An attempt to displace Protestants from various situations, civil and military, and to substitute Catholics, as well as to force popish recruits into the army, and other causes, at length brought on the Revolution; and at this important crisis we find the Queen Dowager's Regiment faithful to the best interests of its country. The Prince of Orange (afterwards William III.) made good his landing at Torbay early in November, 1688, and marched to Exeter. The advanced position of King James's army was at Warminster, and comprised two battalions of Dumbarton's Regiment (the Royals) and Kirke's (the Queen's), a troop of Life Guards, and the Queen Consort's Regiment of Horse, now the First Dragoon Guards. The whole was commanded by Brigadier-General Kirke, who, on some frivolous pretence, refused to march to Devizes, for which he was placed in arrest, and ordered to London. The King, deserted by many of his followers, and even by a portion of his own family, adopted the resolution of retreating towards London, and caused his forces to retire behind the Thames to Staines and its neighbourhood; and ultimately, his Majesty vacating his throne, without any government being nominated, left the troops at liberty to use their own discretion. Little opposition was made to the advance of the Prince of Orange, who was soon joined by Kirke, and the latter was received by his new monarch with particular distinction.

King James II., with a view of maintaining his authority in Ireland, and assisted by Louis XIV., embarked from France, and landed at Dublin in March, 1689. The Protestants in that country were determined to resist his dominion, particularly at Londonderry, where, under the gallant direction of the Rev. George Walker, rector of Donoghmore, they nobly defended that city for several months, notwithstanding the Governor, Colonel Lundy, Colonel Thomas Cunningham, 9th Foot, and Colonel Solomon Richards, 17th Foot, had resolved, in a council of war, that the place was not tenable, and that it would be imprudent to land those two regiments which had been sent to their assistance: these officers were in consequence cashiered, and the most active measures were taken for sending a further number of troops from England to the assistance of the Protestants, and to the relief of Londonderry.

Major-General Kirke was appointed to the command of the troops embarked on this service, on which the Queen Dowager's Regiment was employed, and, with Sir John Hanmer's (the 11th) Regiment, sailed from Liverpool on the 21st of May. Great difficulties were encountered in gaining access to Londonderry on account of the batteries which had been erected on each side of the river by the besieging army. At length the ship Mountjoy, under convoy of the Dartmouth frigate, forced a boom or barrier which had been placed across the river to obstruct the entrance, and General Kirke succeeded in landing men and provisions. The troops of King James were so dispirited by the success of this enterprize, that they abandoned the siege in the night, and retired with precipitation, after having lost some thousands of men before the place.

The Queen Dowager's Regiment continued in Ireland, and served with distinction in the army of King William at the battle of the Boyne on the 1st of July, 1690. It was also employed in the siege of Limerick; in the relief of Birr; and in December drove a division of the enemy out of Lanesborough.

In 1691 four men per company were mounted, and performed dragoon's duty[17]: the grenadier company was also mounted. In February the mounted part of the regiment distinguished itself in an action at the Moat of Grenogue; and the remainder of the regiment took Cairn Castle and Conway Castle. In May the regiment defeated a body of Rapparees near Wyands-Town. It was afterwards employed at the siege of Athlone, which was carried by storm on the 30th of June, 1691. It is recorded that 'never was a more desperate service, nor was ever exploit performed with more valour and intrepidity.' Lieut.-General De Ginkell, to whom King William had entrusted the command of his army, was created Earl of Athlone for his conduct and success on this occasion. On the 4th of July ten mounted grenadiers of the Queen's Regiment and twenty horse, engaged 400 of the enemy's cavalry in the woods of Clanoult, and displayed astonishing bravery. Our men defended a bridge until half their numbers were killed, and then retired.

The Queen Dowager's Regiment was engaged at the decisive battle of Aghrim, in the county of Galway, on the 12th of July, 1691, when the French General St. Ruth was killed, and about 4000 of his troops. It was also engaged in the second siege of Limerick; and on the 22nd of September distinguished itself in an attack upon the works which covered Thoumond Bridge. So great was the loss of the enemy, that the place surrendered a few days afterwards.

