Royal Tournament 1985 - The Sword & the Bayonet

A display by the Household Cavalry Regiment, supported by Cadets from the Army Cadet Force. Household Cavalry under the command of Captain J.L. Hewitt, LG. A display of Cavalry and Infantry Drills over the past 300 years. Performed at the Royal Tournament, July 1985.

[@MikeSpeakman]

I was one of the cadets in the video, great memories, just wish the video wasn't clipped short and showed the modern household cavalry driving in on Land Rovers and opening fire & defeating our formation.

[@Seds245]

What a great show... I served with the Blues and Royals at that time, recognise some of the faces.

[@davenewman4596]

Those were the days

[@waterloo3]

Wow, what a great video. This is what i loved about the Royal Tournament. It combined history with pageant and entertainment. Most of the tattoos today are a poor imitation of this great show. I always found the RT to be the most British of shows, and was fortunate to see it a few times before its final demise in 1999.

[@waterloo3]

This was what made the RT great. The historical tableaus like this. No other Tattoo ever did stuff like this in recent years.

[@Roheryn100]

Michael Parker was a genius.

[@hpa2005]

This is one of the most impressive things I've seen.

[@dragonfly8080808]

If Boris can have his hs2 can we have the real Royal Tournament.

[@GnuTex]

Couldn't help but notice that the officer commanding the Household Cavalry was none other than one Captain James Hewitt (later Major, and of Princess Diana fame (or infamy) . . . )

[@cksteele]

wonder if they still do this today that would be a cool sight to see the whole regiment draw swords and do a charge maybe for the queens 90th birthday?

[@locolopelocolope]

Awesome historical display!

[@petemcclelland100]

I used to have a competion with Alan French as to who could clatter the most bayonets with our swords whilst on the inside circle :)

[@dragoonguard7278]

Goosebumps all over my body at the time of the charge.

[@falcons1988]

Wonderful

[@petemcclelland100]

@kristorf245 I do remember the bars indeed! Many a happy day/night/afternoon/morning. I used to ride Empress, what a stunning horse she was. RHG/D horse no less.

[@falcons1988]

This should be brought back. It might even give the BBC a bit of credibility, what do you get on TV nowadays, rubbish reality tv shows, nothing of quality.

[@Roheryn100]

Sadly not up to the BBC. Blame defense cuts by the government.

[@kristianbaxter9753]

I was there in the front row!! I was 11 year and don't remember very much, but i have a little wooden soldier that was purchased that day as a memento! Thanks for posting this video!

[@bobnewnham7400]

Kristian, I was on LG Drum Horse.

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

I was in the second row, 1680 uniform

[@anthonymcguinness5076]

I was in the square - a very young 19 year old officer in charge of the Boar War lot with pith helmets. The charge was scary even knowing they weren't going to actually charge into us.

[@justskeptic]

Thanks for the upload. I wish it has a higher resolution.

[@cksteele]

The guy with the trumpet is particularly bad ass.who wants to fuck with a guy with a trumpet charging at you

[@alvindurochermtl]

You remember Princess Diana was supposed to have had a fling with a certain Capt Hewitt in the Household Calvary? Is the commander of the troop here the same Capt Hewitt?

[@petemcclelland100]

Ha ha! Been years since I saw this film. I'm the nutter at 2min 40 in centre screen in slow motion. :o)

[@TheCatBilbo]

Negligent discharge on forming square! Sergeant, take his name!

[@DonMeaker]

Actually, in 1880 they did have Gatling machine guns but Chelmsford didn't bring them in his first invasion against the Zulus. Of course the Infantry square was vulnerable to cannon fire....

[@PepperPhoenix]

You know, even in these days of high-tech warfare, if i saw that lot coming at me during the charge i would run as far and as fast as my legs could carry me.

[@hpa2005]

Same here

[@alvindurochermtl]

Right on!

[@davidcowling7073]

I was there charging the square, McClelland Matthews, bars were good

[@anthonymcguinness5076]

I was in the square a young 19 year old ACF officer in charge of the chaps in the pith helmets

[@WarfightersWorkshop]

Someone should've corrected the people that decided to give 1815 soldiers Enfield muskets and with no crossbelts or knapsacks! :o

[@shrubby-ov4yw]

Haha crossbelts were NCO's and particular regiments, ie Grenadiers or Light Company. The Brown Bess' cant fire blanks either, and you dont want one of those misfiring into the crowd, or into the cavalryman themselves! But good catch nonetheless

[@falcons1988]

I bet the troopers enjoyed that.

[@terryl7749]

Would have loved to see the cavalry charge against an enemy of watermelons

[@DaveS63]

@petronopulas Wrong. Jack Lloyd. Now living in Canada.

[@davidcowling7073]

Ivanhoe was my horse

[@iaidoman]

@petemcclelland100 who was the lifeguards leading file?

[@jasonharbert9508]

Does anyone know what date this was filmed on as i was part of the square but i think they changed the cadets every week. Brilliant stuff!!! Gutted they still do not do it.

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

Jason Harbert it was on the Tuesday of the second week. The shot that went off early came from a new bunch that came in as there was a change over and they’d had one day of rehearsals

[@anthonymcguinness5076]

@@LiveDonkeyDeadLion that is what i thought but i'm sure i recognise the chap in charge (or did he do both weeks) and the drummer boy, a lad called Adams (on of my bunch from Greater Manchester) . The Sergeant of the Boar War lot in the pith helmets looks like the lad I had as a Sergeant, I was leading the Boar war contingent. I really want it to be the 1st week (since that was the week I was there) but I think you are right.

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

@Anthony McGuinness I was one of the 1660 lot. I think the guy in charge did both, but I’m not sure. I know this was from the first performance and the bit we did at the end with the torches came from the evening show. I only know that because I was throwing up after this and missed the first finale and this from the evening. If you find the finale on here, I’m the one with my hat on the back of my head and the green face 😂 It’s a shame they cut out the bit where we were cut down by the marines and our dramatic deaths for the cameras, or pushing the cavalry hat that always came off into the ground

[@petemcclelland100]

@iaidoman Chris 'Whacker' Mathews. Now a Prison Officer in Milton Keynes I think.

[@streetlips]

where did you get this?

[@thelittlemind]

if there was a fight between a sword man and someone who has a bayonet who would win?

[@ibidydo]

@TheDentist27 funny you should say that cause we have lots of cultural events

[@mrtreebus]

ND ! 5:22

[@davidcowling7073]

I would agree, remember the F........in Toilet paper in Belfast

[@iaidoman]

@Northseafool " I only said Jehovah "

[@falcons1988]

Lilliburlero

[@hoasjhdfiadsf]

that would suck, to be the one whos gun went off on accident