Behind the Lens: Photographing the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

British ArmyLondon
Written By RORY LEWIS

In June 2021, photographer Rory Lewis returned to The Hyde Park Barracks to capture the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Having first photographed the Regiment in 2016, this sitting was not just a return but an opportunity to document a new chapter in their story — the inclusion of some of the first female soldiers in this historic unit.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is world-renowned for its ceremonial duties: the King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards Parade, the Sovereign’s Escort at Trooping the Colour, and countless state occasions. To portray these soldiers, in their polished armour and iconic uniforms, is to engage directly with centuries of tradition.

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Lens: Photographing the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

The parade square of The Hyde Park Barracks became Rory’s studio, where soldiers assembled in immaculate formation beneath the regimental insignia. Horses, perfectly turned out, stood alongside troopers prepared for portraits that balance ceremonial splendour with individual character.

Candid moments brought the day to life — Sasha standing proudly with troopers in their armour, Rory crouched with his camera as horse and rider passed before the monumental gates. Each frame captured the weight of history while reflecting change: women breaking ground in a regiment long defined by continuity.

Capturing Britain’s Highest-Ranking Female Soldier

The day carried further significance as Rory also had the chance to photograph General Dame Sharon Nesmith, Britain’s highest-ranking female soldier. Appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 2024, General Nesmith has broken barriers throughout her career, becoming the first woman to command a British Army brigade in 2014 and continuing to blaze a trail for women in the armed forces. Capturing her portrait alongside the Household Cavalry’s first female soldiers symbolised both progress and continuity within the British Army — an intersection of leadership, legacy, and change.

Behind the Lens: Photographing the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Behind the Lens: Photographing the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Behind the Lens: Photographing the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Preserving Heritage, Capturing Change

This project was made possible through Heroes in Focus, the non-profit founded by Rory Lewis to preserve the stories of those who serve. These portraits require time, travel, and resources, and none of it would be possible without the generosity of donors.

By supporting Heroes in Focus, you help ensure that moments like this — the blending of tradition and transformation — are preserved for generations to come.

 

Final Portraits

Featured
Capturing a New Chapter: The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
Cavalry, British Army, British Military, British Regiments, Royal Regiments
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Household Division, Cavalry, Female Service Personnel, British Army, Royal Regiment
Capturing a New Chapter: The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
Cavalry, British Army, British Military, British Regiments, Royal Regiments
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Household Division, Cavalry, Female Service Personnel, British Army, Royal Regiment

In June 2021, I returned to Hyde Park Barracks to photograph the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment — this time capturing a historic milestone with the inclusion of some of the first female soldiers to serve in the unit. Known worldwide for their ceremonial duties as the Monarch’s bodyguard, the HCMR embodies centuries of tradition. To portray both their enduring heritage and this new chapter of change was a profound moment, preserving the evolving face of the British Army through portraiture.

Cavalry, British Army, British Military, British Regiments, Royal Regiments
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Household Division, Cavalry, Female Service Personnel, British Army, Royal Regiment
Featured
General Dame Sharon Nesmith: A Historic First for the British Army
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, British General, British Army, Female Service Personnel, General Sharon Nesmith
General Dame Sharon Nesmith: A Historic First for the British Army
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, British General, British Army, Female Service Personnel, General Sharon Nesmith

Captured at Knightsbridge Barracks for Heroes in Focus, General Dame Sharon Nesmith’s portrait celebrates her groundbreaking journey as the first woman in British Army history to achieve the rank of General and serve as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.

Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, British General, British Army, Female Service Personnel, General Sharon Nesmith
RORY LEWIS

Winner of the Portrait of Britain in 2017 and 2018. Lewis is a dedicated portrait photographer who has spent over a decade capturing many of the world’s most recognised faces. Sitters have included the likes of William Shatner, David Cameron, Sir Derek Jacobi, Iain Glen and Natalie Dormer. Rory’s images have been exhibited on both sides of the Atlantic, and several of his iconic portraits have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in London. His recent project, ‘Soldiery’, which documented the British Army of the 21st Century, was completed over a two year period and has been hailed as a national success story, named by the BBC as ‘The changing face of the British Army’. Rory divides his time between London and Los Angeles, working with a wide variety of clients. In addition to his projects and private portraits, his photography has been commissioned by Pepsi, Universal, the British Army, The Times, The Guardian and Cancer Research UK, among others. Rory draws immense inspiration from the masters of art including Hans Holbein the Younger, Titian, Caravaggio and Jusepe de Ribera.

http://www.rorylewis.studio
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