Household Cavalry Regiment

The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the union of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals for operational purposes. Both regiments were allowed to maintain their separate identities, and each provides two squadrons for the HCR. This makes the HCR unusual in the British Army, in that it is an operational regiment only – it does not have its own ceremonial identity, as The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals have their own distinct RHQs, uniforms and accoutrements.

The regiment is part of the Household Cavalry, which is a corps in its own right, rather than the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC), which other armoured units in the British Army are part of. However, it serves as one of the army's five formation reconnaissance regiments, for which it is equipped with various vehicles, including the FV107 Scimitar, and is considered, for operational purposes, as part of the RAC. Uniquely among the army's formation reconnaissance regiments, in peacetime the Household Cavalry Regiment has four operational squadrons (the rest have three); one of the HCR's squadrons is permanently attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade. Under Army 2020, that may no longer be the case.

It currently serves as the formation reconnaissance regiment assigned to 1 Mechanised Brigade and is based at Combermere Barracks, Windsor, one mile from Windsor Castle. Under Army 2020, the regiment will be the Armoured Cavalry to the 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade.