page_title: Aiguillette
section_title: United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Aiguillette / Military usage / United Kingdom
caption_attribution_description: New Colours are presented to RMAS (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst). Officer Cadet Wales (Prince Harry of Wales - rightmost of the cadets, visible between the Chief of the Defence Staff and the horse) and his intake of Juniors are inspected by the then Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Michael Walker GCB, CMG, CBE, later Baron Walker of Aldringham
context_page_description: An aiguillette, also spelled aguillette, aiglet or aglet, is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself.
  Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips popular in the 16th and early 17th centuries, sometimes of gold set with gemstones or enameled, are generally called "aiglets", "aglets" or "points".
  In modern usage, an "aiguillette" is an ornamental braided cord with decorative metal tips worn on uniforms or as part of other costumes such as academic dress, where it will denote an honour. This usage of "aiguillette" derives from lacing used to fasten plate armor together. As such, a knot or loop arrangement was used which sometimes hung from the shoulder.
  These aiguillettes should not be confused with lanyards, which are cords also worn from the shoulder, but do not have the pointed aiguillette tips and are usually of fibre rather than gold or silver wire, and often not braided.
  The modern aglet or shoelace tip and the decorative tips on bolo ties are types of aiguillettes.
context_section_description: There are four types of aiguillette worn by the British Armed Forces.
  Aiguillettes (1st Class or Royal) are of gold-wire cord and are worn on the right shoulder by, among others, admirals of the fleet, field marshals and marshals of the RAF; honorary physicians, honorary chaplains, honorary surgeons and aides-de-camp to the Sovereign; and equerries to members of the royal family. Some appointments carry the privilege of wearing a miniature Sovereign's Cypher on the points of the aiguillettes. These aiguillettes are also worn by commissioned officers of the Household Cavalry (in full dress only). They are worn on the left shoulder in full dress by warrant officers of the Household Cavalry.
  Aiguillettes (2nd Class or Board) are of gold and dark blue, crimson or light blue depending if worn by Royal Navy, Army or RAF officers and are worn on the right shoulder by, among others, military members of the Defence Board and each Service Board and the personal staff of governors. A simplified version with no coils is worn on the left shoulder by staff corporals, corporals of horse and lance corporals of horse of the Household Cavalry in full dress.
  Aiguillettes (3rd Class or Staff) are of gold and dark blue, crimson or light blue depending if worn by Royal Navy, Army or RAF officers. They are worn on the left shoulder by, among others, attachés, assistants and aides-de-camp.
  Simple aiguillettes are worn by lance corporals of the Household Cavalry and by bandsmen of Dragoon Guards and Dragoon regiments in full dress.
  The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police wears silver aiguillettes in both formal and ceremonial dress.
  The Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of the City of London Police wear gold aiguillettes on the right shoulder in ceremonial dress. Some officers of that force also wear gold aiguillettes on the left shoulder in ceremonial dress.
caption: Royal Aiguillette worn by the Chief of Defence Staff and Staff Aiguillettes worn by ADCs
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