troop size, all wear the busby when in full dress. Aside from the PHGB, there are two other foot guards battalions in the NBAF, the Caracas Foot Guards Battalion of the Ministry of Defence, and the Brigadier Daniel Florence O'Leary Headquarters and HQ Services Foot Guards Battalion of the Venezuelan Army Headquarters. Both foot guard battalions are also tasked with forming guards of honour and public duties. These two battalions wear berets instead of combat helmets when in full dress, when in historical dress the shako is worn.

Asia

Bangladesh

The Guard of Honour in Bangladesh is primarily conducted by the President Guard Regiment, which is a special unit of the

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army () is the land warfare branch, and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to defend the land of Bangladesh from any external attack. Control of personnel and operations is ad ...

. This elite unit is responsible for providing ceremonial guards for the

President of Bangladesh President of Bangladesh (POB), officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is the head of state of Bangladesh and commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The role of the president has changed three times since ...

and other high-level dignitaries. The PGR also plays a crucial role in the inauguration of new presidents, where they perform ceremonial duties such as the Guard of Honour during the swearing-in ceremonies and other significant state events along with

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy () is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area from any external threat, the security of sea ports and exclusive economic zones of Ban ...

and

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) () is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The air force is primarily responsible for air defence of Bangladesh's sovereign territory as well as providing air support to the Bangladesh Army a ...

China (People’s Republic of China)

Today the duties of honour guards are performed by the Combined Honour Guard of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

(PLA), are provided by the 1st Guard Division of PLA Beijing Garrison in Beijing, under the Central Theater Command and reporting directly to the General Staff. They marched as the first battalion in the military parade of the 35th, 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries of the People's Republic of China. They are often on parades led by a colour guard detail carrying the PLA flag. In addition to the Beijing battalion, the PLA also operates a number of other honour guard units that, including in the PLA Navy and the PLA Air Force, as well as the People's Armed Police Honour Guard Battalion in Beijing. Other PLA honour guard units based outside Beijing includes the Hong Kong Garrison Honour Guard Battalion,

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

Garrison Honour Guard Battalion, and the

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

Garrison Honour Guard Battalion Police-manned honour guards are also deployed within the special administrative regions of

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and

. This is partly due to the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. Pursuant to the one c ...

and the Macau Security Force having a largely ceremonial British and Portuguese tradition respectively. In the case of Hong Kong, the honour guards are reminiscent of those belonging to the British Household Division. In December 2016, the HKPF received ceremonial training from instructors from the Army School of Ceremonial at 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 ...

's Infantry Training Centre. It renders honours to the

Chief Executive of Hong Kong The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of Governor of ...

and the

Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal The chief justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, sometimes informally known as the chief justice of Hong Kong, is the head of the Judiciary of Hong Kong and the President of the Court of Final Appeal. The chief justice is one of fo ...

. The only notable example of a police honour guard under the

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

on the mainland is the

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

Public Security Force Honour Guard at Hekou Port near the China–Vietnam border, having been covered during a report by ''New China TV '' in September 2016.

China (Republic of China)

During the time of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(1368 to 1644) the first-ever military honour guard duties in China were undertaken by the Jǐnyīwèi or the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Their successors, the Qing era

Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the emperor and/or empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial force ...

, were organized into a division protecting the Emperor, his family, and the wide

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...

complex. In the Republic of China (known colloquially as

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

), the military honour guard duty is provided by members from the following companies representing the branches of the

Republic of China Armed Forces The Republic of China Armed Forces ( zh, t=中華民國國軍) are the national military forces of the Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC), which is now based primarily in the Taiwan Area but Republic of China (1912–1949), formerly governed Mai ...

: * Honour Guard Company, Army HQ,

Republic of China Army The Republic of China Army ( Chinese, 中華民國陸軍) also known as the ROC Army (ROCA); colloquially the Taiwanese Army ( Chinese, 台湾陆军) by western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Army ( Chi ...

* Honour Guard Company, Corps HQ Battalion,

Republic of China Marine Corps , image = File:Republic of China Marine Corp (ROCMC) Logo.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Emblem of the Republic of China Marine Corps with the map of ROC claimed lands of m ...

* Fleet Honour Guard, Republic of China Navy * Honour Guard Company, ROC Air Force Air Defense Artillery Command,

Republic of China Air Force The Republic of China Air Force ( Chinese, 中華民國空軍), or the ROCAF; known colloquially as the Taiwanese Air Force ( Chinese, 臺灣空軍) by Western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Air Force ...

Each branch maintain their own respective honour guards, all of which follow the American precedent and make up the Armed Forces Honour Guard (). The National Day Honour Guard Battalion is also made up of personnel of the honour guards companies of the aforementioned branches. Guardsmen employ a

M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the United States Army, U.S. ...

rifle during ceremonial activities. The units also perform guard duties and are usually present at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

. Outside Taipei, Taiwanese honour guards are also present at the Cihu Presidential Burial Place, and the Daxi Presidential Burial Place in Taoyuan. Specifically, at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Honour Guard of the ROC Army performs a changing of the guard ceremony daily with four guardsmen changing duties every hour. An honour guard battalion, known as the Republic of China Police Honour Guard (), is also maintained by the Republic of China Police. Founded in 1977, it is currently managed and directed by the Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior.

India

The President's Bodyguard is the seniormost household cavalry unit in the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

, serving as a guard of honour for the

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

. In India, the Tri-Services Guard of Honour is made up of men or women drawn from three services of the Indian military: the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy. It is based at

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

and is of company size, present only during state visits. In January 2015, during

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's state visit to India, Wing Commander Pooja Thakur became the first female officer to lead the guard of honour for a foreign leader. In the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

, there is only one unit that serves as an exhibition drill team. This unit, known officially as the Air Warrior Drill Team (AWDT), was founded in 2004 and serves as the guard of honour of the IAF.

Indonesia

The term "guard of honour" in Indonesian is ''Pasukan Kehormatan'' which take their modern form in deputized formations of the former

Royal Netherlands East Indies Army The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (; KNIL, ; ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies, in areas that are now part of Indonesia. The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherl ...

and the Royal Netherlands Navy. Paspampres3

Honor guards of the Presidential Security Forces of Indonesia

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, the unit institutionally tasked to act as the Guard of Honour during a

is the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) which takes place at the national palaces (

Merdeka Palace The Merdeka Palace (; also known in Indonesian as and during the Dutch colonial times as ), is one of seven presidential palaces in Indonesia. It is located on the north side of the Merdeka Square, Jakarta, Merdeka Square in Central Jakarta, In ...

Bogor Palace The Bogor Palace (; ) is one of seven presidential palaces of Indonesia, it is located in the city of Bogor, West Java. The palace is noted for its distinctive architectural and historical features, as well as the adjoining botanical gardens. Ist ...

) with the

President of Indonesia The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...

and the visiting dignitary present to inspect the guards. The Paspampres is part of the

Indonesian National Armed Forces The Indonesian National Armed Forces (; abbreviated as TNI) are the military forces of the Republic of Indonesia. It consists of the Indonesian Army, Army (''TNI-AD''), Indonesian Navy, Navy (''TNI-AL''), and Indonesian Air Force, Air Force ('' ...