The ambition and power of Louis XIV. caused England to unite with other nations to check the designs of France, and in 1689 the Earl of Marlborough proceeded to Flanders with several English regiments to join the army of the confederacy. In 1691 King William assumed the command of the allied forces in Flanders.

The war in Ireland having ended with the capitulation of Limerick, King William was thereby enabled to withdraw some regiments from that country, and to re-inforce his army in Flanders: the Queen Dowager's Regiment was one of those selected for foreign service, on which it immediately proceeded.

Lieutenant-General Kirke, who was promoted to that rank on the 24th of December, 1690, joined the army in Flanders, and died at Breda on the 31st of October, 1691. The Colonelcy of the Queen Dowager's Regiment was conferred on Colonel William Selwyn, from the Coldstream Foot Guards, on the 18th of December, 1691.

In the spring of 1692, the preparations making by Louis XIV. of France, and the late King James II., for the invasion of England, caused King William to send back some of the regiments, which had been sent from Ireland to join the army in the Low Countries; amongst others the Queen Dowager's returned, and was encamped at Portsmouth. The glorious victory off La Hogue, obtained at this critical period by the gallant exertions of the fleet under Admiral Russell, dispelled all fear of invasion, and distracted the councils of the enemy. Seven thousand of the force assembled at Portsmouth, including the Queen Dowager's Regiment, were embarked under the Duke of Leinster with the intention of returning the compliment by making a descent on the coast of France; but this expedition being postponed, and ultimately abandoned, in consequence of the lateness of the season, the troops were ordered to proceed to Flanders. They landed at Ostend on the 22nd of August, and took and fortified the neighbouring towns of Furnes and Dixmude.

The Queen Dowager's Regiment continued to form part of the army on the continent, serving with distinction in various operations there, and more particularly at the battle of Landen on the 29th of July, 1693, where it was posted in the left wing of the allied army, and in conjunction with the regiment of Hamilton (the Royals) defeated a superior force of the enemy, and retarded, for a time, the disasters of the day. Nothing could surpass the courage and perseverance of King William, whose presence with this portion of his troops urged them on to deeds of the greatest heroism. At length, weakened by repeated attacks from a far more numerous army, and having their ammunition expended, they retired, leaving their enemy little more than the name of a victory, for the Duke of Luxembourg gained no advantages, and his army had a greater number of officers and men killed and wounded than the allies. The Queen Dowager's Regiment lost in this battle Captain Collins, Captain Sandys, Lieutenant Campbell, Ensign Burt, and about 100 men.

The Queen Dowager's had also the glory of being in the line of circumvallation at the siege of Namur, and at the reduction of that fortress in August, 1695, which event was looked upon as one of the greatest in King William's military life. Namur was so well furnished and prepared for this attack, and so well situated, that the attempt to reduce it was considered one of the utmost temerity. It was defended by 15,000 chosen men, and commanded by a Marshal of France (Boufflers) who 'made the point one of the King's glory.' He was, however, forced to capitulate, after losing nearly two-thirds of his garrison, and the place was occupied by King William within two months from his investing it. On this occasion Colonel Selwyn, commanding the Queen's, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General.

In the winter of 1695-6, the king of France assembled an army near Calais, for a descent upon England in favour of King James, who had privately concerted measures for a rebellion in this country, and had sent the Duke of Berwick with a number of officers in disguise, through whose persuasions 2000 men were prepared to rise, at a moment's notice, under the directions of Sir John Fenwick[18]; at the same time a conspiracy was formed in London for the assassination of King William, and fifty men were engaged and prepared with arms to commit the diabolical act. The Queen Dowager's and several other regiments were immediately ordered to England to resist the threatened invasion. The plot was, however, discovered; many of the conspirators were apprehended and executed; and the designs of the enemy frustrated.

The regiment remained in England until the summer of 1697, when it again proceeded to the Netherlands, joined the army encamped before Brussels on the 14th of July, and on the 16th was reviewed by his Majesty. This war was terminated in September by the Peace of Ryswick; and the regiment returned to England the same year. The establishment of the regiment after the peace was 44 officers, and 884 non-commissioned officers and men.

