A Very Good, WW1 & WW2 Original Horseguards, Life Guards and Blues And Royals, Other Ranks Pattern Helmet Plate, Order of the Garter Badge Star

Original, early King's Crown type. This fabulous quality WW1 and WW2 other ranks badge, was in use since 1901, used by a trooper or NCO of the Blues and Royals or the Life Guards, that combined, make up the Royal Horseguards, until the pattern was changed with the queen's crown in 1953. The Albert helmet is the current ceremonial headgear of the British Army's Household Cavalry, the Life guards regiment and the Blues and Royals regiment. It was introduced by Prince Albert in 1842 and adopted by the Household Cavalry the following year. In 1847 the helmet was introduced to all heavy cavalry regiments. It remains in use as the full dress headgear of the two remaining Household Cavalry regiments, the Blues and Royals and the Life Guards. The magnificent helmet remains in use with the two current Household Cavalry regiments, the Blues and Royals with red plume and the Life Guards with white plume. These regiments are amalgamations of the four earlier regiments. The Life Guards retain the white plume and the onion from the 2nd Regiment, the Blues and Royals retain the red plume of the Royal Horse Guards. Blues and Royals officers wear a yak hair plume. Farriers in both regiments wear different plumes, the Life Guards farrier wear black and Blues and Royals farrier red.

The regiments also differ in how they wear the helmet's chin strap. The Blues and Royals wear it under the chin while the Life Guards wear it under the lower lip. The helmet is now in white metal for all ranks and the same helmet plate is worn by both regiments (they were different historically).

The Albert helmet is only worn in full dress review order, guard order and front yard order by other ranks and in full dress, levee dress and ceremonial rehearsal dress by officers. Medical and veterinary officers do not wear the helmet, instead wearing a cocked hat.

The other ranks of the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry wear the helmet in full dress (with the plumes of their parent regiments), except when parading in the presence of the royal family, when they wear state dress with jockey caps. Band officers wear Albert helmets on both occasions.
one threaded affixing bolt remaining and one fold out helmet affixing stem

Code: 24072