Republican Guard (France)


The Republican Guard is part of the National Gendarmerie. It is responsible for providing guards of honour for the state and security in the Paris area.
Its missions include guarding important public buildings in Paris such as the Élysée Palace, the Hôtel Matignon, the Palais du Luxembourg, the Palais Bourbon, the Palais de Justice, as well as keeping public order in Paris. Honour and security services for the highest national personalities and important foreign guests, military ceremonies and guards of honour for fallen soldiers, support of other law enforcement forces with intervention teams and staffing horseback patrol stations, particularly for the forests of the Île-de-France region, also are part of its duties.
The close physical protection of the President of the Republic is entrusted to the Security Group for the Presidency of the Republic a mixed police–gendarmerie unit which is not part of the Republican Guard. The guard, however provides counter-sniper teams and intervention platoons. The Republican Guard also represents France at international events at home or abroad.

History

The Republican Guard is the heir of the various bodies that preceded it in the course of French and Parisian history and whose task was to honor and protect the high authorities of the State and the capital city: Gardes Françaises of the Kings, Consular and Imperial guard of Napoleon, etc.. Its name derives from the Municipal Guard of Paris, established on 12 Vendémiaire XI by Napoleon Bonaparte. This unit distinguished itself in battles of historical significance, including Danzig and Friedland in 1807, Alcolea in 1808 and Burgos in 1812.
In 1813 the Municipal Guard was dissolved following the attempted coup of General Malet and replaced by the Imperial Gendarmerie of Paris and then, under the Restoration, the Royal Guard of Paris and the Royal Mounted Police of Paris. In 1830, it was recreated, and again removed after the Revolution of 1848 in favor of the Civic Guard.
June 1848 saw the creation of the Republican Guard of Paris, including an infantry regiment and a regiment of cavalry. On February, 1 1849, a Napoleon III decree made the Guard a part of the French National Gendarmerie. It received its insignia July 14, 1880. It didn't take part in the First World War as a unit but more than one third of its personnel were seconded to Army regiments for the duration of the conflict. As a consequence, its flag and banner decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honour. During the Second World War, it reported to the police headquarters and took the name of Guard of Paris. Part of its staff rallied to General de Gaulle and the Guard was involved in the fighting alongside the FFI during the liberation of Paris.
In 1952, the guard was renamed the Legion of the Republican Guard of Paris and took part in the Indochina War, which earned it the Croix de Guerre.
In 1978, the guard took its current name of "Republican Guard." President Giscard d'Estaing gave it, on 11 November 1979, its new insignia. Michele Alliot-Marie, Minister of Defence, said in October 2002: "The Republican Guard has a popularity that transcends borders," it contributes "to the splendour of the French military and France."
The Republican Guard is twinned with the Red Guard of Senegal.

Missions

Ceremonial duties

These ceremonial functions are performed mainly by the first infantry regiment, the cavalry regiment and occasionally by the second infantry regiment.
Detachments from the cavalry regiment reinforce the two infantry regiments in carrying out ceremonial and security duties in and around state buildings. These include the lining of both sides of the entry stairs of the Elysée or Matignon Palaces by dismounted cavalry on special occasions. These Republican Guards belong to the Cavalry Regiment and not to the infantry units whose mission is to ensure the security of these palaces and of senior government figures. Certain ceremonial duties in the form of honour guards are performed during state visits to the Paris museums or the Opera, as well as during other ceremonies.

Security missions

Although the ceremonial duties attract more public attention, more than 80% of the missions assigned to the Garde are security missions. These include missions performed for the state such as protection of state buildings but also missions performed for the benefit of the population.

Other missions

Some guards are assigned to more specific missions:
The Republican Guard belongs to the French National Gendarmerie. It is made up of approx. 2,800 men and women. As a historically Parisian organization, the guards wear the armorial bearings of the city on their uniforms.
It consists of two infantry regiments and a horse cavalry regiment. It also has four musical formations, as well as display teams demonstrating prowess in horseback or motorcycle maneuvers. The Guard is commanded by a general de division. It is headquartered in the Quartier des Célestins, Paris, built in 1895-1901, designed by the renowned French architect Jacques Hermant.

Cavalry regiment

Headquartered in the Quartier des Célestins, and Quartier Carnot barracks the cavalry regiment is made up of approx. 480 gendarmes and civilians of which a little more than 10% are women. It has approximately 550 horses and remains the last mounted regiment in the French armed forces.
The regiment is composed of:
This unit has a section of high level sportsmen, in particular Hubert Perring, dressage champion of France in 2005, and member of the French team for the World Equestrian Games of 2006.
The Guard Cavalry Regiment is twinned with the British Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the Italian Carabinieri Cavalry Regiment and the Senegalese Red Guard.

Special displays of the cavalry regiment

squads present five shows and reenactments:

Infantry regiments

The Republican Guard has two regiments of infantry:
Each of the seven security and honor companies is composed of three regular sections and one peloton d'intervention. The regular sections perform ceremonial duties and guards. The intervention platoons provide special security in the government buildings and palaces protected by the Guard. They are also tasked with police missions in support of the Gendarmerie in the Paris area. One of the seven intervention platoons is permanently deployed on a rotational basis to either French Guiana in support of forces combating illegal gold mining or to another French oversea territory.

Special displays of the infantry regiments

Band and Orchestra of the Republican Guard">French Republican Guard Band">Band and Orchestra of the Republican Guard

Depending on needs, the orchestra performs in three configurations:
It was founded in 1848 by Jean-Georges Paulus.

Chœur de l'Armée française (Armed Forces Choir">Choir of the French Army">Armed Forces Choir)

This men's choir is composed of 46 professional singers. In spite of its name, it is part of the Garde républicaine and thus reports to the Gendarmerie and through the Ministers of the Armed Forces and Interior. The choir performs mainly during official ceremonies and commemorations but also during festivals and sport events of national and international importance. Since 2007, it has been led by a woman, Major Aurore Tillac, who serves as choir master and director.

Commanders of the Republican Guard