On the 28th of June, 1701, General Selwyn exchanged from the Queen's to the 22nd Regiment of Foot, with Sir Henry Bellasis, Kt.

The throne of Spain having become vacant by the death of King Charles II., which took place in 1701, the Duke of Anjou was crowned king, under the title of Philip V., and was supported by his grandfather Louis XIV. of France.

The conduct of France alarmed the other Powers of Europe, and the death of the late King of England, James II., having taken place at St. Germains on the 16th of September, 1701, the resentment of England against France was further called forth by Louis XIV. having proclaimed his son, (the pretended Prince of Wales) King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and having also influenced Spain to concur in the same affront and indignity.

War was determined, and whilst active preparations were making for prosecuting it, King William III. received a fall from his horse, and his death took place on the 8th of March, 1702. His policy was adopted by his successor, Queen Anne, who entered into treaties of alliance with the Emperor of Germany, the States General of the United Provinces, and other princes and potentates, for preserving the liberty and balance of Europe, and for reducing the exorbitant power of France.

Declaration of war was accordingly proclaimed against France and Spain on the 4th of May, 1702. The importance of rescuing Spain from foreign oppression, and of checking the ambitious views of France, was also acknowledged by the English Parliament, and liberal provision was made for increasing the means of prosecuting the war with activity and vigour, both by sea and land.

The Earl of Marlborough was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the English troops in Holland, whither he had proceeded as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, immediately after her Majesty's accession to the throne.

In the beginning of June, 1702, it was arranged that a naval force, consisting of fifty sail of the line, besides frigates, under Admiral Sir George Rooke, and a land force, consisting of nearly fourteen thousand men, under the command of the Duke of Ormond, should proceed to the coast of Spain. The following corps were employed on this service; namely,—

The armament appeared off Cadiz on the 12th of August, and the Duke summoned the place; but his terms being refused, he landed on the 15th, between Rota and Fort St. Catherine, where he encountered and repulsed some Spanish cavalry. The next operation of the army was the attack and capture of Fort St. Catherine and of Port St. Mary; but the attempt on Cadiz failed.

Bishop Burnet, in alluding to this expedition, remarks—'It is certain our court had false accounts of the state the place was in, both with relation to the garrison and the fortifications; the garrison was much stronger, and the fortifications were in a better state than was represented.' As a set-off to the miscarriage at Cadiz, the expedition did good service and made a valuable conquest at Vigo Bay, where the galleons from the West Indies, convoyed by a French squadron, happened at this time to arrive[19]. A passage of three quarters of a mile, which led into the harbour of Vigo, was defended by forts on shore, and secured by a boom extending across the channel; the latter was also protected within by five line-of-battle ships, and flanked by two others. To facilitate the attack on this formidable barrier, the Duke of Ormond landed a portion of his army six miles from Vigo, and took by assault a battery of forty pieces of cannon, situated at the entrance of the bay. A British ensign, hoisted on this fort, was the signal for a general attack; the fleet in full sail approached, broke the boom at the first shock, and became closely engaged with the enemy's ships, whilst the British troops that had landed stormed and captured the batteries. After a vigorous defence, the French, finding they could not escape, destroyed a part of their fleet; but ten ships of war and eleven galleons were, notwithstanding, captured. This glorious exploit was tarnished by some abuses practised during the expedition; and so great was the plunder at Port St. Mary, and at Vigo, that a proclamation was issued for its recovery. Amongst others implicated in those disgraceful acts was Sir Henry Bellasis, who was second in command of the land forces, and was tried by a court-martial on his return to England, and dismissed the service. After this expedition the Queen Dowager's Regiment was landed and stationed at Portsmouth[20].

The Colonelcy of the Queen Dowager's Regiment was next conferred on Lieutenant-General David Colyear, Earl of Portmore, whose commission was dated the 27th of February, 1703.

