Historical Record of the Fifth, or Princess Charlotte of Wales's Regiment of Dragoon Guards: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685

In Short

Commissioned in 1685 as a loyalist response to internal rebellion, this official unit history traces the evolution of the Fifth Dragoon Guards from heavy horsemen into a premier cavalry force. Compiled by royal command under Adjutant-General direction, the narrative follows the corps through the Irish campaigns of William III, Marlborough’s grand victories in Flanders and Germany, civil unrest in Ireland, and the Peninsular War under Wellington. It has endured as an essential archival record by meticulously preserving field orders, equipment regulations, casualty lists, and biographical sketches that capture the operational reality and martial spirit of the early British Army.

The Story

The chronicle opens in July 1685 amid the political turmoil of King James II's reign. Formed from six independent troops of horse raised to counter the Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion, the regiment is established as a unit of Cuirassiers under the Earl of Shrewsbury. Ranked initially as the Seventh Horse, it quickly becomes an indispensable component of the crown's military establishment. Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the corps undergoes political purging, re-equipping, and renaming as Coy’s Horse under William III. Its early active service spans from domestic highway patrols and guarding royal deer in the Forest of Dean to bloodier engagements in Ireland, where it covers the siege of Carrickfergus and protects vulnerable populations amid intense religious warfare.

As the war shifts to the Continent, the regiment enters its first golden era during the War of the Spanish Succession under the command of General Cadogan. Operating as heavy cavalry, the unit proves decisive in Marlborough’s major campaigns. At the battle of Ramilies in 1706, the troopers break enemy lines in a night-long pursuit that destroys the opposing army, capturing standards, artillery, and high-ranking prisoners. They participate in the difficult siege of Bouchain, repeatedly repelling French cavalry charges to secure vital positions. Across these campaigns, tactical doctrine shifts: the regiment gradually transitions from heavy horse fighting primarily on foot with long muskets to highly mobile cavalry capable of devastating mounted charges.

The mid-eighteenth century brings administrative re-organizations, period reductions, and re-namings—including a long tenure as the Second Irish Horse—before the regiment is officially re-designated as the Fifth Dragoon Guards in 1788. The late eighteenth century tests the unit’s discipline during the 1798 Irish Rebellion. Tasked with the defense of Dublin, detachments engage insurgent forces in fiercely contested actions across Wicklow and Wexford, including crucial victories at Arklow and Vinegar Hill.

The climax of the regiment’s battle history occurs during the Peninsular War under the Marquis of Wellington. The troopers distinguish themselves in heavy combat across Spain and Portugal, earning formal commendations from commanders like Sir Stapleton Cotton and Major-General Le Marchant for their decisive charges at Llerena. They serve as Wellington’s personal escort upon his triumphant entry into Madrid in 1812 and endure the grueling strategic retreat from Burgos. Honored with the battle distinction "PENINSULA" and named in memory of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the regiment transitions to peacetime garrison duty across Great Britain and Ireland, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering loyalty and martial achievement.

How It Unfolds

The regiment is embodied Raised in 1685 across six English towns to protect King James II from rebellion, the six independent troops are consolidated on July 29 into a formal regiment of Cuirassiers commanded by the Earl of Shrewsbury.

Deployment to the Irish wars Re-established under King William III as Coy's Horse, the regiment lands in Ireland in 1689 to cover the siege of Carrickfergus, guard retreating columns, and secure Protestant populations during brutal sectarian skirmishes.

Triumphs in Flanders and Germany Under Brigadier-General Cadogan, the corps executes devastating mounted charges against French and Bavarian forces, capturing enemy standards at Schellenberg and smashing opponent lines during the decisive victory at Ramilies.

Securing the heights at Bouchain During the siege of Bouchain in 1711, the unit counter-charges French carabineers on a rising crest, routing outnumbering forces and saving General Cadogan from capture while trapping the enemy garrison.

