Officer, Full Dress 1802 and 1803

Two versions of the same portrait of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, wearing his blue Garter sash. They show the rapid development of the hussar style uniform worn by the 15th Light Dragoons within a short space of time. The uniform of 1802, in monochrome on the left, is already more flamboyant than that seen on the mounted Officer 1801. There is an Austrian knot in silver braid on his sleeve, and the pelisse slung on the shoulder is definitely hussar in style. Many of the light dragoon regiments took the pelisse into wear at this time but with black braiding. The 15th had silver braiding, probably because their Colonel, the Duke, was planning to convert them to hussars in the near future.
There is little decoration on the red collar at this time. The front of the blue jacket has the close set silver braids but without the thinner braid in between that appears in 1805. The buttons down the front of the jacket do not seem to be functional and it probably fastens with hooks and eyes.
The 1802 portrait has a crimson barrel sash around the waist while the 1803 copy has altered this to a gold and crimson sash. The sleeve decoration is now made of silver lace and braid instead of just a single line of braid, a much fancier decoration. The cap in the 1802 picture is indistinct but the cap in the other picture is a mirleton cap as used by hussars on the continent. It is a shame that the sabretache is hidden from view, but it is made of red leather, indicating that the face of the sabretache was of red cloth.

Regimental Details | Uniforms