72

ROYAL REGIMENT OF

CHAPTER V.

Accession of Queen Anne and occurrences during her reign—theKing of Spain , Mareschal Tallard, &c., attended by escorts fromthe Blues—Death of the Queen—The Blues form a Guard of Honour -to receive her Successor—Occurrences during the Reignsof George the First and Second—War with France —The Blues embark for the Continent—An Army formed in the Nether­ lands —Battle of Dettingen—The Army retires into quarters inthe Netherlands —The Duke of Cumberland assumes the com-mand—Battle of Fontenoy.

1691 From this time, for a period of no less than fiftyyears, during the whole of which the Regiment was employed upon home service, the transactionsin which it was engaged were not of a veryinteresting or important character. Its conductduring the war in Ireland seems to have confirmedthe King in his confident reliance upon its ser-vices, and to have convinced him that its pre-sent officers were attached to his government* ;it was therefore employed to furnish guards,escorts, &c., for the King or Royal Family, uponall occasions where state was required. Indeed,King William, throughout the remainder ofhis reign, seldom travelled in England withoutan escort furnished by this Regiment, a strong

* In the year 1692 a proclamation was issued for the apprehen-sion of the Earls of Scarborough, Lichfield , and others, chargedwith conspiring to overturn the Government; amongst those namedarc Colonel Slingsby, Charles Adderley, Esq., and David Lloyd, Esq.,three officers who bore commissions in the Royal Horse Guards atthe Revolution.