Mounted Officer and Private c1808

These two watercolours in the royal collection are by an unknown artist and are undated. They do not correspond with any other images of the Horse Artillery so cannot be taken as reliable evidence, but military uniform changed so rapidly in this period that they have to be considered. The hussar-style uniforms have a continental feel about them although the officer has the Royal GR cypher on all corners of his shabraque. The Private looks like an officer in his barrel sash and sabretache, and he has the letters RHA on the corners of his shabraque. They both wear mirliton caps which were adopted for a few years by the British hussars regiments c1805. In these watercolours the caps are scarlet and black with gold lace and white plume. The officer’s sabretache is scarlet and gold which does not agree with any surviving examples which are all blue faced. The officer’s pouch-belt is red, with what look like studs down the middle. This type of belt was seen on French hussars.

Regimental Details | Uniforms