Regiment and Museum

The Queen's Royal Lancers is a serving armoured regiment based in Catterick, with Her Majesty the Queen as its Colonel-in-Chief. The cap badge is known as 'the motto' - death or glory - because of the skull and crossed bones above 'or glory'. The six cavalry regiments amalgamated to form The Queen's Royal Lancers are: the 5th, 16th, 17th and 21st Lancers, the 16th/5th Lancers and the 17th/21st Lancers.

Video Introduction

A video introduction by the curator, Captain Mick Holtby. Use the bottom left-hand corner button to start, stop or replay.

Our current online +video documentaries include the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Battle of Fondouk, and The Queen's Royal Lancers in Iraq. A series on our most significant artefacts and battles will be produced during 2008 and the first three will be online in June. Click to see our videos.

The Collection

Our collection of arms, uniforms, medals, silver and paintings illustrate the regiments' part in the great battles of the last three centuries. It includes artefacts from the American War of Independence, the Battle of Waterloo, the Charge at Aliwal,the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Zulu War, the Indian Mutiny, the Charge at Omdurman, the Boer War, the Great War, the Second World War and the Gulf War.

Start your virtual tour now

We invite you into our treasury of artefacts that bring history to life, to discover the intriguing history of our regiments and examine our most fascinating items. Move through a series of 'rooms' and see an original 'red-coat' as worn during the American War of Independence, a tin of chocolate from the Boer War, and the bugle blown to sound the Charge of the Light Brigade. Click to start your virtual tour.

Full histories

If you want to know more, try this full written history of our regiments. It covers the 5th, 16th, 17th and 21st Lancers, the 16th/5th Lancers, the 17th/21st Lancers and The Queen's Royal Lancers. Click to go straight to the history pages.

Videos

Current video documentaries include the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Battle of Fondouk, and the QRL in Iraq. A series on our most significant artefacts and battles will be produced during 2008. Click to see our videos.

Minute Histories

Vivid images and incisive text combine to present topics from our history that can each be 'consumed' in one minute. Be sure to check out Skull And Bones, a one-minute history of the 'motto' and the 'totenkopf'. A new one-minute history will be added each month, so please return to see our latest topic. Go to the minute histories.

Was your ancestor a Lancer?

Our archives might hold information on your ancestor, and perhaps a photograph. For details of how to research a soldier's Army service, and how to access our archives, visit the research page. There is also information on our educational program and our learning packs available for loan to schools.

The Queen's Royal Lancers today

The Queen's Royal Lancers is a serving regiment, and in recording the long and distinguished history of it constituent regiments we dedicate this site to its present officers and men.

We hope that you enjoy your visit to the online Queen's Royal Lancers Museum and that you visit us again soon.