(TNI) tasked with protective security duties for the head of state and state-protocol duties (ceremonial). As a military tri-services special joint service command, the ceremonial duties of Paspampres are to conduct

during state function occasions including to provide quarter guard and guard mounting duties for the national official residences. The ceremonial duties tasked to the Paspampres is the responsibility of a unit within Paspampres known as the " State Protocol Escort Battalion" (''Batalyon Pengawal Protokoler Kenegaraan'' abbreviated "Yonwalprotneg"), it is a detachment consisting of chosen military policemen selected from the Military Police Corps with a minimum height requirement of . This detachment is also tasked to become the Cordon Guard during the arrival ceremony at the

airport apron The airport apron, apron, flight line, or ramp is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, boarded, or maintained. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it ...

during a state visit and is responsible to act as pallbearers during a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

. Their uniform are red full dress uniforms with a white buff belt worn on the upper waist, white trousers with white parade boots and a black

shako A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or Cap badge, badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, hackle ...

as the headdress, sometimes a light blue beret is worn for other duties such as during the Changing of the Guard ceremony or a state funeral. A black uniform with peaked cap also present. During the national ceremony commemorating the independence day of Indonesia conducted at

on the 17 of August, guards of honour which line-up at the palace yard are part of the armed forces tri-services and police ad hoc Guard of Honour which consists of guardswomen and guardsmen from the

, and

Indonesian National Police The Indonesian National Police (, abbreviated as POLRI) is the national law enforcement and police force of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded on 1 July 1946, it was formerly a part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, country's military si ...

. During this occasion, Honour guardsmen from the Yonwalprotneg unit of Paspampres (wearing Red and White full dress uniform with shako) acts as the principal guard of honour accompanying the Paskibraka escorting the

flag of Indonesia The national flag of Indonesia is a simple Bicolour (flag), bicolor with two horizontal bands, red (top) and white (bottom) with an overall ratio of 2:3. It was introduced and hoisted in public during the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ...

. The same format is seen in other parts of the country during the independence day commemoration ceremony with the Guards of honour tasked from local territorial military or police units in

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

, cities, and regencies throughout the country with the regional heads as the guest of honour inspecting the ceremony. These regional guards of honour wear the assigned peaked caps or berets of their branch or service arm, as well as the shako.

Iran

The Central Provost of Islamic Republic of Iran Army maintains a guard of honour unit called the "Presidential Ceremony Guard". It provides honour guards for the

Iranian President The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran () is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the second highest-ranking official, after the supreme leader. The first election was held in 1980 and was won by Abulhassan Banisa ...

and during events of state such as arrival ceremonies for foreign leaders and national holidays. Also known as ''DEJAJA'', the unit is composed of infantrymen, sailors, and airmen, all of which serve under the command of the army provost. Aside from

, the provost also serves as a military police unit for the capital of

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. Prior to 1979, the Imperial Immortal Guard provided honour guards for official events of state.

Iraq

The

Iraqi Armed Forces The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Iraq, Republic of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, Ground forces, the Iraqi Army Aviation Command, Army Aviation Command, the Iraqi Air Force, the Iraqi Air Defence Command, Air Defence ...

maintains the a guard of honour made up of personnel from each branch of the armed forces. The unit provides guards of honour for foreign dignitaries at the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. Prior to 2003, the personnel of the guard of honour were selected from the

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

Japan

The 302nd Military Police Company is a JGSDF unit under the direct control of the Eastern Army located in the

Ichigaya is an area in the eastern portion of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Places in Ichigaya *Hosei University Ichigaya Campus *Chuo University Graduate School *Ministry of Defense (Japan), Ministry of Defense headquarters: Formerly Headqua ...

garrison (MOD HQ). When foreign leaders make state visit to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, a Special Ceremonial Detachment of the company is assembled outside the Chōwaden Reception Hall at the

Tokyo Imperial Palace is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor h ...

or the Prime Minister's Official Residence to take part in the welcoming ceremony. The 115-strong personnel company is organized into three

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

s, each consisting of three honour guard squads. In wartime situations, the company serves as a military police unit. The

Imperial Guard of Japan The Imperial Guard of Japan has been two separate organizations dedicated to the protection of the Emperor of Japan and the Imperial Family, palaces and other imperial properties. The first was the , a quasi-independent elite branch of the Imperial ...

performs regular public duties at the

by performing sentry duty at the gates outside of the palace, which is the seniormost residence of the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

. The Imperial Guard also maintains a platoon-sized mounted police unit for use at state ceremonies. A guard of honour is also sported by the National Defense Academy of Japan.

Kazakhstan

The Aibyn Presidential Regiment serves as the premier ceremonial unit of the

President of Kazakhstan The president of Kazakhstan, officially the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the executive head of state of the Kazakhstan and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As the highest-ranking official ...

. It is under the direct command of the State Security Service of Kazakhstan and plays a direct role in maintaining state protocol. They have taken part in the changing of the guard ceremony in the Ak Orda Presidential Palace since 2001. On the other hand, the Honour Guard Company of the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan serves high-ranking members of the

. It is composed of soldiers from the

Kazakh Ground Forces The Kazakh Ground Forces (, ; ) is the land Military branch, service branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is one of the three uniformed military services, and is the most senior branch of the Kazakh military in order of pr ...

, the Kazakh Navy, and the

Kazakh Air Force The Kazakh Air Defense Forces (, , ) is the aviation warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Their responsibilities include protecting Kazakh airspace, as well as combat missions in support of other branches of the arm ...

, being truly representative of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. Like its name implies, it is subordinate to the country's defence ministry and is a reporting unit of the 36th Air Assault Brigade of the Kazakh Airmobile Forces. Both units take part in all essential national events and ceremonies, with a notable appearance being, among other things, the Inauguration of the President of Kazakhstan. The National Guard of Kazakhstan also maintains an honour unit which was formed in 2015.

Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea/“North Korea”)

Military Parade Marks 75th KPA Birthday 02

The Guard of Honour of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...

falls under the direct command of the

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n Supreme Guard Command or by its official name Unit 963. It takes part in ceremonies in which the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of North Korea and/or the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly are in attendance, most notably during arrival ceremonies at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport for world leaders. It has a very pan-KPA organization, with the colour guards of each service branch being present. Accompanying the colour guard is a lead officer in front, as well as two associate officers marching to the rear. Prior to military parades on Kim Il Sung Square and during visits to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the Supreme Leader inspects a guard of honour company consisting of troops of the KPA Ground Forces, the Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force, Air and Anti-Air Force, the Korean People's Navy, Navy, the Special Operations Forces, Strategic Forces and the Worker-Peasant Red Guards formed up. It is also the set-up during state visits, during arrival and departure ceremonies held at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport runway.