Suppressing the 1798 Irish uprising Stationed in Dublin, a detached squadron repulses massive insurgent attacks at Arklow, clear fortified road barriers, and participates in the assault on the rebel stronghold at Vinegar Hill.

Peninsular victories and Madrid The troopers earn high praise for their charge at Llerena, serve as Lord Wellington’s escort into Madrid in August 1812, and cover the army's arduous retreat from the fortress of Burgos back to Portugal.

The People

• King James II — The Roman Catholic monarch whose contested accession triggers rebellion, prompting him to form the newly raised troops of horse into a permanent standing regiment of Cuirassiers in 1685.
• Charles, Earl of Shrewsbury — The noble commander who raises the first troop at Lichfield and serves as the regiment's inaugural Colonel before rising to Secretary of State under King William III.
• General William Cadogan — The brilliant cavalry commander and Colonel who leads the regiment through Marlborough's Continental campaigns, personally directing pivotal charges at Bouchain and Ramilies.
• Major-General John Le Marchant — The Peninsular brigade commander who issues formal commendations praising the regiment's extraordinary courage and tactical execution during the engagement near Llerena.
• Lieutenant-Colonel Sherlock — The field officer who leads a detached squadron during the 1798 Irish Rebellion, directing victorious cavalry charges at Arklow, Gorey, and Vinegar Hill.
• Field-Marshal the Marquis of Wellington — The Allied commander-in-chief in the Peninsula who utilizes the regiment as front-line heavy cavalry and selects them as his personal escort into liberated Madrid.

In Its Own Voice

"The Dragoons to have snaphanse musquets, strapt, with bright barrels of three foote eight inches long, cartouch-boxes, bayonetts, granado pouches, bucketts, and hammer-hatchetts." An official royal regulation of February 1687 outlining the heavy, varied armament required for early dragoon forces.

"Our generals paid Tallard the compliment of riding next the army, and ordered all the officers to salute him. When the firing was over, the Duke of Marlborough asked Tallard how he liked the army; he answered with a shrug, Very well; but they have had the honour of beating the best troops in the world. The Duke replied, What will the world think of the troops that beat them?" A recorded exchange following the Allied victory at Blenheim highlighting the fierce rivalries of eighteenth-century European warfare.

"The weight and fury of the charge of these heavy horsemen were irresistible; the enemy's squadrons and battalions were broken; and the British troopers,--strong men on powerful horses,--smote their antagonists to the ground with a dreadful slaughter." An account describing the decisive role of the heavy cavalry during the battle of Ramilies in 1706.

What It's Really About

Beneath the chronological recording of deployments, uniforms, and rank promotions lies an exploration of how military institutions forge corporate identity and tactical capability over generations. The book documents the shift from early modern militia-style levies to a highly specialized, professional standing force. It explores how state policy, technological updates—such as changing matchlocks for carbines—and administrative restructuring transform light infantry-cavalry hybrids into elite heavy shock troops. Ultimately, the work serves as an official instrument of military tradition, designed explicitly to cultivate esprit de corps, codify historical memory, and inspire future soldiers by embedding individual sacrifices within the enduring story of their regiment.

Why Read It Today

For readers of military history, academic researchers, and historical reenactors, this volume provides an unvarnished window into the mechanical reality of early European warfare. Rather than relying on romanticized retrospective narratives, the text delivers authentic documentation—incorporating royal warrants, battlefield dispatches, official gear lists, and precise uniform specifications down to the embroidery of standard banners.

Reading the work requires patience with its official, archival tone and structural repetition. The narrative moves strictly according to military record-keeping, balancing major European battles with routine peacetime transfers, troop size reductions, and long lists of officer promotions. Yet, this formal precision is precisely what gives the work its weight. It transports the reader directly into the logistics, tactical maneuvers, and regimented life of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and early nineteenth centuries. It will deeply satisfy anyone seeking an authentic, primary-source-driven accounting of how a famous British regiment operated, fought, and survived across a century and a half of global conflict.