The Royal Yeomanry (RY) was formed on 1 April 1967 from several other distinguished Yeomanry regiments, some going back to 1794. Each of the squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry carries forward the traditions and memories of their ancestor regiment.

Originally employed as a medium reconnaissance regiment during the Cold War, the Royal Yeomanry role changed in in the 1990s to providing main battle tank crews and specialised soldiers for the new Joint Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) Regiment.

In January 2003 the Royal Yeomanry deployed A and W Squadrons to Iraq. These were at that time the two RY chemical defence squadrons, and while in Iraq formed Y Squadron of the Joint NBC Regiment. It was the first mobilisation of a Territorial Army unit as a formed body (TA soldiers under TA command) for combat operations since the Suez crisis in 1956. Overall over 250 members of the Regiment have deployed on operational tours to Iraq since 2003, with a growing number deployed to Afghanistan since 2007.

In recognition of its service in the liberation of Iraq, the Royal Yeomanry was presented with the battle honour "Iraq 2003" on 11 November 2005, the first and only battle honour presented to a TA unit since the Second World War.

Since the Iraq war, the importance of the CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) defence role, as it is now called, has been acknowledged and in 2005 the entire Royal Yeomanry formally adopted it in addition to our primary role of formation (vehicle-based) reconnaissance.

In September 2006 the Regiment formally adopted a single capbadge to replace the individual squadron capbadges. The new capbadge is based upon the personal cypher of our Royal Honourary Colonel HRH Princess Alexandra, with the intertwined "A"s surmounted by her coronet.

Recent reviews of the British Army and of the Territorial Army in particular, all formally confirm the versatilty and usefulness of the Yeomanry - volunteer Royal Armoured Corp part-time soldiers equally trained in fighting on foot, and in using the latest armoured fighting and reconnaissance vehicles. The Royal Yeomanry has been increased in size and given new equipment and training opportunities. We look forward to remaining one of the leading volunteer units in service today, taking forward a uniquely British tradition (civilian-soldiers) into the 21st Century battlefield.