Korea (Republic of Korea/“South Korea”)

During the Joseon Dynasty, the role of guards of honour taken up by the Wanggung Sumunjang, Sumunjang (, lit. ''door guards of the palace''), who reported directly to the Emperor and the Imperial Family with administrative responsibility to the Minister of Defence as part of the armed forces of the state. South Korea today operates several guards of honour companies under the Republic of Korea Armed Forces - one each from the Republic of Korea Army, Republic of Korea Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force and Republic of Korea Marine Corps, along with a traditional honour guard unit that is made up of soldiers from the Republic of Korea Army. The traditional guard in particular was founded in 1991 after president Roh Tae-woo reviewed the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the Commander-in-Chief's Guard (3rd Infantry Regiment), Commander-in-Chief's Guard of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment of the

. Since then, the traditional honour guards have taken the role of officially welcoming heads of state and other dignitaries. Roles of the honour guards as a whole include funeral honours for the fall, ensuring the security of various military headquarters, and during state visits to the Blue House. For ceremonial purposes the guards carry various rifles - the Army, Navy and Air Force carry the M16 rifle; the Marine Corps carry

s and the traditional guards carry Ceremonial weapon, ceremonial swords, arrows, spears, and lances, keeping with the traditions of the Korean military and as a tribute to the guards units of the Imperial era. Their colour guards also reflect these influences as well. Seamen and junior ratings in the honour guards of the Republic of Korea Navy wear sailor caps bearing "Republic of Korea Navy" in Korean (with Hangul lettering) as part of the dress uniforms, while officers and senior ratings wear peaked caps. While the service guards units maintain their respective military bands based on the US and UK practices, the traditional guard unit also plays Daechwita, a form of traditional Korean military band music played for military ceremonies and events, and as such wears uniforms used by similar ensembles in the 19th century. The United Nations Command maintains an honour guard that is composed of members of the ROKAF, the US Armed Forces and other partner nations.

Kyrgyzstan

The National Guard (Kyrgyzstan), National Guard of Kyrgyzstan carries out official representative functions on behalf of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. The guard of honour is formed from the 701st Military Unit of the National Guard. The National Guard stands at attention at the National Flagpole on Ala-Too Square in Bishkek, and has been performing the changing of the guard ceremony every hour since 16 August 1998.

Malaysia

The guard of honour in Malaysia usually consists of the 1st Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment, which performs most ceremonial duties in Malaysia, such as Heroes' Day, visitation of diplomats and state leaders, National Day, guard duties at the Royal Palace of Malaysia, and many more, in the national level. The Royal Malay Regiment also mounts the guard during state visits to the Ministry of Defence. A guard of honour company from each of the battalions of the RMR is also mounted for States and federal territories of Malaysia, state-level ceremonies in Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Pahang, as well as in the states of Penang, Malacca, Sarawak and Sabah. Units that have mounted the guard in these types of ceremonies include the Royal Ranger Regiment (based in Perlis), the Malaysian Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Armoured Corps (based in Terengganu), the Royal Artillery Regiment (based in Kelantan), the Royal Regiment of Engineers (based in Perak), and the Royal Signals Regiment (based in Negeri Sembilan). The Royal Johor Military Force, an independent state-level military force for Johor, also provides a guard of honour for state ceremonies within Johor. Units of the Royal Malaysia Police in Melaka, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the Royal Malay Regiment and the Royal Rangers, mount guards of honour of the governors of these states. Guard of honour units are also found in the Royal Malaysia Police, The People's Volunteer Corps, the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, Fire and Rescue Department, and the Malaysia Civil Defence Force. Honour guards units of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN Honour Guard Battalion, Lumut) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF Honour Guard Battalion or the RMAF College) are mounted in the presence of the Sultan of Selangor and the Sultan of Pahang, respectively, in events where each of the two service branches are involved. Visits to the MoD building by naval and air general and flag officers are also accompanied by the guard of honour units of these services.

Nepal

In Nepal, the Guard of honour is formed from special troops from Nepalese Army. It is mainly given to the President of Nepal and the Prime Minister of Nepal. Foreign Heads of State also receives the Guard of Honour. Formerly, Guard of honour was given in Tribhuvan International Airport premises but since 2018, Government of Nepal changed the venue to Tundikhel. The first foreign state head to receive the Guard of honour at Tundikhel was Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during his visits to Nepal in March 2018.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, the guard of honour is provided by men drawn from three services of the Pakistan Armed Forces: The Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, and the Pakistan Navy. A tri-service guard of honour company is stationed in Islamabad, the national capital, for services in state visits and important national holidays. The Guides Cavalry also provide ceremonial duties for events in Islamabad.

Philippines

As a general rule, guards of honor in the Philippines follow traditions modeled closely to their counterparts in the United States plus hints of the long Spanish influence. The Presidential Security Command (PSC) provides honor guard services to the President of the Philippines in Malacañang Palace, especially during state visits to the country. The PSC is composed of men and women from the various uniformed organizations of the Philippines: the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard. All wear a dark blue rayadillo full dress uniform with the pith helmet as headdress in ceremonial events. The Armed Forces of the Philippines have five designated honor guard battalions mandated for public duties for events concerning the Armed Forces. They include the army's Security and Escort Battalion, the navy's Headquarters Philippine Navy & Headquarters Support Group and Marine Security and Escort Group, and the Air Force Special Security Group. The armed forces' General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command also maintains a separate honor guard battalion, the General Headquarters Security & Escort Battalion, which serves as the official honor guard battalion of the Secretary of National Defense. Honour Guard units are also used within the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard. These services typically mount honor guards on important occasions. The National Police guard of honor serves as the official guards of the Secretary of Interior and Local Government, and wear blue uniforms with the pith helmet or the peaked cap, a tradition stemming from the old Spanish Civil Guard. The guard of honor company of the Coast Guard serves similar duties for the Secretary of Transportation and is the only unit wearing English styled sailor caps as part of the ratings' dress uniform while petty officers and above wear the peaked cap.

Singapore

Singapore's guard-of-honour units are recruited from members of all four services of the Singapore Armed Forces – the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Digital and Intelligence Service – as well as the Singapore Police Force. They take their position at the forefront of major parades and significant state events, such as the country's National Day on 9 August. Equipped with the SAR 21, SAR-21 Assault Rifle with bayonets attached, the guards wear the Ceremonial Uniform (known as the No. 1), which (except in the case of Navy honour guards) have various colours imbued on a thin strip running down the outer-sides of the trousers indicating the unit's service of origin (red for the Army, light-blue for the Air Force, and black for the Police). They also wear distinctive badges, medals, award ribbons, and buttons. These Guard of Honour units will typically be contrasted by at least one contingents of other servicemen attired in their regular uniform (the No. 4 uniform for the SAF units and the No. 3 uniform for the SPF unit). Guard-of-honour units in attendance at the annual Singapore National Day Parade are the 1st Commando Battalion from the Singapore Army, Naval Diving Unit (Singapore), Naval Diving Unit from the Republic Of Singapore Navy, Air Power Generation Command from the Republic Of Singapore Air Force and the Singapore Police Force Training Command. For state visits and other important ceremonial duties within the Istana (Singapore), Istana compounds, the guard-of-honour group is formed and mounted by personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command.

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, the guard of honour is provided by men drawn from three services of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces (The Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force). A guard of honour known as the President’s Ceremonial Guard Company is also drawn from the Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police. The Sri Lanka Police Mounted Division serves as a mounted guard of honour for the Sri Lanka Police, regularly performing public duties in providing mounted ceremonial escorts for Heads of state and VIPs, as well as provide guard of honour for the Opening of Parliament and the national day celebrations. During the colonial era, the Lascarins provided the local guards of honour, apart from

, British Indian Army, or Ceylon Defence Force personnel. The predecessor to the mounted police division is the Governor's Bodyguard, which served as the household cavalry unit of the Governor of British Ceylon. The Ceylon Mounted Rifles also serves in a mounted guard of honour role. In July 1987, Vijitha Rohana from the naval guard of honour for the visiting Prime Minister of India, Indian Prime Minister attempted an assassination on Rajiv Gandhi, his life te guard's ceremonial inspection.

