QUEEN'S GUARD

The Grenadier Guards is a British infantry regiment that dates its history continuously from 1656. It is one of the oldest regiments in the British Army and the oldest of the Guard units. Its hallmark is a grenade with a burning fuse. The Grenadier Guard is one of the most distinguished regiments of the British army, and its soldiers fought in all major conflicts throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, including for example the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), the Crimean War (1853-1856) , both world wars or the 2003 Iraq war. Among his soldiers there were 14 people decorated with the highest British order - Victoria Cross. Unit - 1994 - is formally composed of two battalions, where the 1st battalion is composed of four infantry companies and is in fact a regular British Army unit, while the 2nd battalion is composed of only one company and has representative functions in London. It is, among others this sub-unit is responsible for the effective changes of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace in London. The titular commander of the unit is always the British monarch - at present this role is played by Elizabeth II of the Windsor dynasty.