What is The King's Company?

As Sovereign, The King is Head of the Armed Forces. But for one company in the British Army, with a role at the heart of every Coronation - The King’s Company Grenadier Guards - the relationship is a uniquely personal one, as His Majesty is also their Company Commander.

The King’s Company is one of the oldest bodies of troops in the Army. It pre-dates the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 having been founded in 1656.

King Charles II, defeated at the Battle of Worcester by Parliamentarian forces, was hidden from capture in an oak tree, and his escape to Holland secured, by a handful of loyal gentlemen. They remained with the King throughout his exile and helped him to set up a new court in Bruges from which he planned his return to the throne.

Most trusted personal troops

It was from these loyal compatriots that the King created his most trusted personal troops, bodies of men that would go on to become the Life Guards and the Grenadier Guards.

As it established its twelve companies in the 17th century, King Charles II gave orders that the command (or Captaincy) of the first Company of the first regiment of Foot Guards be reserved for Himself and that this Company would, henceforth, be known as The King’s Own Company.

Captain "Lieu"-tenant

The King vested the executive authority for the daily administration of the Company in a trusted and favoured subject, the appointment being designated the Captain Lieutenant (the title means quite literally to hold or ‘tenant’ the Captaincy, in lieu of the King).  

Shortened, nowadays, to simply The Captain, this appointment has persisted for 367 years with 136 Captains over time leading the Company on the Sovereigns’ behalf.  

Operational excellence

Today, that honour rests with Major Johnny Hathaway-White who has had executive command of the Company, on the King’s behalf, since summer 2022. Maj Hathaway-White commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2010 and has completed three operational tours in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as worked extensively in Africa, delivering capacity building packages to African nations. He notably designed and launched the British Army’s initial Counter Illegal Wildlife Trade (counter poaching) missions in Malawi.  

The soldiers who serve under him must demonstrate the highest values and standards, aspire to excellence in all things, and are chosen from among the fittest and most able Guardsmen in the Regiment.

The Royal Standard

The issue of the Royal Standard to the Sovereign’s Company is a custom as old as the Regiment itself. This Colour (an elaborately embroidered military flag), gifted by the hand of the monarch, is now paraded only in the Sovereign’s presence, though in years gone by it was used to mark the position of the Company in battle.  

In 1656 the exiled King Charles II issued the first Colour bearing his Cypher to The King’s Own Company.

Shot to pieces

Every Monarch since has presented their Company with their own Royal Standard just once in their reign, with the exception of King George II’s King's Company Colour which, in 1709, was shot to pieces at the Battle of Malplaquet, so had to be replaced the following year.

In April 2023 King Charles III presented a new Colour bearing His Cypher interlaced and reversed with His Crown to The King’s Company.

In keeping with tradition, this new Royal Standard is of heavily gold embroidered and tasselled silk. Its dimensions remain unchanged from the Regimental Colours of yesteryear, meaning it is dramatically larger than the standard Regimental Colours you might see elsewhere on parade in the modern Army – the fabric alone is over 6 feet square.

Extremely heavy, extremely strong

The pole is topped by a large silver gilt lion and crown, that weighs 1.5kg, and was presented to the Regiment by King William IV. It is one of the Regiment’s most treasured items. The Colour is, consequently, known for being extremely heavy and so the Ensign (flag bearer) must be extremely strong.  

The Sovereign has processed past their Colour at their coronations; observed it through the smoke of battle, and in the ceremonies and rituals of state. In death, our Sovereigns have had the great Colour laid at their feet upon their catafalques and, finally, lowered in a solemn salute at their funerals.  

A deep and constant connection

As the Sovereign’s Company Colour is there at the very end of a reign, so it is at the outset; a physical representation of the Monarch’s deep connection with their principal Regiment of Guards, and a connection which runs deeper still with their own Company within it – a constant in the Guards’ direct service to the Crown.  