Tajikistan

In Tajikistan, the guard of honour is provided by men drawn from the four services of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan: The Tajik National Army, National Army, Tajik Mobile Forces, Mobile Forces, Tajik Air Force, Air Force, and the Tajik Border Troops, Border Troops, all under the command of the Ministry of Defence (Tajikistan), Ministry of Defence. Of the many roles of the Honour Guard Company of the Ministry of Defence has, providing ceremonial honours for foreign dignitaries and Tajik government officials at the Kohi Millat and other official buildings is the highest and most important of them all. Like its name implies, it is a direct reporting unit of the Ministry of Defence. In addition to the military Presidential National Guard also maintains its own honour guard battalion, with its allegiance being primarily to the President of Tajikistan in his/her position as Supreme Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

Thailand

In Thailand, the honour guard role is taken on by the Infantry Battalion, 11th Military District of the Royal Thai Army whilst the Naval honour guard is taken from the Security Battalion, Bangkok Naval Base, and the Air Force honour guard is taken from the RTAF Security Force Command. These roles were formerly taken by the King's Guard (Thailand) of the Royal Security Command The ceremonial uniform worn by the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 1st Infantry Regiment (Thailand), 1st Infantry Regiment of the King's Guards, the seniormost of these units and more present in the public duties role, features a red coat (military uniform), scarlet tunic and bearskin cap; similar to the uniforms used by foot guards in the Commonwealth of Nations. The regiment's 3rd battalion uniform features a white tunic and pink facings, with a pink bearskin cap. An RTAF tri-service guard of honour from the King's Guard is mounted during state visits, the naval and air force guardsmen are usually cadets from their respective service academies.

Turkmenistan

The Independent Honor Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan usually provides military ceremony in Turkmenistan, the country. It comprises 100 soldiers representing the three main armed forces service branches: the Turkmen Ground Forces, Turkmen Air Force, Air Force, and Turkmen Naval Forces, Navy. The battalion is always in attendance at all military and social events involving the President of Turkmenistan, and other high-ranking officials in events such as state visits and military parades, and is the first military formation to march on Independence Square, Ashgabat, Independence Square in the annual Turkmen Independence Day Parade, Independence Day Parade. The honor guard greets foreign leaders visiting Turkmenistan, guards the National Museum of Turkmenistan and maintains a horse squadron for ceremonial escorts of important Ashgabat visitors.

Uzbekistan

Ceremonial honour guards of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan are provided by the Honour Guard Battalion of the Tashkent Military District, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense (Uzbekistan), Ministry of Defence and is based in the Tashkent Region. The battalion is composed of over 100 soldiers, with each platoon being made up of servicemen from different branches of the armed forces. The ceremonial company of the Uzbekistan National Guard provided the guard of honour and served as pallbearers for the late Uzbek president Islam Karimov after his death in September 2016.

Vietnam

Two honour guard units fall under the People's Army of Vietnam, the Military Honour Guard Battalion of the Vietnam People's Army, and the Command of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Honour Guard. The military honour guard of the Vietnam People's Army provides the honour guard for state visits to the country, the National Day parade, days of remembrance, state funerals, and other functions as may be directed. The military honour guard unit is a part of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. Honour guards at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Honour Guard serve as the honour guard for the mausoleum.

Europe

Albania

The Republican Guard (Albania), Albanian Republican Guard, established in 1928, is a law enforcement unit in Albania. They wear dark blue or black uniforms with gold trimmings and plumed helmets, they serve as the ceremonial honor guard for the President and high-ranking officials. Beyond their formal duties, they engage with tourists at the Presidential Palace in Tirana.

Armenia

Honour guards from the Armed Forces of Armenia are provided by the Honour Guard Battalion (Armenia), Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia, which is stationed at the defence ministry's headquarters in Yerevan. The battalion was founded on the basis of the Honour Guard Unit of the 7th Guards Army (Soviet Union), 7th Guards Army of the Red Army. Since 2018, soldiers of battalion have acted as sentries at the Presidential Residence, Yerevan, Presidential Residence. The Police of Armenia, Armenian Police maintains their own Honour Guard Battalion, which serves under the auspices of the Yerevan Police Headquarters. Outside of public duties, the police guard of honour also takes part in law enforcement activities in the capital.

Austria

The Gardebataillon, Guard Battalion (German: ''Gardebataillon'') of the Austrian Armed Forces is the ceremonial unit in Austria. The main task is to represent Austria at home and abroad. It is stationed exclusively at Maria Theresien Barracks in Vienna and maintains the Gardemusik Wien, Guards Band Vienna (German: ''Gardemusik'') as well.

Azerbaijan

Official welcome ceremony was held for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev 9

In Azerbaijan, military honour guards during state visits are provided by the Azerbaijani National Guard of the Special State Protection Service of Azerbaijan. It is subordinate to the President of Azerbaijan, and has responsibilities that range from protecting government officials to mounting the guard of honour for state visits and military parades. A joint-service honour guard subordinate to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ministry of Defence is also available and is usually mounted for military officials. Garrison honour guards are also maintained, with the commander of the unit being appointed by special order of the General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Chief of General Staff. In the Soviet era, the 4th cadet battalion of the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School maintained a special honour guard unit that served as the official ceremonial ambassador of the military forces of the Azerbaijan SSR, participating in welcoming ceremonies at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Binah Airport (now Heydar Aliyev International Airport).

Belarus

The Honor Guard of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Honour Guard of the Armed Forces of Belarus is the primary honour guard battalion of the Armed Forces of Belarus. It was created in 1995 as a result of a combination of two drill teams from different military academies in the country (the Minsk Air Defence and Rocket School and the Minsk Higher Military Command School specifically). The main honour guard is based in the capital of Minsk, under the direct command of the Minsk Military Commandant, while subordinate units are available all over the country. An example of an affiliated honour guard is the Honour Guard of the Military Faculty of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (formed in 2010). It is currently composed of personnel from the Armed Forces, Internal Troops, and Border Troops.

Belgium

The Belgian Royal Escort (Dutch: Koninklijk escorte te paard, French: Escorte royale à cheval) is a horse-mounted unit that accompanies the Philippe of Belgium, King of Belgium on ceremonial occasions. It also provides escorts for foreign visiting heads of state and ambassadors presenting their credentials at the Royal Palace in Brussels. The Royal Escort is not a full-time unit but is brought together on major ceremonies. Formerly a part of the Belgian Gendarmerie (now defunct), it is provided by units of the Belgian Federal Police (Belgium), Federal Police. The uniform is composed of a black bearskin with red plume, black tunic and white breeches. Troopers carry a red-yellow-black pennant on their lance. Occasionally, foot guard is provided by cadets from the Royal Military Academy (Belgium), Royal Military Academy in their night-blue full uniform with shako and white plume/hackle.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains a representative honour guard unit of the Armed Forces of BiH. Dressed in their notable blue and yellow uniforms, the OSBiH Honour Guard Company provides honours at all important state and military events, representing the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the OSBiH. The unit was officially presented to the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for development on 26 November 2004 and was the first formed unit of the OSBiH. In the first twenty days of its existence, intensive training was conducted in the Butmir camp, supervised by

officers in the

. By 2007, the unit had been a fully functional structure in the OSBiH, operating under the Military Police Battalion in Sarajevo. The organizational and formation structure of the company as of 2019 includes the Headquarters Group, Colour guard, 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon, and 3rd Platoon. In the autonomous Republika Srpska, the Honour Unit of Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska, Honour Unit of Ministry of Interior serves as the official guard of honour for the republic, acting in a similar fashion to the Serbian Guards Unit.

