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Why Britain’s Army Is NOT a Royal Army

Redcoat History

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Britain has a Royal Navy.
A Royal Air Force.
And yet… a British Army.

Not a Royal Army.
Why?

If you’ve ever tried to find a clear answer, you’ll know how unsatisfying the usual explanations are. Tradition. Regiments. Legal technicalities. All true - and all incomplete.

The full reason lies far deeper, in a violent and deeply uncomfortable chapter of British history. To find it, you have to rewind nearly four hundred years, to the English Civil War - a moment when England experimented with something new, dangerous, and unprecedented.

This film follows that experiment as it spirals out of control:
the first redcoats,
armies choosing sides,
kings losing authority,
and politicians learning lessons the hard way.

My main sources for this video were:

Lord Carver, The Seven Ages of the British Army (London, 1984)

Fortescue, A History of the British Army Vol. 1, (London, 1899)

The Army and the Restoration of 1660 by Godfrey Davis (Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol 32, No. 129)

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20 Comments

@redcoathistory Creator 8 months ago Pinned

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@erikvanderheeg5729 8 months ago

Same in Sweden. Regiments can be "royal", but the army isn't.

@BernardvonSchulmann 8 months ago

Canada also has a Royal Canadian Navy, a Royal Canadian Air Force, and a Canadian Army..

@dutchgijoe 8 months ago

In the Kingdom of The Netherlands all branches of the military are royal.

@dhwwiiexpert 8 months ago

Using Daniel Craig as Lieutenant John Barry from Sharpe in your thumbnail? Now that's soldiering!

@Really-hx7rl 8 months ago

True but I can remember in the mid 80s when I joined the Army that I still had to swear allegiance to the Queen and the Officers below her.

@RandomDudeFromTheOutback 8 months ago

Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Airforce, Australian Army. But the army does have a Royal Australian Regiment (infantry regiment) so yeah.

@Siege181 8 months ago

2:25 this is why civilians will see “military grade” on a product and think it’s good, but anyone who’s been in the Forces sees “military grade” on a product they think “ain’t effing buying that then!” 😂😂

@mattcampbell1974 8 months ago

Ive always struggled with British history, particularly, the English Civil Wars. But I have to say, short, sweet and to the point. Also, I had never heard of Venners Rising so now Ive got something to read about at work today as we await snow and ice storms

@ronaldpoppe3774 8 months ago

I never thought about the fact that it wasn't a royal army I knew they had Royal regiments. Thank you for this interesting tidbit of information in history. Cheers Ron

@fatherglyn 8 months ago

this is excellent. I find the ‘English’ Civil War endlessly fascinating. With its twists and turns. The debates about ‘what is a nation?’, ‘What is citizenship?’ etc. A real ‘ground zero’ event. The Putney Debates are so worth reading. But it is COMPLICATED. I cannot imagine a potted history of these events can be better put. Thank you.

@skasteve6528 8 months ago

It's so refreshing to see an advert that is relevant to the channel. Makes a change from 'talking of camouflage, how do you hide your identity online...' I don't begrudge Youtubers for doing that though, it costs a lot to make good content.
I'm biased though, I used to get Osprey books from the library when I was a kid, a big help in painting Airfix soldiers.

@GavTatu 8 months ago

i'm from jersey, i joined our local territorial army unit in 1988
//The Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey, established in 1337, is the oldest sub-unit of the British Army. It served for over 600 years, defending the island against French, Spanish, and other threats. Disbanded in 1946, it was re-established in 1987 at Mount Bingham, St Helier. //
as we were re started as a Royal Engineers unit, we also have two 'royal' in out title.
in 2007, it came under the operational command of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers.

@JohnnyRep-u4e 8 months ago (edited)

As an American Anglophile, I like seeing the continuity of Constitutional Development, sort of a hand-off (if you like) between Britain and the US. For instance: the distrust in standing armies causes a situation whereby (indeed) a standing army is maintained by a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that has to be passed every two years. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 12 US Constitution.

@Tadicuslegion78 8 months ago

Gonna spit ball here but is it Cromwell? It was Cromwell wasn't it, only 5 seconds in and my brain went, "Gotta have something do with Cromwell and the Civil War"

@Arianod1973 8 months ago

10:58 OK, but what about swearing allegiance to a lettuce?

@MarkStorey-dc4tm 8 months ago

The weird thing is that during the first civil war the navy was far more parliamentarian than the army overall. Of course if the only army you're counting is the New Model one that changes...

@zeeqwan6477 8 months ago

Same goes with Malaysia:
TLDM - Royal Malaysian Navy
TUDM - Royal Malaysian Air Force
TDM - Malaysian Ground Force

@alancartwright2244 8 months ago

Because of the history (English Civil War and other departures from lotalty), my British Army colleagues all had to swear allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen (now His Majesty the King), prior to their commissioning. However, as a Royal Naval Officer, we were never required to swear allegiance: our loyalty was taken for granted at the point that we volunteered. Having said that, Army Officers wear their swords buckled up, whereas we Naval Officers have to carry our swords, apparently 'like the dogs that we are'.

@surf-zk3we 8 months ago (edited)

My Grandfather was in the The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC)

"The earliest medical services in the British armed forces date back to King Charles II’s formation of a regular standing army in the 1660s. Each regiment was provided with a surgeon and assistant surgeon, both as commissioned officers. These men accompanied their units in campaigns across the globe."