Lord Wentworth's Regiment
Encyclopedia
Lord Wentworth's Regiment was a regiment of infantry raised during the exile of King Charles II
during the Interregnum
. Formed as the Royal Regiment of Guards in 1656 at Bruges
under the command of the Earl of Rochester
, it was made up of men who remained loyal to the King and had followed him into exile. When Rochester died in February 1658 command passed to Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth
. The regiment served as part of the Spanish Army during the Franco-Spanish War and the concurrent Anglo-Spanish War
in the Spanish Netherlands and saw action at the Battle of the Dunes (1658)
under the command of Wentworth, before accompanying the King back to England to reclaim the throne at the Restoration in 1660. In 1665, the regiment was amalgamated with John Russell's Regiment of Guards
to form the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
.
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
during the Interregnum
English Interregnum
The English Interregnum was the period of parliamentary and military rule by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the Commonwealth of England after the English Civil War...
. Formed as the Royal Regiment of Guards in 1656 at Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
under the command of the Earl of Rochester
Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester
Lieutenant-General Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester , known as The Lord Wilmot between 1643 and 1644 and as The Viscount Wilmot between 1644 and 1652, was an English Cavalier who fought for the Royalist cause during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Early life:Wilmot's family was descended from...
, it was made up of men who remained loyal to the King and had followed him into exile. When Rochester died in February 1658 command passed to Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth
Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth
Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth, KB, PC was an English soldier and politician who supported King Charles I in the English Civil War....
. The regiment served as part of the Spanish Army during the Franco-Spanish War and the concurrent Anglo-Spanish War
Anglo-Spanish War (1654)
The Anglo-Spanish War was a conflict between the English Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell and Spain, between 1654 and 1660. It was caused by commercial rivalry. Each side attacked the other's commercial and colonial interests in various ways such as privateering and naval expeditions. In 1655, an...
in the Spanish Netherlands and saw action at the Battle of the Dunes (1658)
Battle of the Dunes (1658)
The Battle of the Dunes, fought on 14 June , 1658, is also known as the Battle of Dunkirk. It was a victory of the French army, under Turenne, against the Spanish army, led by John of Austria the Younger and Louis II de Condé...
under the command of Wentworth, before accompanying the King back to England to reclaim the throne at the Restoration in 1660. In 1665, the regiment was amalgamated with John Russell's Regiment of Guards
John Russell's Regiment of Guards
John Russell's Regiment of Guards was an English infantry regiment formed following the Restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660....
to form the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
.