Bulgaria

The National Guards Unit of Bulgaria, National Guards Unit, established 1878, is the official guard of honour of the Armed forces of Bulgaria. In 2001 the National Guards Unit was declared as the Army's officially designated representative formation and one of the symbols of modern state authority along with the Flag of Bulgaria, flag, the Coat of arms of Bulgaria, coat of arms and the Mila Rodino, national anthem. It is organized as a two-battalion regiment, with a military band and two guard of honour battalions as well as service support units directly under the regimental HQ.

Croatia

In Croatia, the Honor Guard Battalion, Honour Guard Battalion serves as the guard of honour. The Honour Guard Battalion performs protocol tasks for the needs of top-level state and military officials, as well as tasks related to the protection and security of the President of the Republic of Croatia. It consists of up to 300 members. The unit is under the direct command of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.

Czech Republic

Ceremonial duties are usually performed by the Prague Castle Guard, a special unit of the armed forces of the Czech Republic, organized under the Military Office of the President of the Czech Republic, which is directly subordinate to the President of the Czech Republic, President of the Republic. The Army of the Czech Republic also maintains the Honour Guard of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, Czech Armed Forces, which was founded in 2005. The company is currently made of 38 soldiers, including its commander. The company is also made up of three colour guard members, 27 honour guards, and four reserve members.

Denmark

Royal Life Guards (Denmark), The Royal Life Guards is an infantry regiment of the Danish Army. It serves in two roles: as a front line combat unit, and as a guard/ceremonial unit to the Danish monarchy. Danish Amalienborg palace is guarded by this unit day and night. The Guard Hussar Regiment Mounted Squadron also serves ceremonial purposes, such as providing escorts for VIPs and performing public duties.

Estonia

The Guard Battalion (Estonia), Guard Battalion is a specialized unit under the Military Police (Estonia), Military Police of the Estonian Defence Forces, which conducts ceremonial duties and prepares

units. The Battalion also guards the Estonian Presidential Palace (Tallinn), presidential palace day and night.

Finland

The Guard Jaeger Regiment is located in Santahamina, near the capital Helsinki, and carries the ceremonial duties necessary for visiting guests of honour.

France

The Republican Guard (France), Republican Guard of the National Gendarmerie provides both foot and horse-mounted guards of honour for the city of Paris. It specifically provides ceremonial security to the Élysée Palace, the Hôtel Matignon, the Palais du Luxembourg, the Palais Bourbon, and the Palais de Justice, Paris, Palais de Justice. A quad-service honour guard company composed of members of the Republican Guard, as well as personnel from the

, French Navy, French Air Force, and the French Foreign Legion, is also used for ceremonial services, primarily state visits and during state funerals involving distinguished civilians and fallen personnel of the armed forces. A four-regiment unit named the Guards of Honour (France), Guards of Honour ("Gardes d'honneur") was established by Napoleon in 1813 to provide additional cavalry to the Grande Armée. It fought in the German campaign of 1813 and the campaign in north-east France (1814) before it was disbanded after the Bourbon Restoration in France, Bourbon restoration.

Georgia

Aside from its duties as a rapid emergency response unit, the National Guard of Georgia is also responsible for mounting the guard of honour on behalf of the Defense Forces of Georgia during state visits, state funerals and national holidays. The company-sized unit of the NG also conducts Public duties in the national capital, guarding important structures and buildings in Tbilisi.

Germany

The primary mission of the ''Wachbataillon'' is to perform the military honours for the President of Germany, German Federal President, Chancellor of Germany (1949–present), Federal Chancellor, Federal Minister of Defence (Germany), Federal Minister of Defence and the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr during state visits or on similar occasions. In addition, the Wachbataillon takes part in military events and ceremonies of major importance. A secondary mission is to perform ceremonial guard duty at the Ministry of Defence and other high-profile public places, and protect and guard the members of the German government and the Ministry of Defence. Usually, three guard companies made up of personnel of the Bundeswehr make up the guard of honour for the President and other high-ranking officials of the state, as well as during state visits of foreign heads of state and government. Historical honour guard battalions include the Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment, which served as the primary honour guard regiment for the East Germany, German Democratic Republic from 1962 to 1990. The Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment also formed a part of the security for the Neue Wache. In Nazi Germany, the guard of honour was provided by both the SS-Verfügungstruppe, SS-''Verfügungstruppe'' and the ''Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland, Wachregiment Berlin'', the Army's guard and garrison regiment in Berlin.

Greece

In Greece, the Presidential Guard (Greece), Presidential Guard is a unit of the Greek Army guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Athens), Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Palace (Greece), Presidential Palace. Its members, known as Evzones, must be taller than 1.85m and are trained hard as their duty includes standing completely still for more than an hour 4 times a day. They are famous for their military discipline, the ability to stand motionless without even blinking, their stylish walking and the uniform which derives from traditional Greek dress. A tri-service guard of honour composed of servicemen from the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force is maintained as part of the Ministry of National Defence (Greece), Ministry of National Defence.

Hungary

The official honour guard of the Hungary, Third Hungarian Republic is currently the Hungarian Defence Forces' 32nd National Home Defence Ceremonial Regiment (''32. Nemzeti Honvéd Díszegység''), which provides sentries for the Sándor Palace, Budapest, Sándor Palace in Budapest. Until 31 December 2006, Hungary's honour guard duties were performed by the Hungarian Defence Forces' 32nd Budapest Guard and Ceremonial Regiment. After this regiment was disbanded, from 1 January 2007 until 31 December 2010, the honour guard responsibilities were assumed by the Ceremonial Battalion, a unit within the HDF Support Brigade (''MH Támogató Dandár''). On 1 January 2011, the duty of providing the national honour guard was taken over by the 32nd National Home Defence Ceremonial Regiment, which is also part of the ''MH Támogató Dandár''.' During the period of the Hungarian People's Republic, the official honour guard was the Hungarian People's Army's 7015th Ceremonial Regiment.

Ireland

In Ireland, a guard of honour is drawn from the Irish Army and is called 'Garda Onóra' in Irish. It is inspected by the President of Ireland, Taoiseach or visiting dignitaries. Specifically, battalions from the Infantry Corps (Ireland), Infantry Corps are drawn for guards of honour, to form the ''Ceremonial Military Guard''. Personnel carry dignitaries. Personnel of the guard carry Steyr AUG rifles and wear the Modern Irish Army uniform, Service Dress (SD) on ceremonial occasions. The Irish Defence Forces guard of honour participates in ceremonial events such as the National Day of Commemoration, the National Famine Commemoration and the Easter Parade. Guards of honour also take part in the Changing of the Guard at Merrion Square park in the capital. The Blue Hussars also performed public duties for the Irish Army until it was dissolved in 1948.