In the early part of the year 1703 Queen Anne augmented her forces in the Netherlands. The Queen Dowager's was one of the corps that proceeded from England on the occasion, and joined the Duke of Marlborough, who was in command of the allied army, and began operations in the month of April. On the 10th of May following, the Queen Dowager's Regiment had an opportunity of distinguishing itself by a service, which evinced the utmost intrepidity and discipline, and, in fact, saved part of the allied army from being surprised by the enemy, and probably from severe defeat. The Duke of Marlborough, being engaged in the siege of Bonn, and the forces under Marshal D'Auverquerque dispersed in quarters, the French Marshals Villeroy and Boufflers determined to attempt the surprise of the latter: by a night march they arrived with a force of 40,000 men in the neighbourhood of Tongres, which was occupied by two battalions of foot,—one of Elst, (afterwards disbanded,) and the other of Portmore (the Queen Dowager's).

The speedy reduction of Tongres was necessary to the success of the French Marshals, and it was accordingly attacked with great vigour; but the two regiments defended themselves, with extraordinary bravery, for twenty-eight hours; and when at length reduced to surrender, they had secured time for Marshal D'Auverquerque to collect his forces in a position under the cannon of Maestricht, so strong, that the enemy declined a general engagement.

For its conduct at Tongres the Queen Dowager's Regiment was made Royal, and obtained the motto, 'Pristinæ Virtutis Memor.'

Shortly after the above gallant affair, the capture of the fortress of Huy by the confederates enabled the Commander-in-Chief to obtain the release of the brave corps which had been made prisoners at Tongres, and the following provision was made for that purpose; viz.:— 'The Governor, 900 men, and two Brigadier-Generals to remain prisoners of war, till the two regiments taken by the French at Tongres are released.' These terms were speedily complied with.

Archduke Charles of Austria having been acknowledged as sovereign of Spain by a great part of Europe, was seconded in his efforts to establish his claim by a combined English and Dutch force, commanded by the Duke of Schomberg; and he was further encouraged in his undertaking by having Portugal for his ally. His object, was to enter Spain by the Portuguese frontiers, and the auxiliary force accordingly proceeded to Lisbon. The Queen Dowager's was one of the regiments selected for this service, and having embarked from Holland, the regiment landed at Lisbon on the 16th of March, 1704. The Duke of Schomberg was succeeded in his command by the Earl of Galway, who advanced with the army to the vicinity of Ciudad Rodrigo, but returned to Portugal for winter quarters.

In the summer of 1705 the Queen Dowager's Regiment was engaged in the siege of Valencia de Alcantara, which place was taken by storm on the 8th of May. The regiment was also employed in the siege and capture of Albuquerque; and in the unsuccessful attack on Badajoz, in which the Earl of Galway lost his right hand by a cannon ball.

On the 31st of December, Catherine, Queen Dowager of England, with whose history the early services of this regiment were connected, and from whom its original title and distinctions (as already remarked) were derived, died at Lisbon. Her Majesty was Regent of Portugal during the summer, (the king her brother being with the army) and had proved herself firmly attached to the interests of Great Britain[21].

In April, 1706, the regiment was engaged in the siege of Alcantara, in Spanish Estramadura, and on the 10th of that month distinguished itself in an attack on the enemy's post at the Convent of St. Francis; it was afterwards engaged in the siege and capture of Ciudad Rodrigo; and subsequently advanced with the army to Madrid.

This advance was in connexion with the operations of Charles, Earl of Peterborough, and of the combined English and Dutch fleets, the reduction of Barcelona, and the conquest of Catalonia and Valencia,—features important in history, which reflect the highest honour on the British arms.

Success seemed secured to the allies, when the cause of King Charles III., who had been proclaimed at the head of his victorious army at Madrid, was destroyed in consequence of intrigue and want of unanimity; and the army was obliged to retire from the provinces it had conquered.

In the spring of 1707 the army, commanded by the Earl of Galway, under the orders of the Marquis das Minas, invested Villena; at the same time the opposing army, under the Duke of Berwick, advanced to Almanza, where he was attacked by the allies on the 25th of April. The enemy was considerably superior in numbers to the confederates. Smollet remarks of this action, 'The English and Dutch squadrons on the left, sustained by the Portuguese horse of the second line, were overpowered after a gallant resistance. The centre, consisting chiefly of battalions from Great Britain and Holland, obliged the enemy to give way, and move their first upon the second line; but the Portuguese cavalry on the right being broken at their first charge, their foot betook themselves to flight, so that the English and Dutch troops being exposed on the flanks, were surrounded and attacked on every side. In this dreadful emergency they formed themselves into a square, and retired from the field of battle. By this time the men were quite spent with fatigue, and their ammunition exhausted; they were ignorant of the country, abandoned by their horse, destitute of provisions, and out of all hope of supply. Moved by these dismal considerations they capitulated, and surrendered themselves prisoners of war, to the amount of thirteen battalions.' In this disastrous battle the allies lost 5000 men killed on the spot.