The new King’s Company Colour, Royal Standard of the Regiment, will have a prominent role in the Coronation of The King and Queen on May 6th, and has personal significance to both Monarchs, as Her Majesty The Queen is the new Royal Colonel Grenadier Guards.

On duty in the Abbey for the Coronation

The Sovereign’s Company (The King’s Company) Grenadier Guards have been on duty in the Abbey for every coronation since Charles II was crowned, following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660.  

The King’s Company presence in Westminster Abbey is built around this King’s Company Colour, Royal Standard of the Regiment, marking the Sovereign’s authority and their Company’s constant presence alongside them.

"My Grenadiers"

Major Johnny Hathaway-White gave an insight into how special that relationship is: “On the Coronation of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, as The Queen passed The Captain and The Ensign of the Company in Westminster Abbey, despite all that must have been racing through Her mind on that grandest and most special of occasions, She smiled and said; “My Grenadiers”; because of all the Sovereign’s Grenadiers, it was The Queen’s Company soldiers that were truly Hers”.

On May 6th, the Colour Party will replicate that same presence they have held in the Abbey for centuries of monarchs.

For this Coronation, the Colour party will consist of The Captain of The King’s Company, Maj Johnny Hathaway-White; the Ensign to the Colour, Second Lieutenant Rupert Elmhirst, who will carry the colour; The Escorts to the Colour: Sergeant Ellis and Sergeant Hadfield; with the Company Sergeant Major of The King’s Company WO2 Dean Jones MVO also doing duty within the Abbey.  

Scarlet and gold

They can be recognised by their distinctive ceremonial scarlet tunic uniforms bearing embroidered symbols of a grenade ‘fired proper’ and buttons arranged singly to denote their superiority as the first regiment of Foot Guards.  

The Officers will wear a golden/crimson sash, gold sword slings and gold sword knot, which is only worn in the presence of Members of the Royal Family.  

The connection of the Sovereign to the Company is a close one beyond the public ceremonial. The Captain will update the Sovereign regularly on the Company’s activities and operational commitments.

The Captain's Statement

Every Christmas The King will be presented with a leather bound photo album embossed with the Royal Crest, containing photographs of The Company’s year, as well as The Captain’s Statement, a brief annual report to the Company Commander. 

The Captain also writes to the Commander to inform them of significant operational deployments and the Sovereign may choose to review the Company at least once a decade.

Maj Hathaway-White took over the Company, then known as The Queen’s Company, while it was deployed on Operations in Iraq in 2022, where the Company provided security, protection, and mobility to teams of military advisors building Iraq’s security forces and assuring the lasting defeat of Da’esh.  

A solemn but proud transition

Within weeks of taking command, the news broke that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away.  Maj Hathaway-White, and other members of the Company were recalled to the United Kingdom immediately.  Though Grenadier Guardsmen are first and foremost combat infantry soldiers, they have dual role responsibilities, and for The then Queen’s Company that meant delivering their Company Commander’s funeral.

Major Hathaway-White commanded Her Late Majesty’s Escort during the funeral but also presented Her Late Majesty with Her Queen’s Company Colour, laying it at Her feet on the catafalque during the lying-in-state ceremony.  It was carried at the head of the hearse in the Windsor funeral procession and last lowered to Her Late Majesty at the steps of St George’s Chapel as Her Coffin was borne to the Committal service by Her Company.  It was the last time the great Royal Standard would be used, its duty was finally done and it was retired from service.

From Queen's to King's

The new Sovereign assumes command of The Sovereign’s Company on accession. It has been a rare occurrence in our history that the name The King’s Company has needed to change to The Queen’s Company, and back to The King’s Company again, but when required, this is done by formal decree and does not take place until after The Company has completed its final duties to the outgoing Monarch.

The same Captain and Sovereign’s Company personnel who served Her Late Majesty throughout Her reign - in the same spirit and tradition of every member of The Company that has served every Monarch from King Charles II - are proud today to serve their new King, King Charles III and his Queen. Their golden thread of unstinting loyalty and devotion remains unbreakable.