Queen's Regulations - British Military Ceremonial Quiz

Answer: no

In many instances this statement would be true. However, should the Royal Horse Artillery be on parade, with their guns, this unit will march at the head of the Household Cavalry. The 'Precedence of Corps and Regiments', which can be found within Chapter 8 of Queens Regulations, is an important facet of the heritage of the British Army and it is taken very seriously. Within each corps or regiment there is a further level of precedence which is detailed in regulations known as the 'Army List'. For example, within the Household Division, under precedence, the two regiments of Household Cavalry take precedence over the regiments of Foot Guards. Within the Foot Guards the Grenadier Guards, as the senior regiment, parade ahead of (in order of precedence) the Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards.

Answer: The Naval Contingent

As the Royal Marines and the Royal Marine Reserve Forces are administered by the Royal Navy, Queens Regulations, QR.J8.008 state that they will parade as members of the naval contingent. Here is an interesting and little known fact for you all. Between 1744 and 1746, the 39th Regiment of Foot, served aboard the ships of the Royal Navy as marines.

It is believed that the 39th were the first regiment of infantry to adopt this role. Over the years and as the regiment evolved, they became a battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment. From this time right up until 2007 when the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment were amalgamated to form a battalion of the new super-regiment 'The Rifles', the members of the Drums Platoon were permitted to wear the white marine helmet with a dark green ribbon tied around the crown, in recognition of the role of the 39th all those years ago. Isn't regimental history is a wonderful thing!

Answer: Dependent upon the majority of soldiers within the unit

QR.8.026. instructs that the chaplain will be of the same denomination as the majority of the soldiers within the unit that is receiving the new colour, standard or guidon. In the case of the Church of England it will be performed by the Chaplain General, for those units consisting, in the main, of Roman Catholic soldiers it would be carried out by the Roman Catholic Bishop in Ordinary of the British Army and for units whose men are predominately of the Church of Scotland, the Chaplain General will appoint a Church of Scotland chaplain or minister. On the subject of religious minorities; At present Queens Regulations makes no provision but, as the demographic changes, it will be necessary for the British armed services to make allowance for the increase in numbers of soldiers from the ethnic minorities.

In the current climate, however, this is likely to be far into the future.

Answer: Burial

Should you ever be in the Exeter area of Devon on holiday, it would be worth your while to visit its fine Gothic cathedral. Within the cathedral you will discover the regimental chapel of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. Hanging above your head will be three hundred years of regimental history in the form of its old regimental colours, some of which have been hanging there for so long that they have all but wasted away completely. Queens Regulation QR.8.032.

Instructs that once a representative of the regiment has deemed the colour to be 'completely disintegrated', its remains are to be buried, unmarked, in consecrated ground.

The colour is to be buried with its staff; lion and crown pole mount which, by this time, is often all that remains.

Answer: Only the first six bars of the National Anthem

Poor Charles... Will he ever have an entire verse played for him? QR.J8.039. states that a full verse of the National Anthem is only played on the arrival and departure of the sovereign and their consort on the provision that they remain together. All other members will be greeted with just the first six bars.

Whilst Her Majesty is on parade, should any member of the royal family depart, which includes HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, then the National Anthem is not to be played. If a personage in the form of a foreign sovereign is being honoured with a parade, a royal salute will be given (arms presented, colours, standards and guidons lowered) and the personage will be received with a full verse of their National Anthem. All other heads of state will receive a general salute which means that arms will be presented and a full verse of their national Anthem will be played, however, colours, standards and guidons will NOT be lowered.

Answer: 2

The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals are the two cavalry regiments that form part of the Household Division along with the aforementioned regiments of Foot Guards. These are the soldiers that provide the bodyguard for our sovereign. The Life Guards are mounted soldiers in red tunics, with white plumes to their helmets whilst their sister regiment, the Blues and Royals, are attired with blue tunics and red plumed helmets.

It is likely that you are familiar with both having seen them parading at ceremonial occasions, such as the 'Trooping of the Colour' on television or you may have seen them up close during a visit to this country.

These men are not just 'tourist eye-candy', but are fully trained soldiers that are deployed, as all soldiers are, to the world's hotspots as and when the government require them to do so.

Answer: The O2 Arena, London

The full list of authorised sites, according to QR.8.062. Lists those above and also includes these additional home locations: Dover Castle, Stirling Castle in Scotland, the Museum Gardens in York and the Royal Artillery Barracks at Larkhill in Wiltshire, Colchester, Cardiff, HM Tower of London and the Royal Naval Blockhouse at Gosport, Hampshire. The only authorised overseas site is located at Europa Point, Gibraltar.
I'm sure that a 21 gun salute fired anywhere near the O2 Arena would result in the place falling down!

Answer: A shallow dive followed by a climb

Yes, this actually happens on occasion! Saluting from a moving aircraft is only to take place when a saluting dais is present on the ground or at special occasions where permission has been granted by the Commanding Officer of the station over which the salute is to take place. Can you imagine the reaction of Her Majesty and other members of the royal family to a victory roll performed by the Battle of Britain Flight over Buckingham Palace at an occasion such as the recent diamond jubilee? I'm sure HM would be horrified...

But Prince Harry would probably love it! The Immelmann turn is a combat manoeuvre that took its name from a tactic developed by First World War German pilot, Max Immelmann. A Lomcovak is an aerobatic manoeuvre in which the aircraft is tumbled end to end.

Answer: True

QR.8.063. states that a royal gun salute will normally consist of 21 guns. However, those fired from Hyde Park will consist of 41 guns. The only other authorised location at which a royal gun salute may take place using more, or fewer, than 21 guns is within HM Tower of London.

As this building is still a royal palace, it has its own unique set of regulations and is not covered by Queens Regulations; therefore details of any gun salutes that take place at this location are not covered by this quiz.

Answer: 20 and 3

It is a sad fact that over the last decade we have had many military funerals here in the United Kingdom, as have our allies in the United States and from other countries all over the world. Part 5 to Chapter 8 of Queens Regulations provides the rules governing military mourning and funerals. I had served within the British military for a total of fifteen years and I was surprised to learn that even the most junior soldiers are entitled to a military escort at their funerals. Clearly, as a soldier advances in rank, their entitlement will increase as is normal in any walk of life. Under QR.J8.124.

For example; any non-commissioned rank is entitled to an escort of up to twenty men and three rounds of small arms ammunition fired in salute. All commissioned ranks from 2nd Lieutenant up to, and including that of Brigadier are also entitled to three rounds fired in salute and their escort privileges increase to a total of up to six hundred men. Ranks of Major-General and above are entitled to gun salutes of between thirteen and nineteen guns depending on rank and an escort of up to one thousand men.