Dronningens Livregiment
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Origin and History
To do: origin and history
By the time of the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment counted three battalions and 2 grenadier companies.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, the Queen of Denmark was proprietor of the regiment.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, the successive colonel-commanders were:
- since 1698: Johan Didrich Haxthausen
- from 1702: Erhard Wedell
- from 9 July 1708: Manderup Due died at Helsingborg in 1710
- from 13 March 1710 to 1716: Johan Did. Hedviger Sponeck
Service during the War
In 1700, one battalion (6 fusilier coys and 1 grenadier coy) of the regiment was sent to Saxony.
In 1701, this battalion was attached to the Danish Contingent taken in Austrian pay. In March, this contingent was in Saxony but had already been ordered to join the Imperial army assembling in Tyrol for the planned invasion of Northern Italy. By mid-November, the contingent had reached Bolzano. By 8 December, it was incorporated in Commercy's Corps who took position at Povegliano. The regiment took its winter-quarters along the left bank of the Mincio in front of Goito and Mantua.
In 1702, the battalion in Austrian pay took part in the Campaign in Northern Italy. On 15 August, it fought at the Battle of Luzzara.
On 1 March 1703, the remaining troops of the battalion were amalgamated with the rest of the battalion of the Prins Georg Infantry and a third of the battalion of the Marine Regiment to form the new 1st Danske Infanterieregiment under Gyldenlove.
Uniform
Privates

Headgear |
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Neck stock | white | ||||||||||||
Coat | double-breasted red coat with 22 pewter buttons (11 on each side) and 1 pewter button on each side in the small of the back. In the first years of the war, all buttonholes were usually trimmed in the distinctive colour of the regiment.
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Waistcoat | yellow-gold with pewter buttons | ||||||||||||
Breeches | yellow-gold during the early years of the war and gradually standardized to red | ||||||||||||
Stockings | yellow-gold fastened under the knee with a natural leather strap | ||||||||||||
Gaiters | the use of gaiters generalized much later but they were already used in 1700 where red gaiters are reported | ||||||||||||
Leather Equipment |
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Soldiers were armed with a flintlock musket, a small bayonet and a sword (fusiliers) or a sabre (grenadiers). Grenadiers were also armed with hand grenades and with a small axe.
NCOs
NCOs were probably distinguished from privates by a silver lace on the hat and by silver edging on the cuffs.
NCOs carried a cane whose characteristics indicated the precise rank of each NCO.
NCOs also carried a halberd and a sword. They had no musket, to the exception of grenadier NCOs who were armed as the privates.
Officers
Uniforms of officers differed from those of the privates and NCOs by the finer material used. They were not standardized across the entire army but seems to have been similar within a regiment. In this particular regiment, officers wore scarlet coat with white stockings. Buttons were silver-plated and silver embroideries decorated the coat, cuffs and pocket flaps. Their coat could be single or double-breasted.
The hats of officers were often edged with a red or white plumetis.
Officers usually wore a wig.
Officers wore a gorget and a white silken sash. Those serving in Dutch pay wore an orange sash across the shoulder.
Officers carried a cane whose characteristics indicated the precise rank of each officer; a pike and a sword. Officers of the grenadier companies carried a musket instead of a pike.
In the field, pistols of various forms were carried by officers who often carried two of them when dismounted.
Musicians
Drummers usually wore coats similar to those of privates but richly decorated with braids on the sleeves and body (without swallow nests). Braids were usually of the metal colour of the regiment. The shell of the drum was of painted woods and decorated with the regimental arms or the King's double monogram.
Colours
no information found yet
References
Höglund, Lars-Eric: Stora nordiska kriget 1700-1721 - del 2, 2003
Martinsson, Örjan: Danish Infantry Uniforms 1700-1730 in Tacitus.nu
Skjold Petersen, Karsten: Den Danishe hærs uniforms i 1700-tallet, 2005
Snorasson, Torstein and Søren Henriksen: Danish Uniforms 1699-1712, in Chakoten, translated and published by Dan Schorr in 2008
Vaupell, O. F.: Den Danske Haers Historie, Copenhagen 1876, p. 667, 670
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
Acknowledgements
Jorg Meier for additional information on this regiment.