Italy

In Italy the unit institutionally intended to act as an honour guard to the President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic is the Corazzieri, Corazzieri Regiment, a special branch of the Carabinieri. The Corazzieri follow the President during official occasions and are also partly responsible for the internal security of the Quirinal Palace. In addition to the Corazzieri, there are other honour units chosen from the different Italian Armed Forces, Armed Forces, specifically for representation purposes. These units have to stand guard at important places, such as the gates of the seats of the Palazzo Montecitorio, Chamber of Deputies and the Palazzo Madama, Rome, Senate, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Vittoriano, Altar of the Homeland, and at the gates of the Quirinal Palace. Other honour guards units are formed within all branches of the Italian Armed Forces, namely the Honour Company of the 1° Regiment "Granatieri di Sardegna Mechanized Brigade, Granatieri di Sardegna"and the honour squadron from the 8° Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" of the Italian Army, the Capitol Honour Services Company of the Italian Navy and the Honour Company of the Italian Air Force, all stationed in Rome. Guards of honour are also drawn by local units within Rome of the Guardia di Finanza and Polizia di Stato.

Kosovo

The Kosovo Security Force maintains the Ceremonial Guard (), which serves as the guard of honour of the FSK. It provides ceremonial duties on all public holidays such as

, Constitution Day and Europe Day.

Moldova

In Moldova, ceremonial honour guards are based on both the Russian and Romanian traditions and precedent. The two main honour guard units of the country are the Honor Guard Company (Moldova), Honour Guard Company of the Moldovan National Army and the Honour Guard of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Moldova), Ministry of Internal Affairs (consisting of cadets of the Ștefan cel Mare Police Academy). The former unit provides personnel to conduct regular

in the capital of Chișinău, particularly for the President of Moldova in his/her position as Supreme Commander in Chief. It is the currently only unit in the Moldovan military to utilize the Soviet-style goose step. The latter unit is notable for its use of Stefan cel Mare era uniforms in its exhibition drill routine.

Monaco

The Honour Guard function of the Principality of Monaco are carried by the ''Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince'' ("Prince's Riflemen Company").

Netherlands

The Honour Guards in Netherlands consists of two guard regiments, Grenadiers' and Rifles Guard Regiment, Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers and Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene, both from the Royal Netherlands Army. Until 1995 there were three. These regiments, organized as single infantry battalions, provide much of the protocol guards during state holidays in the Netherlands. Guard of honour detachments for public duties are also maintained by the Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Royal Marechaussee.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia's Ceremonial Guard Battalion is part of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia which is mainly used for ceremonial purposes. It is the personal guard of the President of North Macedonia. The National Guard can be often seen near the presidential palace, during official visits of foreign presidents or delegations, ceremonies, and during the days of the flag. In 2010 the Ministry of Defence proposed and designed new uniforms for the guards. Both, the old and the new uniforms are based on the uniforms of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization revolutionaries with some details of the other periods of the history of North Macedonia. Influence over the new design was based on the uniform worn by Bulgarian revolutionary Ilyo Voyvoda, Dedo Iljo Maleshevski and the uniforms of the 19th century Bulgarian Legion regiment which served in the Imperial Russian Army.

Norway

Hans Majestet Kongens Garde (His Majesty The King's Guard) is a battalion-sized honour guard unit of the Norwegian Army under the ceremonial command and patronage of the King of Norway. Also known as the HMKG, the battalion comprises six companies, with the 3rd company, the famous band and drill company, being the premier ceremonial unit in the HMKG, mostly serving its required public duties at Oslo's Royal Palace, Oslo, Royal Palace.

Poland

The honour guard unit in Poland is the Representative Regiment of the Polish Armed Forces, created on 30 March 2018 on the basis of the Representative Battalion. It performs ceremonial duties on behalf of the armed forces and the President of Poland throughout the capital of Warsaw acting as the combined ceremonial representative for the Polish Armed Forces. It performs annually during the Armed Forces Day (Poland), Armed Forces Day parade on Ujazdów Avenue and renders honours to foreign individuals during state arrival ceremonies at the Presidential Palace, Warsaw, Presidential Palace. Also posted within its ranks is the Presidential Horse Guard Mounted Ceremonial Squadron of the Polish Army, Presidential Mounted Ceremonial Troop of the Armed Forces, which also acts as an honour guard and horse guard unit. Outside the regiment, which represents the service branches of the Armed Forces (Polish Army, Polish Navy, Navy and Polish Air Force, Air Force) mainly, the Warsaw Garrison and other civil uniformed services all maintain honour guard units of their own, all of which are company-sized. The Straż Marszałkowska, Marshal's Guard of the Sejm is the official honour and security unit for the Polish Parliament. Members of the guard are commonly observed guarding the plaque in the front of the Sejm which commemorates the Member of parliament, Polish MPs and senators who were killed in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash in Smolensk, Russia. The Honour Guard Company of the Polish Border Guard has operated under the traditions of the Podhale Rifles since 2007. Honour guard companies are also maintained by the Polish Police, Polish Special Forces, Polish Territorial Defence Forces, State Fire Service, Warsaw Garrison Command, Warsaw Capital Garrison, and the Polish Border Guard.

Portugal

The main honour guard to the President of Portugal is the Security and State Honours Unit (''Unidade de Segurança e Honras de Estado'', USHE), which is a part of the National Republican Guard (Portugal), National Republican Guard. This formation, of regimental size, includes the Presidential Squadron (''Esquadrão Presidencial''), the Mounted band#Mounted bands by country#Portugal, Horse Band, the Guard Marching Band, and the State Honours and Security Group, which is mostly an infantry unit. It carries out its ceremonial duties through armed detachments of guards of honour, normally dismounted. It is a directly reporting unit of the Operations Command of the NRG.

Romania

Currently, the Michael the Brave 30th Guards Brigade of the Romanian Land Forces serves as the honour guard brigade of the Romanian Armed Forces. The brigade is present at ceremonial events and during visits from international officials. The Gendarmerie (Romania), Romanian Gendarmerie also maintains an honour guard unit, called ''Unitatea Specială de Gardă de Onoare și Protecție Instituțională București'' (Bucharest Institutional Protection and Honour Guard Special Unit), and a horse guards troop acting during state ceremonies and celebrations of the service. The first honour guard unit of Romania was established on 1 April 1908 through a royal decree by merging the Bucharest Mounted Gendarmes Divizion with the gendarm Squadron (army), squadron from Iași into the Royal Escort Regiment. During King Carol II of Romania, Carol II's rule, over 20 various units of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and an 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla, air unit received the title of "guard unit". In 1931, a Mixed Guard Brigade was also formed, then transformed into the Guards Division two years later. After the Socialist Republic of Romania, communist government took over, all guard units either lost their status or were disbanded. The guard and protocol duties were instead performed by a Republican Guard Regiment from 1948, and from 1968, the 30th Guards Regiment was established within the Romanian People's Army.

