Mounted Officer, 1845

With the adoption of the Albert helmet in 1842 (see: Officer's Helmet 1842) the appearance of the Royal Horse Guards had nearly reached the definitive full dress that we see in Whitehall today. The coatee, cut away at the front and tailed behind, was to last another decade before the Crimean War changed British soldiers' uniforms from tight-fitting impractical elegance to a more workman-like look. The officer differs from the men behind him mostly because of his scarlet, gold-edged shabraque, but also his trailing gold and crimson tassles that hang from his waist-sash. To his rear can be seen a trumpeter on a grey horse, everyone else rides black horses.

Regimental Details | Uniforms