The following Return contains the number of officers killed, wounded, and prisoners of war, in this most unfortunate battle.

Return of the Number of the British Officers killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, at the battle of Almanza, on the 25th of April, 1707.

KEY:
A = Colonels and Lieut.-Colonels.
B = Majors.
C = Captains.
D = Subalterns.
E = Staff and Quarter-Masters.
Dn. Gds. = Dragoon Guards
Dns. = Dragoons

Of the Queen's Royal, Lieutenant Brady was killed; Lieutenant-Colonel Kirke, Major Cullyford, Captains Laton, Arnott, Hart, Gossin, Giles, and Phillips; Lieutenants Jackson, Slack, May, Sawyers, Bracelay, Frazier, and Arthlony; Ensigns Nichols, Brown, Graham, Johnson, and Downs, and Surgeon Dalrimple, were made prisoners of war.

The severe losses sustained on this occasion, and on other services in Spain, induced the Earl of Galway to order the Queen's Royal and the 9th Regiments of Foot, after transferring their serviceable men to other regiments in Spain, to return to England, for the purpose of recruiting their ranks.

The regiment accordingly arrived in England in 1708, and, by active exertions, its casualties were soon replaced, and the men rendered fit to enter upon active service.

Lieutenant-Colonel Piercy Kirke was promoted Colonel by purchase, on the 19th of September, 1710, vice General the Earl of Portmore[22]. He was the son of its old Colonel, Lieutenant-General Kirke, and had served in the corps from the rank of Ensign, in 1686.

In 1711 the regiment formed part of a force of 5000 men ordered to proceed to America under General Hill, and to make an attempt on Quebec, with the object of effecting the conquest of Canada. A large fleet of men-of-war formed part of the armament, which was to be further strengthened by troops from the American colonies. The expedition did not reach the river St. Lawrence until the 21st of August, when it encountered storms, and being furnished with bad pilots, eight transports, a store ship, and a sloop were lost by shipwreck, and 29 officers, 676 soldiers, and 35 women of the 4th, 37th, Colonel Kane's, and Colonel Clayton's regiments, perished. There was also a scarcity of provisions. It was therefore determined, in a council of war, that further operations should be abandoned. Some of the regiments engaged in the expedition proceeded to Annapolis Royal, in Nova Scotia, but the Queen's returned to England, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 9th of October.

In consequence of the sudden death of the Emperor Joseph of Austria, and the election of Charles III. of Spain to the dignity of Emperor of the Romans, negociations were entered into by England and France, and hostilities were terminated by the peace of Utrecht, which was concluded on the 31st of March, 1713. The Queen's Royal were now permitted to remain for a period on home-duty.

Queen Anne was not unmindful of the arduous and faithful services which had been rendered by her troops in time of need, and recommended them to the consideration of parliament, as 'brave men who had exposed their lives in the service of their country, and could not be employed in time of peace.'

After the demise of her Majesty Queen Anne, on the 1st of August, 1714, King George I. not having a Queen Consort, this regiment was styled 'Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales's own Regiment of Foot;' and when the death of King George I. on the 11th of June, 1727, brought the Princess of Wales to share the throne of England, its appellation was again changed to 'The Queen's own Regiment of Foot.'

The Queen's own Regiment was reviewed on Blackheath, in June, 1728, by his Majesty King George II., and furnished a guard of honour to her Royal Highness the princess Amelia, during her residence at Tunbridge Wells, in June and July, 1728.