Russia

The Russian Imperial Guard (Russia), Imperial Guards served as honour guards for the Russian Empire for many centuries prior to the February Revolution. Russian honour guards have been considered to have laid out the foundation and model for honour guards in the former Soviet Union, and many of the pioneer guardsmen in these units came from the Imperial Guard, who then taught the first generation of honour guardsmen in ceremonial duties. Russia's primary honour guard (, Pochotny kara-ul) is the Kremlin Regiment of the Federal Protective Service (Russia), Federal Protective Service of the Russian Federation, established in 1936, which is organized into a four battalion regiment, with two battalions designated as guards of honour, one infantry and one cavalry. This regiment is more known for its modern Imperial Guard inspired uniforms, which are worn on more important occasions, these were introduced for the first time in 2004 on the basis of uniforms of the former infantry and cavalry regiments of the Imperial Guards in Saint Petersburg. The 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment, established in 1979, serves as the official representative honour guard regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and serves as the main honour guard unit of the armed forces. The duties of guards of honour are the responsibility of the 3rd Guard of Honour Battalion, established in 1990. Military districts and fleet formations of the Russian Navy also have their own honour guard companies. All three branches of the Armed Forces, alongside those of other paramilitary formations, maintain their own honour guard companies. Moreover, a large unit could form an honour guard unit on an ad hoc basis. This was applied by the Honour Guard of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany in the 1960s. Several military districts of Russian Ground Forces maintain honour guard companies, including the Eastern Military District (formed on 14 December 1971.), the Southern Military District, the Central Military District, and the Western Military District (formed on 20 January 1961 under the command of the 165th Separate Rifle Company). In addition to the honour guard companies of the military districts, the Russian Ground Forces also maintain the Volgograd Honour Guard, a unit of the Southern Military District's 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division. The Russian Navy maintains a number of honour guard companies, including the Honour Guard Company of the Russian Navy, which represents the entire service. Other naval honour guard companies include those that represent the Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, the Northern Fleet, and the Pacific Fleet (Russia), Pacific Fleet. The Russian Air Force maintains one guard company, the Honour Guard Company of the Zhukovsky – Gagarin Air Force Academy in Voronezh. In addition to the Russian Armed Forces, a number of other Russian departments and agencies also maintain their own respective honour guard companies, including the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Border Service of the Federal Security Service, Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russia), Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia), Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Guard of Russia. A female honour guard platoon took part for the first time in a Victory Day Parade in Yekaterinburg in June 2020, wearing a special dress uniform that was tailored by individual standards.

San Marino

The San Marino, Most Serene Republic of San Marino maintain a well-organized Sammarinese Armed Forces, militia force, mostly used for ceremonial duties. Its foremost honour guard unit is the ''Guardia del Consiglio Grande e Generale'' ("Guard of the Great and General Council"), but ceremonial duties are carried also by its other units, the ''Compagnia Uniformata delle Milizie'' ("Uniformed Militia Company"), the ''Guardia di Rocca - Compagnia d'Artiglieria'' ("Guard of the Rock - Artillery Company") and the ''Guardia di Rocca - Nucleo Uniformato'' ("Guard of the Rock - Uniformed Unit").

Serbia

The Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces, Guard is an honour guard unit of the Serbian Armed Forces. Brigade-size, it is under the direct command of the Serbian General Staff, General Staff. Its main tasks include guarding vital defence facilities and performing military honours to the highest foreign, domestic, and military officials. For the needs of Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, the Guard performs tasks within the scope of the military police work and the tasks in the field of security and logistics. Guard continues the tradition of the Guard units which is now almost two centuries long. The first Guard unit formed in Serbia was created on the order of Prince Milos Obrenović on Saint George Day in 1830 in Požarevac. The Guard also sports the official military band of the Serbian Armed Forces, the Band of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces, Band of the Guard.

Slovakia

The Slovak Armed Forces currently operates two ceremonial guard of honour units. The ''Honour Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic'', also known as the ''Presidential Guard'', is the seniormost ceremonial unit in the Slovak Armed Forces, and the primary honour guard unit of the President of Slovakia. This unit serves under the command of the Military Office of the President of the Slovak Republic. The Honour Guard Company of the Slovak Armed Forces (Slovak language, Slovak: Čestná stráž Ozbrojených síl Slovenskej republiky, CS OS SR) is a separate ceremonial honour guard unit of the Slovak Armed Forces, under the direct command of the Bratislava Garrison Headquarters. The unit was founded in 2009 as part of reforms in the armed forces. It is responsible for guarding the national symbols of Slovakia (the national flag, for example) in the front lobby of the National Council (Slovakia), National Council Building.

Spain

The Spanish Royal Guard performs ceremonial and honour guard services in addition to its military bodyguard role and deployment overseas. The regiment's Honour Group and Royal Escort Squadron are its primary ceremonial units. The Royal Escort Squadron provides the ceremonial escort of the Spanish Royal Family and is organized into three units: the Marker Squad, the Cuirassier Troop, and the Lancer Troop. The guard of honour is also mounted for state visits. Units which mount the guard for state visits include the Spanish Army's ''Monteros de Espinosa'' (includes three platoons, and a drill team); the ''Mar Océano'' Navy and Marine Composite Company (includes three platoons); and the ''Plus Ultra'' Air Force Squadron (includes three flights). The 1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment maintains a guard of honour unit known as the "Old Guard of Castille" Battalion (''Guardias Viejas de Castilla''). The Spanish Air and Space Force Honour Squadron (''Escuadrilla de Honores del Ejército del Aire'') is an independent honour guard the serves the air force. From 1937 to 1956, the Guardia Mora served as the mounted guard of honour for Francoist Spain, part of a bigger combined arms guard of honour regiment of personnel from service branches of the Armed Forces.

Sweden

Honour guard service is carried out by all units of the Swedish Armed Forces, although the Life Guards (Sweden), Life Guards Regiment in the Swedish Army accounts for the main part of honour guard services. Royal Guards (Sweden), The Royal Guards (Högvakten) at the Stockholm Palace and the Drottningholm Palace is the honour guard to the Monarchy of Sweden, King of Sweden. The service is carried out full time by the Life Guards as well as other units of the Swedish Armed Forces including the Home Guard (Sweden), Home Guard and other voluntary defence organisations. The Grenadier company of the Life Guards' guard of honour battalion, the Kings' Guards Battalion, is used as an honour guard at state visit welcoming ceremonies. A detachment of grenadiers is also used as honour guard at the opening of the Riksdag, when an incoming foreign ambassador meets with the King at an Audience (meeting), audience to present letter of credence, letters of credence and when the King attends an annual meeting of one of the Swedish Royal Academies, Royal Academies. ''Drabantvakt'' ("Royal Bodyguard"), commonly known as ''Karl XI:s drabanter'' ("The Bodyguard of Charles XI of Sweden, Charles XI") and ''Karl XII:s drabanter'' ("The Bodyguard of Charles XII of Sweden, Charles XII") is a ceremonial guard used at state occasions such as state visits, investiture of a monarch, royal weddings and funerals etc. The guard was formed in 1860 based on historical royal bodyguards. The design of the uniforms of the guard is based on, but not identical to, uniforms used during the reign of Carles XI and Charles XII respectively. The guard platoon is made up of 24 guardsmen and one officer selected from the Life Guards' King's Guards Battalion.

Switzerland

Swiss Armed Forces honour guards are based on the German, French and American model for ceremonial drill. Switzerland does not have a professional honour guard unit. The military instead utilizes a battalion-sized capital unit that is used during official visits. Unlike other European countries, Swiss honour guards wear combat uniforms instead of an expected full dress uniform.

Turkey

Several guard detachments operate within the Turkish Armed Forces. A joint service guard of honour company is in service in the Turkish Armed Forces' headquarters in Ankara, composed of select personnel from each service branch of the armed forces performing honour guard and public duties activities. In addition, the Turkish Armed Forces presently operates another ceremonial guard detachment at Anıtkabir, performing public duties at the mausoleum of the first President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The standard rifle used by the guard detachment at Anıtkabir is a M1 Garand. The Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkey), Presidential Guard Regiment acts as an honour guard regiment for the Turkish Land Forces, a component of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Ukraine

The Kyiv Presidential Honor Guard Battalion, Kyiv Honour Guard Battalion, which is part of Separate Presidential Brigade, Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky Independent Presidential Guard Brigade, is the official ceremonial guard of honour unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from the guard of honour units in the Ukrainian SSR's Kiev Military District. Besides the HQ company, the battalion maintains three companies, a Military Band, and a Symbols Protection Company. The Special Honor Guard Battalion, NGU National Special Honour Guard Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine is actively in use for many ceremonial activities, and was also in service prior to the disbandment of the Internal Troops of Ukraine in 2014.

