Royal Horse Guards
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The Royal Horse Guards (RHG) was a Household Cavalry regiment of the British Army. Originally founded in 1650 by Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment later became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of King Charles II. As the regiment's uniform was blue in colour at the time, it was nicknamed "the Oxford Blues"; hence the Royal Horse Guards was also nicknamed the "Blues." The RHG was amalgamated with the Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) to form the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) in 1969.
In 1660 at the restoration of King Charles II, 80 Horse Guards formed a mounted guard for the king, and they became the Life Guards, who wear red tunics as opposed to the Blues and Royals' blue tunics. Eventually these regiments amalgamated to form the Household cavalry Mounted Regiment, who still have the honour of providing a ceremonial mounted guard for the monarch, as well as providing armoured combat recconaisance in Scimitar combat vehicles
There was also a titular regiment, the Horse Guards, which actually consisted of several independent troops: see Horse Guards Regiment. The Governor General's Horse Guards are the Household Cavalry in Canada, and part of the Commonwealth of Nations Household Division.