The Irish Guards, Wooden Soldier - The Irish Guards, beating the retreat, history of the Irish Guards

The Irish Guards - Beating the Retreat.
My limited edition soldier depicts a Queens Guardsman c.1914

The Irish Guards

The soldiers you see Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle or marching down the Mall or Trooping the Colour at the Queens birthday parade, or whilst visiting Horse Guards Parade are not just ceremonial guards but also serving Soldiers WhO uphold the traditions of the past.

There are five Regiments of Foot Guards in the Houshold Cavalry. The Grenadier Guards,The Coldstream Guards, The Scots Guards, The Irish Guards and The Welsh Guards.

The Irish Guards were formed on 1st April 1900 by order of HM Queen Victoria to commemorate the bravery of the Irish people who fought in the Boer war. On 21st April 1900, the first recruit, James O’Brien of Limerick, was enlisted and many followed as a free transfer was offered to all Irishmen serving not only in the Guards Brigade but also from the Line Regiments.

The Irish Guards played a major part in both World Wars, winning a total of six Victoria Crosses including the last to be presented in the Second World War and have seen armed conflict in many parts of the world since 1945.

On St Patrick's Day (17th March) The Irish Guards are presented with a shamrock on every St Patrick's day (17th March) by a member of the Royal Family. This dates back to 1901 when HRH Princess Alexandra presented the Battalion with it for the first time. Until recent years this duty has been carried out by HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother but since her death the honor has been taken up by HRH The Princess Royal.

The Irish Guards, originally nicknamed Bob's Own after Lord Roberts, the First Colonel of the Regiment, are affectionately and widely known as The Micks. No other Regiment of Foot Guards has such a widely accepted nickname. The Regimental Mascot is an Irish Wolfhound for its remarkable combination of power, swiftness and keen sight the breed has enjoyed a close association with the Irish Guards for more than a century.

Strictly Limited Edition Irish Guard - Wooden Soldier

Click here for details of the large hand carved wooden Irish Guard along with our range of Ceremonial Soldiers.

Click here for my 17 inch, trophy sized Grenadier Guard.

Wooden Soldier Regimental Histories

All of my wooden soldiers are made in strictly limited editions, click here for a regimental history of each soldier.