Their hat weighs three kilos and is from real bear fur: who are the royal escort on horseback?

We see them popping up every year during the military parade on July 21. The Royal Escort on Horse (Escort Royale à Cheval) was founded in 1938 within the then Rijkswacht. If a new ambassador starts his or her task in our country, it is common for him to present his so -called letters to the prince in the Royal Palace. And with such ceremonies the royal escort can be seen regularly. They are then present with 56 riders. With a complete development – the large escort – they even consist of 132 riders.

Read too. Dutch Princess Amalia has had the first solo assignment, and he was very reminiscent of that of our Elisabeth

Until 2001 it was a unity of the Rijkswacht, who was loved on military reading. Since the unification of the police services, the riders have been part of the federal police. The Praaluniform dates from 1939 and is inspired by the uniform of the National Guard from before 1914. They wear, among other things, a blue roof mantle in pure wool with red lining, good for nine meters of dust and a weight of seven kilos (see photo below). On their saber is the inscription 'for prince and homeland'. They also have a lance with a Tricolore Vaantje. Their gloves are of white goat leather.

Bear hat of three kilos

The eye -catcher is the three -kilo bear hat decorated with a vulture plume. The hat is made of bear fur, is lump -shaped and will last for decades. The hat of the British world -famous King's Guard weighs lighter and is egg -shaped. The British get their fur from the regulated hunt for Canadian black bears. Whether the Belgians also call on Canada is not immediately clear. The Royal Escort has served under four princes so far.

In August 1993 the escort escorted King Baudouin's coffin after the body flown from Spain and the military reverence was transferred to the Royal Palace in Brussels. Images that are on the retina for many. In the following days, hundreds of thousands of Belgians gathered to bring the prince a final greeting.

The horses of the Royal Escort are used by regular police tasks to charge during demonstrations. Among other things, they were developed in April 2021 – in the full coron chase – to evacuate Brussels Ter Kamerenbos after the fake festival La Boum What thousands of young people approached.

Read too. Angry police liters hand over a letter to Minister Verlinden for the Etrlibune: « The members of the Escorte are furious! »

The moving of the police and their horses from the Oude Kazerne in Etterbeek to the Haras de Wisbecq riding school near Tubeke, Brabant, caused a big resentment within the Escorte three years ago. It led to two members coming to issue a letter to the then Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) on the honorary grandstand, unseen then during the Military Defilé of 2022.