Royal Life Guard Regiment

The Royal Life Guard Corps is a special regiment made up of approximately 500 men in the Swedish armed forces. They are under the command of the king, who serves as the captain. To become even a private in this special corps you would have to achieve the rank of captain in the normal army. The second in command for the corps would Be a colonel, and he would bear the title Kaptenlöjtnant (Lieutenant-Captain). They are based in Kungsängen.

There duty is to protect Stockholm, and the king. They thus follow the king when he is out on war, and when war is not being fought they guard Stockholm. In many ways they are the most elite and most well equipped regiment in the entire Swedish armed forces. They have carried home the bodies of Swedish kings when they die in other realms many times. They are also a mixed cavalry regiment and thus contain elements of cavalry. This cavalry is made up of lions, and thus they earned the nickname “Lion Guard.”

## History

### Early

It is the worlds oldest known company. It was formed at sometime during the kingdoms creation and has served ever since then. In these early times they policed the lands of Farska for Sweden and sometimes went out with other Kings to war. They became a popular regiment with the people for there honorable defense. And with most nobles for there selfless defense of the king, the exception being those nobles who wanted to see the king dead.

### Harold Rex

At the onslaught of Viking onslaughts on Farska, they were called apon to defend Stockholm many a time. About half of them journeyed out with Harold as the others defended Stockholm. Though they, of course, were few they defended Stockholm well. Until of course they were called away to follow the king at Harold’s gate.

They marched through Farska with the king until they traced the right tip, and then protected the men as they worked on the gate. This lasted many months and years as it was very difficult work. But it was done. Within this time there was the Battle at Gatebottom, a Swedish victory. After this the war ended shortly and the Regiment was called on many times by the king and by small towns on the journey back to Stockholm. They had done there duty and helped win the war.

### Civil War

During the war of Succession, or Swedish civil war they were divided between the two sides. They decided they would simply defend the people. They did this well, for the most part avoiding bloodshed in the city. This made them more popular with the people. However the majority was royalist, and so some helped out on the Kings side.

The one time there was conflict within the Guard was the Betrayal of Kungsängen. Royalist members of the guard at Kungsängen were attacked by the those loyal to the other side in the night while they slept. Apon them waking up a battle took place between the two sides, the 200 men all fighting each other. It ended with a loyalist victory, and this put them fully on that side. The traitors were put in jail and executed.

### 30 Years of War

They were put to much use in the 30 years war. The Protestant league greatly required Swedish aid, and when Gustavus came he brought the guard with him. They fought very bravely in the 30 years war winning many honors. Especially in battles such as those at Brietienfeld. They continued to fight with the king until the wars end, very few remained in Stockholm at this time.

At the death of Gustavus they put him in a chest, or Sarcophagus, and marched with four people carrying it on there shoulders slowly up to Stockholm where it was, of course, buried. This was a sad and solemn duty yet they carried it out with pride. They carried a great king on there backs.

### Carolus Rex

Under Carolus they were thrust into the Great Northern War. At the very start they were called to help the defense of strategic locations throughout Sweden to defeat enemy attacks before rallying with Carolus for his push into Poland. They marshaled and replenished there numbers with him, taking 150 to Poland and leaving 50 back at Stockholm.

They fought the Poles at siege of Warsaw and pacified the area after Sweden took it. They prepared to continue there march into enemy lands. The Soviet Union rose and Carolus, there leader left them. They stayed in Poland at his orders to defend it from the Soviet attacks that were surely destined to come for them now that the area was weakened.

And come they did. Soviets crashed against Poland but the regiment and the greater Carolean army weathered them until the return of Carolus, in which they went to the taken Saint Petersburg, Carolusburg. They regrouped and marched out into Soviet lands, now with the Israelis helping the army.

They marched through the Soviet Union. In this time the regiment took very few casualties. Back at home in Stockholm they had been pulled to defend Harold’s wall a few times but for the most part they defended Stockholm. After the siege of Stalingrad there was much celebration as they marched home victorious. With the war over they resumed normal peacetime duties. 50 went out with Carolus when he travelled to northern North America.

While he was in America shipments from across the continents came to Stockholm of Lions Carolus had ordered. Thus they followed in his footsteps and trained the lions as mounts, thus earning the name Lion Guard. They are the first Swedish lion cavalry regiment, as now the majority of them are equipped with lions. In this time they completed what they started in the great northern war and brought the number of men in it up to 500.

## Uniform and Heraldry

The Calvary uses white, the Infantry gold. However they each use blue for the majority of the uniform. The uniform is more fancy then that of a normal foot soldier or warrior due to being owned by a regiment of renown. Men of this regiment have the regimental symbol on there left shoulder pad, along with a standard banner bearer.

The are very decorated, and thus the majority of the soldiers have some kind of medal in addition to the medal for being part of the regiment, which they will bear proudly on there sash. This is a symbol of honor. They of course have fancy tricornes with golden rims, which complement the rest of the uniform.