Geschichte

The British Bodyguard History

The earliest official form of body guard of which anything is known is that of the Sergeants at Arms who were mounted guards raised by Richard 1 in 1191. They were originally sons of knights, and later patents were granted to esquires. By the 15th century however, their role had been extended in such a way that the protection of the sovereign was no longer their first duty.

The first confirmed mention of royal guards in English history is found in the records of Edward I's reign (1272-1307), where the description "Crossbow men of the Household" occurs. Nothing is actually known these guards beyond the fact that it had a very short existence, as it is not mentioned again, and the long-bow was then becoming the national weapon, being much quicker in performance. The State records of Edward II's reign states: "archers on foote for garde of the Kinge's body who shall go before the Kinge as he traveleth through the countrye".

Edward II maintained this guard of archers, increasing its size and giving it thus a certain permanency, which had not previously existed. Each successive monarch since this time may be assumed to have enrolled a personal Body Guard, though details are not now available in all cases, certainly Henry V, the hero of Agincourt in 1415, and his "Archers of the Household" who accompanied him abroad and fought with him on the battlefield. These were maintained until the reduction of Henry VI's household in 1454, when the Wars of the Roses put an end to all but hereditary State and Household appointments.

There had been a long dynastic power struggle even before the forty years of battles (Wars of the Roses) between the descendants of King Edward III. The feuding bloodlines, or Houses, the House of Lancaster (its badge being a red rose) and the House of York (its badge being a white rose) fought for the possession of the Crown of England and the power, wealth and influence that went with it. The Wars of the Roses began at St Albans in 1455 and saw the weak Lancastrian King Henry VI (he often suffered from bouts of madness) deposed by the House of York and the new King, Edward IV, enthroned in 1461.

In 1483, and seventeen battles later, a fourth King, Richard III (Lancastrian) became Sovereign of England but by now, and thousands dead in battle, the rival Houses wished for peace. The decision was that the throne should be offered to Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, on condition that he marries Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV, thus uniting the Houses of York and Lancaster and ending this costly war both in money and lives. Henry Tudor accepted the invitation and eventually embarked from Harfleur, France, for England in July 1485 with his "private guard of faithful followers," and a small military force of about 2000 men. Being himself of Welsh extraction, most of his adherents being Welshmen, and his private guard being Welsh born, it was but natural that Henry Tudor selected Wales as his base. He stepped ashore at the village of Dale in Milford Haven on the 1 August 1485; he was soon joined by the Welsh, who flocked to his Standard. With an increasing force Henry pressed forward to attack King Richard III.

On the Eve of St Bartholomew's Day, 22 August 1485, they met at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III was killed and it is said that the Royal crown, which he had worn over his helmet on the battle field, was found in a hawthorn bush by Henry's "private guard". The crown was placed on the head of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who was then and there hailed as King Henry VII of England. This historical episode was commemorated in the Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, by his son Henry VIII after his death in 1509. There, in its stained glass windows can be seen at the present day, the design of the Crown on the hawthorn bush under the Tudor rose, with the initials HR on the sides.

From Bosworth, King Henry proceeded to Leicester and thence to London, where, on the 1 September, he attended a Thanksgiving Service at St Paul's Cathedral, and deposited there the three Standards under which he had fought and those he had captured on the field of battle. Hall, the historian, described them minutely, "The first had an Image of St George; the second, ‘a Fiery Dragon Beaton on white and green sarsenet,' the Ensign of Cadwaladr, the last King of the Britons; the third was of ‘Yellow Tartine' on which was painted a ‘Donne Kowe' which being interpreted means dun cow." Henry VII was surrounded by his "private guard" of fifty men, now known as the Yeomen Guard or the Yeoman Archers.

The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is now the oldest Royal Body Guard, and also the oldest military corps now existing in this or any other country, pre-dating the Gentlemen-at-Arms by 24 years and the Queen's Body Guard for Scotland, The Royal Company of Archers, who were founded in 1676. Though The Body Guard can be traced to the armed personal guards of the Saxon and Norman Sovereigns, its real historical origin is to be found in the body guards of the Plantagenet Kings of eight hundred years ago. These latter guards however, were known by various designations, such as "Cross Bowmen of the Household," and "Archers of the Guard of the King's Body," and were often created anew by the Monarch on his accession.

It was King Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty, to make his Royal Body Guard a permanent institution and confer on it a definite title, a title it continues to hold.

It may well be asked why Henry did not retain the name "Archers" of the Guard, seeing that it was these archers who had become the terror of the men-at-arms and won the glorious victories of Crecy and Poitiers, and defeated the hitherto invincible mailed cavalry. Historians of the time say that there is no doubt King Henry VII conferred the title of Yeomen of the Guard as a proclamation to the people that he had selected his body-guard not from the nobility, but from that class just below them who had proved themselves as the national strength of the country at home and abroad. In the pardons granted by the King on his Accession, this class is described as "Yeomen or Gentlemen just below the rank of Esquire." Such was the status of the Yeomen of the fifteenth century.

Since its creation as a permanent Corps, the Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard has an absolutely unbroken history of over 520 years; for even during the brief period of The Commonwealth between 1649-1659 it continued to serve with King Charles II during his enforced absence in France, and at the Restoration accompanied him on his return to England, took its historic place in his triumphal entry into London, and stood around him at his immediate Coronation.

