Le service des deux compagnies de mousquetaires au plus près du roi : un élément constitutif de la garde du dehors
In their dual role on foot and on horseback, the musketeers ensured the guard of the king on horseback by serving as his escort, in the same way as the gendarmes and the light cavalry (chevau-légers), and stood guard on foot in front of the king’s residence, in the same way as the infantry regiments...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centre de Recherche du Château de Versailles
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Bulletin du Centre de Recherche du Château de Versailles |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/crcv/41412 |
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| Summary: | In their dual role on foot and on horseback, the musketeers ensured the guard of the king on horseback by serving as his escort, in the same way as the gendarmes and the light cavalry (chevau-légers), and stood guard on foot in front of the king’s residence, in the same way as the infantry regiments of the French and Swiss Guards. Either by guarding the king’s home or by escorting him when he left one of his residences, the musketeers ensured the king’s guard – although they were not always as close to his person as the bodyguards – and sometimes they were the only ones to ensure his safety. The ordinary functions inherent to the original task of the musketeers – guarding the king – were carried out only by a detachment from each of the two companies (Grey Musketeers and Black Musketeers), known as the king’s detachment or cornette. Unlike the other units of the Military Household which served the king in three-month periods (the guet), the companies of musketeers provided service all year round and, theoretically, with a full complement of staff. Detachment service was introduced for the musketeers to avoid a numerical imbalance with their counterparts and to allow them to carry out their other missions. Through these diverse assignments, the musketeers were thus led to participate in the life of the court and were often involved in the ceremonies which marked the significant moments of the French monarchy. |
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| ISSN: | 1958-9271 |