Royal Guard

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Royal Guard
General information
Leader	King George II Captain of the Guard
Notable members	Captain of the Guard Guard Jail Guard At least 68 individuals
Head­quarters	London, England
Locations	St. James's Palace Old Bailey Tower of London Saint Martin Town
Other information
Affiliation	British Empire
Behind the scenes
First appearance	On Stranger Tides
Latest appearance	Dead Men Tell No Tales

"Friends of yours?"
"I may have unintentionally slighted some King or another."

―Angelica and Jack Sparrow concerning Royal Guards

The Royal Guard was a group of sentry postings and armed military bodyguards or soldiers responsible for the service and protection of the King of England. They often are an elite unit of the regular armed forces, or are designated as such, and may maintain special rights or privileges. The King's Royal Guard most notably served King George II and his advisors at St. James's Palace in London, England. They were also stationed at the town of Saint Martin on the island of the same name.

History

"Would someone please remove these infernal chains!"
"Come, come."

―King George II and Jack Sparrow to Royal Guards

Over the years, throughout the Golden Age of Piracy, the Royal Guard were mainly stationed in London, England. They would be in service to various members of the British Empire, including the British Royal Navy. The Royal Guards most notably served King George II of Great Britain as well as his advisors, Prime Minister Henry Pelham and Lord John Carteret, at the King's grand and elegant residence in Pall Mall, St. James's Palace.

Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs were captured by a detachment of King George II's Royal Guards at the courtyard of St. James's Palace in London.

When Joshamee Gibbs was mistaken as Jack Sparrow, Royal Guards stood at the Old Bailey courthouse, where a crowd of Londoners poured into the entrance to see the trial—and probably the hanging—of the infamous pirate. Although Sparrow saved Gibbs from the gallows via paddy wagon, their coach pulled up unexpectedly at the St. James's Palace courtyard, where the ever-alert Royal Guard had the escaped men safely in the sights of their primed muskets. At precisely 10:45 a.m., the two pirates found themselves surrounded by a detachment of at least 68 guards, as the driver was bribed to stop at the palace courtyard instead of the pirates' destination. The Captain of the Guards slammed Sparrow's head with his musket, with Sparrow crumpling into Gibbs' arms before being immediately dragged by two guards through the entrance hall of St. James's Palace for a forced audience with King George, while the rest of the guards took Gibbs into custody at the Tower of London.

When King George's men capture Jack Sparrow, a pair of Royal Guards haul Jack in and manacled the pirate for a special audience in the banquet room. A column of guards led in, next came a retinue of servants, then Lord John Carteret, Prime Minister Henry Pelham, and King George himself. Although the King and his advisors inquired about an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish, Sparrow stunned the monarch by making one of his legendary escapes, while surrounded by royal guards and a room-full of shocked advisors. Being outnumbered didn't bother Jack—the more guards he outwitted, the more gossip about his exploits. Members of the Royal Guard were trying to control the situation, whether it was capturing Jack Sparrow or protecting King George. As a tall guard barreled his way, slipping on a napkin and grabbing a curtain rope, Jack Sparrow was able to avoid the slashing sword blade of the Captain of the Guard's, rise up to the top of the banquet room's window valance, swing around from the chandelier to the high balcony, and escape the room. After Sparrow recovered his effects and escaped from the clutches of King George's Royal Guards, the cavalry unit of the Guard led a chase through the teeming streets of London, while the pirate leapt from carriage to carriage and made his way to a coal wagon. However, while Jack Sparrow was able to escape the main group, one of the guards confronted Sparrow and was about to shoot the "filthy pirate" before being shot in the back by Sparrow's father, Captain Teague.

The chase for Jack Sparrow by the King's Royal Guards continued to the Captain's Daughter tavern, where Jack Sparrow was rumored to be recruiting a crew, though in reality Angelica was Sparrow's impostor. As Scrum pointed to the front of the pub, where the captain of the royal guard and some of his men were entering, a fight ensued with Jack and Angelica in the warehouse. The two pirates fought the guards to the back of the warehouse while slicing and stabbing barrels along the way, sending ale gushing and spraying out, causing a diversion. The Royal Guards had the two pirates cornered, but were unable to capture them, as they escaped through a trap door and into the River Thames.

Mayor Dix of Saint Martin ordered the Royal Guards to aim their muskets at Jack Sparrow.

About one year later, a company of Royal Guards was stationed with the British Navy at the town of Saint Martin on the island of the same name in the Caribbean. The royal guards of Saint Martin would most notably be in service of Mayor Dix and Lieutenant John Scarfield. However, despite the presence of the British Navy and the fierce Lieutenant Scarfield, the notorious pirate Captain Hector Barbossa was able to bribe one such guard to meet Shansa the sea witch in her prison cell.

Uniform

A Royal Guard officer.

As they were the King's guard, Royal Guards wore red uniforms that were more elaborate than those worn by the regular army and the royal marines. Red coat and gold braid denoted elite Royal Guard.

The Royal Guards stationed in Saint Martin had slightly different uniforms than the Guards stationed in London. Their uniforms were also identical in design to those used by the Royal Marines who served aboard the Royal Navy warships Monarch and Essex.

Notable members of the Royal Guards

• Captain of the Guard
• Guard (Royal Guard)
• Jail Guard

Behind the scenes

"The Governor has placed his personal gold reserves inside this new branch - a bank protected by the Royal Guard!"

―Mayor

• The Royal Guard first appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides through the 2011 mobile game, junior novelization, as well as the film itself. They were first identified by name in the film's visual guide. The term "royal guards" would be used in the novelization for Dead Men Tell No Tales, though was never named onscreen.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's screenplay for On Stranger Tides, they were referred to as "King's Royal Guards" as Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs were captured in the center of the St. James's Palace courtyard. Afterwards, they were simply referred to as "Guards" throughout the scenes in London, England.
• In Jeff Nathanson's 2013 early screenplay draft for Dead Men Tell No Tales, the Mayor mentioned the "Royal Guard" by name prior to the bank robbery in Saint Martin.
• In LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, the Royal Guard already captured Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs in London without paying the carriage driver.
• The Royal Guard uniforms in On Stranger Tides are the Swiss Guard uniforms from the early days of the French Revolution, not the historically accurate British uniforms.
• In real life, the British royal guards are formally called the Household Guards and are made up of several infantry and cavalry regiments. They are still seen guarding Buckingham Palace and various other places. Despite their ceremonial role, the Guards are still a full combat unit and the soldiers rotate between ceremonial and combat duties.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization) (First appearance)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Movie Storybook
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (mobile game)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide (First identified as Royal Guard)

External links

• Royal Guard on Wikipedia