Regimental History
In 1650 Oliver Cromwell was forming part of the first English standing army called "the new model army" to oppose Charles II's threatened invasion from Scotland, and allotted a regiment to General George Monck. This was composed of five companies taken from two regiments, Hazelrigg's and Fenwick's and was entitled "Monck's Regiment of Foot". The regiment took part in the battle of Dunbar on 3rd September 1650, at which Cromwell defeated the royalists under Leslie but, together with Monck, was left behind with 5,000 other troops to maintain control in Scotland when Cromwell went in pursuit of Charles.
On Cromwell's death General Monck opposed the political intrigues of the other generals and on 1st January 1660 marched south from the little boarder town of Coldstream. On 2nd February 1660 Monck's Regiment took up its quarters for the first time in St James's and was soon employed keeping order in the City of London. It was the intervention of Monck and his Coldstreamers which was largely responsible for securing the free election of the parliament which restored Charles II to the throne. In 1661, when King Charles II decided to disband the old army, there were serious civil disturbances and Monck's veterans had to be called out to restore order. As a result the king decided to retain them. In order to comply with the act of parliament, Monck's Regiment, now called the Lord General's Regiment, was paraded at the Tower of London on 14 February 1661 and, after laying down their arms in token disbandment, immediately took them up again as soldiers of the king and as "an extraordinary guard to his royal person". The Regiment was called "the Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards" until Monck's death in 1670 after which it became officially styled by the name it had already borne unofficially for a decade - the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards. 
Since then the Regiment has served with distinction in almost every campaign fought by the British Army. The most famous of the Regiment's 111 battle honours include Waterloo, Egypt and Ypres. The 3rd Battalion was raised in 1897 and both the 1st and 2nd Battalions fought in the South African War of 1899-1902. The Regiment fought throughout the First World War.
In 1915 a 4th (Volunteer) Battalion was formed and joined the three regular Battalions in France. This battalion was disbanded in 1919.
During the Second World War the 1st and 2nd Battalions fought with the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium in 1939-40 and the 3rd Battalion fought in the Middle East until 1943, when they moved to Italy to take part in the campaign there. The 2nd Battalion took part in the North African landings in 1942 and from there took part in the landings in Italy in February 1944. They remained there until the surrender of the German forces in May 1945. The 1st Battalion joined the Guards Armoured Division and fought in North West Europe in 1944-45 as an armoured battalion.
The 4th Battalion was reformed in October 1940 and in the autumn of 1941 was converted to a motorised battalion. In November 1942 it was again converted this time to an armoured battalion and thereafter fought in North West Europe as part of the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. The 5th Battalion was formed in October 1941 and fought in North West Europe as a motorised battalion also as part of the Guards Armoured Division. The 6th Battalion was formed in October 1941 but was disbanded in October 1943 without seeing action.
The 4th and 5th Battalions were disbanded soon after the Second World War and the 3rd Battalion was placed into suspended animation in 1960. The 2nd Battalion less one company followed into suspended animation in 1993. This company is known as Number 7 Company and is permanently based in London for operational and public duties. It retains the Colours of the 2nd Battalion, which is trooped when the company provides the Escort for the Queens Birthday Parade.
Since the Second World War Coldstream Battalions have served in Germany, Palestine, Egypt, Tripoli, Malaya, Cyprus, Aden, Kenya, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Libya. British Guiana, British Honduras, and the Falklands Islands. They have also served in Northern Ireland since 1969. More recently the First Battalion too part in the Gulf War in 1991 and as a United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia 1993\94.
The year 2000 marks the 350th Anniversary of the formation of the Regiment. In this anniversary year 1st Battalion will have completed another operational tour of Northern Ireland prior to taking part in the ceremonial season. Number 7 Company Trooped the Colour of the 2nd Battalion that was presented to the Regiment by Her Majesty the Queen, at Windsor Castle, in 1999.
Ceremonial Duties
To find out about the ceremonial duities of the Coldstream Guards click on the dropdown menu below. To view all the Ceremonial duties of the Guards regiments click here Ceremonial Duties
To find out more about the Coldstream Guards Operational Infantry Role Visit the Coldstream Guards website
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