Life Guards (Sweden)

Life Guards
Livgardet
Coat of arms of the Life Guards.
Active1521–present
(lineage)
2000–present
(current form)
Country Sweden
AllegianceSwedish Armed Forces
BranchSwedish Army
TypeHousehold Infantry and Cavalry
RoleInfantry, Ceremonial
Size1,300[1]
(4 active battalions, 3 bands, 6 reserve battalions)
Part ofOPIL (2000–2005)
SweAFHQ (2005–present)
Garrison/HQKungsängen
Nickname(s)RHQ
Motto(s)Possunt nec posse videntur
("They do what appears to be impossible")[note 1]
ColorsInfantry: yellow
Cavalry: white
MarchInfantry: Quick: Kungl. Svea Livgardes Marsch (W. Körner)[5]
Slow: Kungl. Svea Livgardes Defileringsmarsch (I. Gustavsson)
Old: Kungl. Svea Livgardes Gamla Marsch, Inspektionsmarsch (unknown)
Cavalry: Quick - Dragonerna komma (Ericson)
Canter - Fehmarn-Sund-Marsch (Piefke)
Anniversaries14 January[6]
Battle honoursSwedish War of Liberation (1521)
Thirty Years' War

Second Northern War

Scanian War

Great Northern War

Russo-Swedish War

Commanders
Commander, Life GuardsColonel Gustaf Dufberg
Assistant Commander/Executive Officer Stockholm AreaColonel Gustaf Dufberg
Honorary Colonel-in-chiefHis Majesty The King
Insignia
Branch insignias (infantry)
Branch insignias (cavalry)
Unit insignia

The Life Guards (Swedish: Livgardet, designation LG) is a combined Swedish Army cavalry/infantry regiment. Its responsibilities include the defence of Stockholm as well as provision of the royal guard of honour for the King of Sweden and the Stockholm Palace. With traditions dating from 1521, the regiment is one of the oldest military units in continuous operational existence in the world. It was established in its present form in July 2000, following a merger of the Svea Life Guards and the Life Guard Dragoons. Headquarters are mainly located in Brunna north of Kungsängen in Upplands-Bro Municipality and at the "Cavalry Barracks 1" in central Stockholm.

  1. ^ Försvarsmakten. "Livgardet". Försvarsmakten (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Valspråk". Livgardets historik (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  3. ^ Sveagardesföreningen.
  4. ^ Handbok: parad 6: traditionsvård 2017, p. 45
  5. ^ Sandberg 2007, p. 208
  6. ^ "Livgardets jubileumsdag 14 januari" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Retrieved 18 September 2012.


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