Horse Guards

American  

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a body of cavalry serving as a guard.

2. a cavalry brigade from the household troops of the British monarch.

---

Horse Guards British  

plural noun

1. the cavalry regiment that, together with the Life Guards, comprises the cavalry part of the British sovereign's Household Brigade

2. their headquarters in Whitehall, London: also the headquarters of the British Army

---

Etymology

Origin of Horse Guards

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

During frequent spells of leave from his fashionable regiment, the Royal Horse Guards, he earned celebrity as an intrepid traveler and balloonist, and wrote bestselling accounts of his adventures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

Then, on 8 May, the King, Queen and other royals will attend a thanksgiving service with veterans at Westminster Abbey before the royal couple attends Horse Guards Parade for a celebratory concert.

From BBC • May 4, 2025

King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales are set to welcome the Qatari leader to the UK during the traditional formal greeting at the Horse Guards Parade.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2024

Hundreds of foot guards, horse guards and members of military bands will participate in the spectacle at central London’s Horse Guards and along The Mall, the promenade outside Buckingham Palace.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2024

He felt as if he was mounting guard for the last time; listened to each sound, and looked with miserable affection across the misty green toward the Horse Guards, faintly seen in the distance.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 1. No 1, June 1850 by Various