File:Blues and Royals Honour Guard MOD 45162446.jpg

English: Picture shows members of the Blues And Royals forming an Honour Guard outside of the Ministry of Defence for a visting Defence Minister.

The Blues and Royals were formed in 1969 from an amalgamation of the  Royal Horse Guards, which was known as "the Blues" or "the Oxford Blues", and the Royal Dragoons, which was known as "the Royals".

As a result of the Options for Change Review in 1991, the Blues and Royals formed a union for operational purposes with the Life Guards as the Household Cavalry Regiment.

However, they each maintain their regimental identity, with distinct uniforms and traditions, and their own colonel. The Blues and Royals currently has two reconnaissance squadrons in Windsor, which are part of the Household Cavalry Regiment, and a mounted squadron in London as part of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Instead of being known as the Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons, the regiment is known as the Blues and Royals and is therefore the only regiment in the British Army to be officially known by their nickname as opposed to their full name.

On ceremonial occasions, the Blues and Royals wear a blue tunic (inherited from the Royal Horse Guards, also known as "the Blues"), a metal cuirass, and a matching helmet with a red plume worn unbound, and against popular belief the regiment's farriers wear a red plume like the rest of the regiment but do not wear the metal cuirass. In addition, the Blues and Royals wear their chin strap under their chin, as opposed to the Life Guards, who wear it below their lower lip.

On service dress, the Blues and Royals wear a blue lanyard on the left shoulder, as well as a Sam Browne belt containing a whistle. In most dress orders, the Waterloo Eagle is worn on the left arm as part of dress traditions. 

The Blues and Royals, as part of the Household Division, does not use the Order of the Bath Star for its officer rank 'pips,' but rather the Order of the Garter Star.

• Organization: MOD
• Object Name: DDC-17-025-016
• Supplemental Categories: MoD HQ, MoD Buildings, Locations, Equipment, People, Army
• Keywords: Office, Main Building, London, Location, MoD, Ministry of Defence, Army Ceremonial, Metal Cuirass, Medals, Metal Helmet, Horse Guards, Army, London District, The Household Cavalry, Trooper, Blues And Royals, Regiments, The Household Cavalry Regiment, HCR, The Blues and Royals, Personnel, Identifiable, Soldiers, Male, Man
• Country: UK