In June, 1730, the regiment embarked for Gibraltar, and was employed in that fortress in 1740, when it was blockaded by the Spaniards, with whom war had been declared in 1739; but no serious impression was made on the place at that time, nor at any subsequent period of the war, which was terminated in 1748 by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

Lieutenant-General Kirke, after commanding the regiment upwards of thirty years, died on the 1st of January, 1741; and was succeeded on the 12th of August following by Colonel Thomas Fowke, from the Forty-third Regiment.

In 1749, the year following the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, the regiment embarked from Gibraltar, and proceeded to Ireland.

Prior to 1751, the several regiments, both of cavalry and infantry, had been called after the names of their respective colonels: on the 1st of July of this year, a royal warrant was issued, for regulating the clothing, standards, guidons, colours, &c., of regiments, in which numerical titles were given to the regiments of horse, dragoons, and foot. In this warrant the Royal Regiment of Foot, from its antiquity, was numbered 'The First Regiment of Foot;' and the Queen's Royal being the next in seniority, was numbered 'The Second Regiment of Foot.'

General Fowke was removed to the 14th Foot, and was succeeded in the Colonelcy of the Second, or Queen's Royal, on the 12th of November, 1755, by the Honourable John Fitzwilliam.

From the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, arts and sciences, trade and manufactures, had greatly flourished in England, and a rivalry existed with continental Europe for pre-eminence in advancing refinements and civilization. This prosperous state of things was interrupted in 1756 by war with France, and hostilities continued during the remainder of the reign of George II., and for three years in the reign of his successor George III. Peace was restored in 1763 by the treaty of Paris. This war had been pursued with vigour by Great Britain, whose fleets and armies triumphed in all quarters of the world. The Queen's Regiment was kept on duty in Ireland, which country was threatened by France with invasion. That nation, however, found sufficient occupation for her troops elsewhere, and the threat of invasion, as on other occasions, terminated on the part of France in wasteful preparations and presumptuous boast.

Major-General the Honourable John Fitzwilliam was removed to the 2nd Irish Horse, (now the 5th Dragoon Guards) and was succeeded by Sir Charles Montague, K.B., on the 27th of November, 1760.

The Queen's Royal Regiment continued in Ireland until June, 1765, when it was removed to the Isle of Man, where it remained until 1768.

In February, 1768, it was removed from the Isle of Man to Cork, whence it embarked for Gibraltar to relieve the 54th Regiment.

It remained at Gibraltar until 1775, when it returned to England and landed at Portsmouth on the 26th of December of that year. Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald, who was then in command of the regiment, issued, previous to its landing, some orders, expressing, among other things, his hope that the corps would insure its welcome to England, after an absence of half a century, by the closest attention to its duties, both civil and military.

The first quarters occupied by the Queen's Royal on its return to England were at Alton and Farnham, from whence the regiment marched, on the 9th of May, 1776, on a route for the north. Passing through London, the regiment was reviewed by its Colonel, Sir Charles Montague, on the 14th, and by his Majesty King George III. on the 17th of the same month, and arrived on the 26th of July at Tynemouth barracks, where it continued three years.

Sir Charles Montague[23] dying in 1777, Lieutenant-General Daniel Jones was promoted from the Third Foot Guards to the Colonelcy of the Queen's Royal on the 7th of August of that year.

In the summer of 1779 the Queen's Royal was one of the regiments of the line and militia assembled in the camp of exercise on Warley Common, after which it was quartered in Rumford, Ongar, and Epping.

On the breaking out of the riots in London in 1780, the Queen's Regiment was among the troops ordered to the metropolis, and encamped in Hyde Park on the 7th of June, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Dalrymple, on which occasion it received the thanks of Major-General Rainsford for its regularity and good conduct. On the breaking up of the camp in Hyde Park in August following, the Queen's Regiment, with a large portion of the troops proceeded to Finchley Common.

The regiment remained in England until the autumn of 1783, when it again embarked for Gibraltar; and during the time of its service in that garrison, his Royal Highness Prince Edward (afterwards Duke of Kent) having arrived, was appointed to the command of the Queen's, as appears from the following order, dated the 26th of February, 1790:—'His Royal Highness Prince Edward is posted to the Queen's Royal Regiment, of which he is to take command until further orders.' In the ensuing August the command of the regiment was resumed by Lieutenant-Colonel Woollicombe.