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{{this|a military unit formed in 1968|the wartime infantry division of the same name|Guards Division (United Kingdom)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit|unit_name=Guards Division|dates=1968–2022|country={{Flag|United Kingdom}}|branch={{army|UK}}|size=[[Division (military)|Division]]|role=Administration and training|command_structure=[[London District (British Army)|London District]]|garrison=[[Wellington Barracks]], [[London]]}} 
{{British Army Arms}}
The '''Guards Division''' was an administrative unit of the [[British Army]] responsible for the training and administration of the regiments of [[Foot guards#United Kingdom|Foot Guards]] and the [[London Guards]] reserve battalion. The Guards Division was responsible for providing two [[battalion]]s for [[public duties]] to [[London District (British Army)|London District]] (plus three incremental companies); although the guards are most associated with ceremony, they are nevertheless operational infantry battalions, and as such perform all the various roles of infantry. In 2022, the Guards Division was renamed as the [[Guards and Parachute Division]].

==Current units==
As of 2020, units comprised the Guards Division Headquarters, at [[Wellington Barracks|Wellington Barracks, Westminster]]:<ref>Heyman, p.88</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Army2020_Report.pdf |title=Army 2020 Report |access-date=2015-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610215557/http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Army2020_Report.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Guards battalions:
* 1st Battalion, [[Grenadier Guards]]
* 1st Battalion, [[Coldstream Guards]] 
* 1st Battalion, [[Scots Guards]] 
* 1st Battalion, [[Irish Guards]]
* 1st Battalion, [[Welsh Guards]]
* 1st Battalion, [[London Guards]] (Reserve){{efn|group=note|The London Guards is the name of the Guards reserve battalion, which is made up of four companies individually cap badged as Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards and Irish Guards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grengds.com/uploads/files/IR_Letter_final-RLC.pdf|format=PDF|title=Letter regarding 'The Integrated Review'|website=Grengds.com|access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref>}}
** Ypres Company, Grenadier Guards, in [[Kingston upon Thames]]
** No 17 Company, Coldstream Guards, in [[Hammersmith]]
** G (Messines) Company, Scots Guards, in [[Clapham Junction (area)|Clapham Junction]]
** No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards, in [[Camberwell]]

Guards incremental companies:
* [[Guards Incremental Companies|Nijmegen Company]], Grenadier Guards 
* [[Guards Incremental Companies|No 7 Company]], Coldstream Guards 
* [[Guards Incremental Companies|F Company]], Scots Guards
* [[Guards Incremental Companies|No 9 Company]], Irish Guards
* [[Guards Incremental Companies|No 12 Company]], Irish Guards

==Past units==
Past units include (dates when they were part of the division):<ref>Whitaker's Almanack 1969</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-12-18|title=Brigade of Guards [UK]|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/948guard.htm|access-date=2020-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218204119/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/948guard.htm|archive-date=18 December 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-12-18|title=2nd Bn, Scots Guards: Service|url=http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/guards/f3sg-2.htm|access-date=2020-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218204049/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/guards/f3sg-2.htm|archive-date=18 December 2007}}</ref>
* 2nd Battalion, [[Grenadier Guards]] (1968–1994), reduced to Nijmegan Company
* 2nd Battalion, [[Coldstream Guards]] (1968–1993), reduced to No. 7 Company
* 2nd Battalion, [[Scots Guards]] (1968–1971, reduced to 2 Scots Guards Company in 1st Battalion, re-instated 1972–1993), reduced to F Company
* [[Band of the Grenadier Guards]] (1968–1994), transferred to [[Royal Corps of Army Music]] (CAMUS) on formation of that corps
* [[Band of the Coldstream Guards]] (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
* [[Band of the Scots Guards]] (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
* [[Band of the Irish Guards]] (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
* [[Band of the Welsh Guards]] (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
* [[London Regiment (1993)|London Regiment]] (2017–2022), redesignated as London Guards

<small>Note: The three 2nd battalions have technically not been disbanded; instead they are in "suspended animation" and, in theory, can be re-raised if needed. The colours and traditions of each battalion are kept and maintained by the incremental companies.</small>

