A royal guard shares 5 hidden details on his iconic blood-red uniform and the meaning behind them

Royal guards are soldiers who are part of regiments under the Household Division, according to the official website.

Since the 17th century, their role has consisted of both public and ceremonial duties, such as taking part in the sovereign's birthday parade and the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and the Wellington Barracks, the website adds.

The guards, famous for their blood-red outfits and lofty black hats, can often be spotted in royal locations in London and Windsor.

Insider's reporters attended a Trooping the Colour event overseen by Major General C J Ghika – an annual parade for Queen Elizbeth II's birthday – and spoke to a royal guard there.

The guard, who did not wish to publicly disclose his identity as his role doesn't typically allow him to speak to the media but whose employment was confirmed by Insider, said the distinct color has a practical reason.

"The red was for back in the day," he said, "so it wouldn't show blood when people were injured."

This military motivation may not be the only reason the uniforms are red. In February 2021, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the publication Live Science: "The reason British soldiers traditionally wore red is because it was the cheapest and most readily available dye."

Representatives for the royal guards did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The guard said most officers wear a black bearskin hat but that each specific regiment has a different color plume.

"There are different plumes, so the Coldstream Guards have it on the right-hand side and it's red. The Grenadiers have it on the left-hand side, theirs is also red," he told Insider.

"The Scots guards don't wear one," he added. Meanwhile, the Irish guards have a blue plume and the Welsh have a green and white one, according to the Changing of the Guard website.

Tatler previously reported that there are a total of seven Army regiments that wear the hat. The publication added that the British Army is believed to purchase between 50 and 100 of the towering black hats every year, costing roughly £650 each, or around $813.

Guards are not just recruited to work for the royal family — they have ongoing military careers. As Fitzwilliams told Live Science: "All of them are serving soldiers on rotation from other active military roles."

Speaking to Insider, the guard said that medals, which are placed above the left breast of the guard's jacket, correspond to military tours they have undertaken.

He added that some officers have medals on their uniforms corresponding to a certain amount of days on tour. The guard said that he had a "long service, good conduct" medal, meaning that he "hasn't been in trouble," or, as he joked, he "hasn't been caught" doing anything wrong.

According to the guard, gold buttons on the tunic are arranged in multiples according to when the regiments were first arranged.

He said that Coldstream Guards have two buttons because they were the "second regiment formed," and the Irish guards have their buttons in fours because they were the fourth regiment that was formed.

Some guards wear a maroon belt with threads hanging from it. According to the guard, there's a very specific reason for this detail, which has a historic meaning within a military context.

He said: "Each string would be a soldier, so when you've lost the one you tie a knot in it so when it comes to the end you will count how many you have got left."