The oldest regiment in the British Army began as a rebel force
In short: Born from the chaos of the English Civil War, the Coldstream Guards did not start by protecting the Crown. Instead, they rose from the Parliamentarian ranks to fight for Oliver Cromwell, eventually evolving into the most enduring infantry unit in British military history.
The Coldstream Guards trace their origins to August 1650, when they were raised in Scotland by Colonel George Monck. Originally a component of the New Model Army, the unit fought for the Parliamentarian faction during the English Civil War. Their early history was defined by political volatility; in September 1650, they were part of the force that defeated Scottish Royalist forces at the Battle of Dunbar.
By January 1660, Monck led the regiment from the village of Coldstream to London, playing a pivotal role in reinstating the Rump Parliament and subsequently assisting in the Restoration of King Charles II. The regiment's survival was far from guaranteed. Following the Restoration, a newly summoned parliament ordered the disbandment of the New Model Army. The unit avoided dissolution only in January 1661 when they were called upon to suppress an army mutiny. Shortly after, the soldiers symbolically transitioned from New Model Army troops to the Crown's service, becoming the Lord General’s Regiment of Foot Guards.
The unit's identity solidified after the death of George Monck in 1670. Under the command of the Earl of Craven, they adopted the name Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards. Throughout the late 17th century, the regiment proved its versatility, serving as marines during the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–1667) and defending Tangier against Moorish attacks in the late 1660s. Even when distrusted by William III during the Glorious Revolution of 1688 due to their loyalty to James II, the regiment remained active, fighting in major European engagements such as the Battle of Walcourt in 1689 and the Siege of Namur in 1695.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Coldstream Guards - Origin of the Modern British Army
- Also: The Coldstream Guards | National Army Museum
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