Barracks were a perennial problem for the Life Guards. The British Public were deeply suspicious of armed encampments and regularly objected to having a Praetorian guard in their midst. As such the initial Life Guards regiments had their headquarters in Knightsbridge and King Street, Portman Square but all the cavalrymen were required to find private lodgings euphemistically within a bugle calls distance of the headquarters. Parliament and the Press hotly debated the prosposed move of the headquarters to Regents Park Barracks. Additionally, in 1801, the strength of the Life Guard regiments was reduced to a quarter of its initial size. However, the continuing Napoleonic Wars were to reverse this reduction in size when the unit was sent overseas to battle Napoleon's armies in Spain.

On June 21st 1814, the Life Guards began being shipped back to Britain. It was true that they had not yet covered themselves in glory at this point, but they had garnered valuable horsemanship and organisational skills that were to be put to good effect in the very near future.

The battle raged from 11:30 to 2pm before the Household Brigade was called upon. Lord Uxbridge had been given a free hand with his cavalry. He told the Union Brigade to charge whilst he took the Household Brigade to releive the pressure on the beleagured La Haye Sainte. The Second Life Guards were on the left, the King's Dragoon Guards in the centre, the First Life Guards on the right and the Blues in reserve. The force swerved to the left of La Haye Sainte engaging the Carabiniers, Infantry, into two cavalry divisions, put 15 guns out of action, took two eagles and even reached the wagon trains of the French forces. Unfortunately, in doing so the Household Brigade had dispersed itself as a coherent force. Uxbridge himself retired in an attempt to round up some fresh reserves but found few cavalrymen uncommitted. Many Lifeguardsmen had advanced so far that they had a difficult time breaking back through the French lines to return to their countrymen. The fighting continued for some time yet, and packets of Household Brigaders rode between the defiant British squares and even helped to rescue the endangered 5th Battalion of the King's German Legion.

It was not until the arrival of Blucher's Prussians that the battle was finally deemed an Allied victory. By this time, the Household Brigade had taken heavy losses and were finally disengaging to allow the Prussians the spoils of the pursuit. They were exhausted but more than pleased with their performance in what was one of the defining battles of history.

This period was not completely without events for the regiment. On several occasions they were called out by the authorities to help quell civic disorders. Indeed the nickname of 'Piccadilly Butchers' dates from this era.

The brigade was in action almost immediately upon landing in Egypt. Kassassin Lock was being defended by 2000 troops but coming under intense pressure from Arabi Pasha's forces. The Household Cavalry, the 7th Hussars and the Royal Horse Artillery had to quickly cover the 4 miles to the site of the battle and swing immediately into action. This was despite the fact that night had already fallen. Undeterred, the Household Cavalry swept around the left flank of Arabi Pasha in bright moonlight. They received devastating fire, but still proceeded with their 'moonlight charge'. This was so successful that they cut their way through the Egyptian infantry to reach a battery of guns behind them.

The Household Cavalry proceeded to take part in the final battle of the campaign at Tel-el-Kebir. The infantry's dawn attack was followed by the charge of Cavalry who ultimately dashed the full 39 miles to Cairo to put the Khedive back on the throne. This was the last battle in which the regiment wore its Scarlet and Blue uniform. Impressed by the appearance and practicality of the Indian Army's Khaki uniforms, efforts were made to convince the Queen that this change really would be for the best. It took her some time to get used to the idea, but she ultimately relented.

It was not to be long before some of the men of this regiment were back in action. The situation in Sudan detiorated markedly in the years following Tel-el-Kebir. The Liberal government of the day had made a difficult political situation for themselves by placing General Gordon in charge of the evacuation of Khartoum. He refused to carry out his initial orders and eventually forced the British government to come to his rescue. A special camel corps was raised specifically for this task. It was formed from men throughout many of the British cavalry regiments. The Household Regiments each supplied forty men to the unit.

The force had to travel through hostile territory over some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. On January 17th, 1885 the force nearly came to grief when it was attacked by a force of over Dervishes that outnumbered it 8 to 1. Their square was actually penetrated at one point, but discipline held and the force was able to recover the situation. The force continued to fight its way toward Khartoum only to hear the news that General Gordon had already been killed. There was now no rationale for the force so it retreated back to the safety of Egypt. Eventually, the entire force was recalled back to Britain.

Africa was to call the Household regiment yet again with the advent of the Second Boer War. Once again, the force was a composite one of the Household Regiments. On its arrival in Cape Town it was brigaded with the 10th Royal Hussars and 12th Lancers and joined Sir John French's force as it attempted to relieve Kimberley. The size of the country meant that cavalry became an invaluable tool for the generals of both sides. A mobile force of British cavalry, Horse Artillery and Mounted infantry rode through the middle of two Boer armies to relieve Kimberley. Realising that the British were after Bloemfontein, Cronje retreated to the East. Reading the situation perfectly, French despatched a cavalry unit to intercept the Boers and to tie them down until the British force could arrive in full. When it did, the British won one of their most significant victories of the Boer War at Paardeberg.

The war quickly descended into a brutal guerilla war, with the British usually being on the receiving end. One such action was at Sanna's Post on the Modder river. De Wet successfully ambushed a British convoy as it forded the river, knocking out half of their available artillery. The Household division attempted to outflank the Boers but were eventually recalled as the casualties mounted steadily.

Perhaps fortunately for the regiment, it was soon recalled after the fall of the Pretoria. It did take part in one more significant action when it was called upon to successfully dislodge a Boer position east of the capital. But, the regiment played little part in the cat and mouse operations that were to last another two years in the dusty veldt.