art-of-swords:Sword of Yeoman of the GuardDated: before 1837Culture: BritishMedium and techniques: s
art-of-swords:Sword of Yeoman of the GuardDated: before 1837Culture: BritishMedium and techniques: steel, wire/relief, chased, metal decorationMeasurements: 95 x 80 cm (whole object)The sword has a gilt metal hilt with a D-shaped knuckleguard with branch to shell guard, decorated with relief of horse. The pommel is chased with coronet on each side, seven with tang. The grip bound has herringbone brass wire, while the sword features a double-edged steel blade tapering to point. Sidenotes:The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard are a bodyguard of the British Monarch.The oldest British military corps still in existence, it was created by Henry VII in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth.As a token of this venerability, the Yeomen still wear red and gold uniforms of Tudor style.There are 60 Yeomen of the Guard (plus 6 Officers), drawn from retired members of the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, but traditionally not the Royal Navy.This ban on Royal Navy Personnel was lifted in 2011 and 2 Sailors joined the ranks of the Yeomen of the Guard.However, the role of the Captain of the Queen’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a political appointment — the Captain is always the government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords.Source: Copyright © 2015 Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II -- source link