It is certain, therefore, that Henry VII created The Body Guard between The Battle of Bosworth on 22 August and the 18 September 1485 when a warrant was issued to a William Browne:

"To William Browne, Yeoman of the King's Guard, for good service that our humble and faithful servant hath heretofore done unto us as well beyond the seas as at our late victoreuse journeye".

The King took the occasion of the great ceremony of his Coronation on the 31 October to let it be known that the Yeomen of the Guard who attended him were not for his personal protection, but for the upholding of the dignity and grandeur of the English Crown in perpetuity, his successors, the Kings and Queens of England, for all time. The full title of the Guard in the old Latin MSS Warrants of the Tudor period is:

"Valecti Garde (Corporis) Domini Regis"
"Yeomen of the Guard (of our Body) of our Lord the King"

his historic title has been retained to this day, only being modernized since the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II to that by which it is know today:

"The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard"

The designation "Yeoman" is of interest, as it was introduced for the first time into the Body Guard upon the institution of this permanent body. As far as the etymology of the word is concerned, the most probable origin is believed to be a derivation from "gau", meaning "district" and the word "man" signifying "man of the district".

The term "yeoman" had for some time been applied to subordinate members of the sovereign's household, but previous Body Guards had been designated "The Cross-Bowmen of the Household", "Archers of The Guard", "Archers of the Crown", "Archers of the Household", "The Body Archers", or "The King's Bowmen". The 14th and 15th centuries, the golden period of English agriculture, saw the rise and prominence of the yeoman class and its recognition by the State. The yeomen helped to fill in a large gap between the upper class and the labourers. They lived well and in the winter did not have to contend with the hunger and cold endured by those who served them. Thus they were well suited to make fine soldiers, for as a wise statesman propounded "To make good infantry it requireth men bred not in a servile and indigent fashion, but in some free and plentiful manner". The rewards granted took the form of appointments, such as bailiffs of certain towns, keepers of parks or castles, carrying emoluments, fees, commodities and profits.

The title of "The King's (or Queen's) Body Guard of the Yeomen of The Guard" has persisted to the present day, though during the Victorian era it had been altered to "The Royal Guard". Before leaving the subject of correct designations, it is intriguing to discover the origin of misapprehensions, which have arisen in relation to the Yeomen of The Guard. A common acceptation of the work "yeoman" as coming from the "yeu", the wood from which bows were then made, is as incorrect as the assumption that the yew trees of this country provided the source of our bows. In fact the best bows were imported from abroad, being mad from yew trees grown slowly on high ground in a dry climate.

Similarly, the nickname of "Beefeaters" as applied to the Yeomen has been misquoted in its origin. The authentic source of the misnomer is to be found in the narration by Count Cosmo, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, on his travels in England in the 17th century. The Count was frequently at court in 1669, and in referring to the Yeomen of The Guard, he stated: - They are called ‘Beefeaters', that is Eaters-of-Beef, of which a considerable portion is allowed them daily by the Court.

The nickname was evidently in use at about that time, as it is on record that a respected member of parliament ironically applied it to the Yeomen of The Guard in a speech made in the House of Commons on the 9th November 1685.

YEOMAN WARDERS of THE TOWER OF LONDON

Notwithstanding the previous references to "Beefeater" your web master must put this matter to rest to avoid further confusion. Yeomen of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard are not Beefeaters. The term Beefeater may be a term used to describe our respected and close colleagues at the Tower of London, the Yeoman Warders (In Extraordinary), albeit they too find it a derogatory term. On ceremonial occasions they wear the exact same scarlet-red State Dress, minus the cross-belt, but their day-to-day duties are carried out in the Blue Undress; this latter uniform was approved by Queen Victoria as late as 1858. The Yeoman Warders were authorised by Edward VI to wear State Dress in 1552 after the Duke of Somerset, the Protector, was imprisoned in the Tower and received humane treatment by his gaolers. He was so grateful that he promised that on his release he would request that the Sovereign consider granting them the honour of wearing the State Dress; he was released, and his request was eventually approved.

The Yeomen of The Queen's Body Guard uniform is distinguished by the cross belt, worn from the left shoulder and diagonally across the body, used in bygone days to support the weight of the harquebus (long barrelled rifle). The Tower Warders have a wonderful website Tower of London and well worth a visit and packed with history and information about The Ceremony of the Keys. The above image (top right) shows the Chief Warder John Keohane BEM in his Blue Undress with The Tower of London behind him. The image below (bottom right) shows him carrying his staff of office, a silver mace with a replica of The White Tower.

On his left, his loyal second-in-command, Yeoman Goaler Vic Lucas who on state occasions carries the Ceremonial Axe; both are in their Ceremonial State Dress (minus cross-belt). The Ceremonial Axe has never drawn human blood but has been used as a symbol of his office since the reign of Henry VII. The Yeoman Goaler carried the axe when escorting prisoners from the Tower to their trials at Westminster. On completion of the trial if the prisoner was found guilty the sharp edge of the axe was turned towards him/her throughout the return journey. In a way this was the first type of 'News Flash' because the populace knew immediately the outcome of the trial.

Gentlemen, we drink your health "May you never die a Yeoman Warder" isn't as morbid as it seems. Yeoman Warder's paid 250 guineas on appointment. When they retired, £250 of this is returned, whilst the constable who appointed them retained £12.50. Should a Yeoman Warder die before retirement, the constable was entitled to the full 250 guineas.