United Kingdom

A guard of honour is formed to present formal ceremonial compliments to royal or presidential dignitaries by a guard not exceeding 100 personnel (including three officers, one with a colour) with other particular distinguished individuals saluted by a guard not exceeding 50 personnel. A ''half guard'' is a colloquial term describing a guard of honour of not more than 50 personnel (including two officers, one with a colour). A guard of honour could have a single service contingent (e.g. army) or it could be a tri-service (inter-service) affair. The guard commander, after saluting the dignitary (usually head of state), marches up to him or her and escorts him or her to inspect the guard (soldiers in formation). During the salute, the national anthems of both the dignitary's country and the host country are usually played by a ceremonial band. Only a War flag, standard, Guidon (heraldic flag), guidon, King’s Colour, or a banner presented by either a member of the Royal Family or the governor-general may be carried by a royal guard of honour. Only a regimental colour or a banner presented by a personage other than a member of the Royal Family may be carried on a half guard of honour. A smaller unit honouring distinguished visitors at a military installation is known as a ''quarter guard''. The commander is three paces in front of the second file from the right and accompanies the personage for whom the guard is mounted. An officer carrying the Colour stands three paces in front of the centre; if there is a third officer he will be three paces in front of the second file from the other flank. Units that traditionally perform ceremonial duties, such as Guard Mounting (changing of the King’s Guard) or Trooping the Colour, are the five regiments of Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals and Life Guards (United Kingdom), Life Guards), which form the Household Division whilst the Honourable Artillery Company form the Guard of Honour when foreign Heads of State visit London. The Royal Air Force's ceremonial unit is the King's Colour Squadron. The British Armed Forces do not have dedicated ceremonial units other than the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artilleryand British Army incremental infantry companies, the Guards and Royal Regiment of Scotland Incremental Companies. The King's Guard is primarily made up of units from the Household Division for royal palaces and public monuments—namely Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Tower of London—and other units from all three services of the British Armed Forces filling in when not deployed; in Scotland, Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle are usually the responsibility of Scottish regiments or units based in Edinburgh. Occasionally units from Commonwealth militaries are given the honour.

Vatican City

The ''de facto'' military force of the Vatican City, Vatican City State is the ''Pontificia Cohors Helvetica'' ("Papal Swiss Cohort"). Popularly known as the Swiss Guard, this 135 strong unit is formed by unmarried Swiss Catholic former servicemen aged between 19 and 30 years, recruited through a special convention with the Swiss Government. While largely performing ceremonial honour guard duties with traditional weapons (halberds, Partisan (weapon), partisans and swords), the Swiss Guard is also equipped with modern military light weapons and trained in proper military and security duties. The Guard provides one of two official procotol bands in the country.

Oceania

Australia

The tri-service Australia's Federation Guard, Federation Guard – consisting of members of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy – provides the guard of honour for various ceremonies. It is the only military unit of its kind currently in the Australian Defence Force. All members of the guard are enlisted in their respective areas before volunteering for service in the guard. They are armed with L1A1 SLR rifles.

Fiji

Fijian Presidential Palace Guards serve as the official guard of honour unit of the President of Fiji. It is made up of members of all the different service branches of the Fiji Military Forces. It primarily serves its ceremonial duties at the Government House, Suva, Government House in the capital of Suva. The guards regularly take part in the changing of the guard at the government house. The uniform consists of a Red military shirt and a traditional Fijian Sulu (skirt), Sulu. The guard's main rifle that they carry is the AK-101.

New Zealand

The New Zealand Defence Force is represented ceremonially by a unit that is known commonly as the Royal Guard of Honour: a company-sized unit (100 members) that is composed of members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The company is the official honour guard of the Governor-General of New Zealand, Governor-General, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence (New Zealand), Minister of Defence, and the Chief of Defence Force (New Zealand), Chief of Defence Force. The company performs most of its public duties at national events such as the Anzac Day commemorations in the capital. The Army portion of the company is notable for its highly distinctive Campaign hat, "lemon squeezer" hat.

Sports

Association football

In recent years, association football teams have shown their respect to teams in their own division which have already won the championship of the division with games to spare by forming a guard of honour onto or off the pitch for their players, an example of which could be seen in the 2019–20 Premier League season, where champions Liverpool F.C. received guards of honour from Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton, Burnley, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle after they claimed the Premier League title with seven games to spare. The applauding team forms two lines to make a corridor and the league winners pass through the corridor, generally in single file. Occasionally, guards of honour may also be granted for cup winners. An example could be seen at the 2024–25 Premier League match in May 2025 between Liverpool F.C and Crystal Palace F.C. where Liverpool, who had been given a guard of honour by Crystal Palace for having won the Premier League title with 4 matchdays to spare, reciprocated by giving a guard of honour to Crystal Palace, who had won the 2025 FA Cup final a week earlier. The guard of honour is in some instances considered good form to perform but is not considered compulsory and teams may opt not to provide one, as especially tends to happen between teams considered particularly bitter rivals. For example, Real Madrid CF declined to give El Clásico, bitter rivals FC Barcelona a guard of honour in 2018 when the latter won the league title, and Atlético Madrid declined to give a guard of honour to Real Madrid in 2022 when the latter won the league title, due to the Madrid derby, bitter rivalry between the two clubs. The same has occasionally been done for individual players meeting particularly momentous points in their career, such as when Scottish Premier league team Rangers F.C., Rangers squad did so for departing talisman Dado Pršo and Chelsea F.C., Chelsea controversially chose to do so in a pre-planned display in the middle of a match for John Terry's last game, causing significant delays to the game.

Australian rules football

In Australian rules football, players will often form a guard of honour for those who are leaving the field after a landmark game or on their retirement game. For example, Fremantle formed a guard of honour for Fitzroy's last match in 1996; Melbourne F.C., Melbourne and Essendon F.C., Essendon formed a guard in 2005 to honour Indian Ocean tsunami victim Troy Broadbridge; and Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood and North Melbourne Football Club, North Melbourne formed a guard of honour in 2006 for retiring player Saverio Rocca, who forged a successful goalkicking career at both clubs. After playing in the Auskick games at half time of senior matches, the junior players line up to form a guard of honour for when the players return to the field.

Cricket

In cricket, the guard of honour is used to celebrate the achievement of a player (usually as a batsman), normally used during a player's final game. The players' teammates or opposition form a cordon, with their bats at the second count of the draw sabre forming an arch, and the successful player walks through. It may also be performed to mark a milestone, such as when a player breaks a world record. A player can receive guard of honour multiple times as they retire from different forms of the game separately. When a bowler retires, it would generally be when they leave the field for the final time, or when they play their final match in a certain venue of importance (away match, home ground, retiring on the same day a ground is due to be demolished).

Field hockey

In recent times guard of honour is usually done among hockey players for those who have done something valuable for their country like Balbir Singh Sr or Jamie Dwyer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guard of Honour Association football terminology Australian rules football terminology Military traditions Guards of honour,