Buttons, blood and bright red tunics: Inside the revamped Guards Museum

"So a visit is a walk through history as brightly coloured uniforms worn in combat were slowly supplanted by the far more practical combat wear worn today - saving the bright colours for ceremonial work. Uniforms are packed with symbolism, and subtle details reveal a soldier's regiment to those who know how to read them. As the introductory film explains, even the way buttons are arranged on a tunic carries meaning."

"There's an impressive model of a steam train that carries the names of the regiments, and the stuffed head of a duck. My research itch was particularly scratched by learning about two Quit Rents I hadn't previously come across, which require a pair of dukes to present a flag to the monarch each year as rent for their homes. One can only imagine the consequences if a duke ever forgot-and the King decided to help himself to a new palace."

Located near Buckingham Palace, the Guards Museum presents the history of the five Foot Guards regiments — Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh — from their foundation to the present. Displays trace the shift from brightly coloured uniforms to practical modern combat wear, preserving colour for ceremonial roles. Uniforms and insignia are rich in symbolism, with subtle details such as button arrangement revealing a soldier's regiment to those who can read them. Exhibits include Iraq War playing cards, a German medal struck for an expected WWII victory, a steam-train model naming regiments, a stuffed duck head, and a punishment book recording 200 lashes on 24 January 1799, with flogging abandoned in 1850.

Read at ianVisits