== Telling the regiments apart ==
[[File:Trooping the Colour 2018 (12).jpg|thumb|Two officers and a Warrant Officer class I of the Irish Guards – in this image the blue plume can be seen on the right hand side of the bearskin, the tunic buttons are grouped in fours, and the shamrock badge is on the collar. The Officer on the far side has a parachute badge indicating he's trained to deploy as a parachutist.]]
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}
The five regiments of foot guards are most often seen in full dress uniform, comprising navy trousers, scarlet tunic and [[bearskin]] cap. From a distance they appear identical, but there are ways to distinguish between the regiments:
* The colour of the plume, and which side of the bearskin it is worn on
* The spacing of the tunic buttons
* The badge worn on the collar
* The badge worn on the shoulder

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! Regiment
! Plume
! Plume colour
! Button spacing
! Collar badge
! Shoulder badge
|-
| [[Grenadier Guards]]
| Left
| White
| Singly
| [[Grenade (insignia)|Grenade]]
| [[Royal cypher#Elizabeth II|Royal Cypher]]
|-
| [[Coldstream Guards]]
| Right
| Red
| Pairs
| [[Order of the Garter#Other occasions|Garter Star]]
| [[Rose]]
|-
| [[Scots Guards]]
| {{NA}}
| {{NA}}
| Threes
| [[Thistle#Heraldry|Thistle]]
| [[Order of the Thistle#Habit and insignia|Thistle Star]]
|-
| [[Irish Guards]]
| Right
| Blue
| Fours
| [[Shamrock#Symbol of Ireland|Shamrock]]
| [[Order of St Patrick#Vestments and accoutrements|St Patrick Star]]
|-
| [[Welsh Guards]]
| Left
| {{hlist|White|Green|White}}
| Fives
| [[Leek#Cultural significance|Leek]]
| Leek
|}
[[File:British Army Guards officers stars.jpg|thumb|The rank insignia for officers are also differentiated by what specific stars are used.<br />Left to right: Rank slides used by Grenadier, Coldstream, and Welsh Guards. Rank slides used by Scots Guards. Rank slides used by Irish Guards. Standard rank slides used by other army officers.]]

==Guards Parachute Platoon==

6 Platoon, B Company, [[3 PARA|3rd Battalion]], [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] is manned by volunteers from the Guards Division and [[Household Cavalry]]<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1002270249725648896|user=HCav1660|title=@wildbill_Will Some will go to the Guards Parachute Platoon on a two year posting and join them on their Op Toral t…|date=31 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Parachute Regiment|url=https://www.facebook.com/PARA/photos/a.192258584139262/2367764976588601/?type=3 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/191148344250286/2367764976588601 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|access-date=2020-07-25|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Guards Parachute Platoon, 3 PARA {{!}}ParaData|url=https://www.paradata.org.uk/unit/guards-parachute-platoon-3-para|access-date=2020-07-25|website=www.paradata.org.uk}}</ref>

==UK Special Forces==

Although no longer directly associated with the Guards, G Squadron [[22nd Special Air Service Regiment|22 SAS]] was formed in 1966 following the performance of the [[Pathfinder Platoon|Guards Independent Parachute Company]] under Major LGS Head in support of SAS Operations in Borneo.<ref>Secret War in South East Asia, Peter Dickens, Greenhill Books, London, Page 211</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Household Cavalry]]
* [[Household Division]]
* [[King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery]]
* [[Guards Division (United Kingdom)|Guards Division]] for the tactical formation active in [[World War I]] (and briefly at the end of [[World War II]])
* [[Guards Armoured Division]] for the tactical formation active in World War II

List of bands:
* [[Band of the Grenadier Guards]]
* [[Band of the Coldstream Guards]]
* [[Band of the Scots Guards]]
* [[Band of the Irish Guards]]
* [[Band of the Welsh Guards]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BD6jDau_JmUC&q=kings+division|last=Heyman|first= Charles|title= The British Army: A Pocket Guide, 2012–2013|publisher=Pen & Sword|year=2012|isbn=9781848841079}}

==External links==
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715140005/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/948guard.htm |date=15 July 2007 |title=Brigade of Guards at regiments.org by T.F.Mills }}

{{British Infantry}}
[[Category:Guards Division (United Kingdom)| ]]
[[Category:Infantry divisions of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1968]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 2022]]