Cap badge, 14th (King's) Hussars, 1900 (c)

Badge with crowned Prussian eagle holding sceptre and orb.

This unit was raised as a dragoon regiment in southern England in 1715 to fight in the First Jacobite Rebellion. From 1717 to 1742, the Regiment was in Ireland. It faced the Jacobites again in 1745, this time in Scotland. It fought at Prestonpans and Falkirk, before returning to Ireland in 1746 for nearly 50 more years of peacekeeping. During this period, it was ranked as the 14th Dragoons in 1751. Then, in 1776, it was designated a light dragoon regiment.

In 1791, the regiment escorted Crown Princess Frederica from Dover to London. The only child of the king of Prussia, she had arrived in England to marry Frederick, Duke of York, the second son of King George III. Seven years later, it was named after her and granted the Prussian eagle as its cap badge - an honour which was abolished during World War One, but retained by its successor regiment.

The Regiment's first overseas deployment came during the French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802), when two of its troops were posted to the Low Countries and Germany in 1794. The few men from these troops who survived were absorbed into the 8th Dragoons. However, seven troops of the 14th still remained. These were sent to Haiti in 1795. During their time in the Caribbean, they faced rebel slaves on Jamaica and garrisoned Santo Domingo. But their losses to tropical disease were so heavy that only 25 men returned to England in 1797.

The Regiment re-recruited in England until 1808, when it set sail for the Peninsular War. It fought there until 1814, serving at Talavera (1809), Fuentes de Oñoro (1811), Ciudad Rodrigo (1812), Badajoz (1812), Salamanca (1812), Vitoria (1813) and Toulouse (1814). Within a few months of arriving back in England, it was sent to fight in the New Orleans campaign of the War of 1812 (1812-1815). After home garrison duties, it began its first posting to India in 1841. It remained there until 1860, fighting at Ramnagar (1848) and Chillianwala (1849) during the Second Sikh War (1845-1849). During this period, it was also granted the prefix 'King's' following William IV's accession in 1830. In 1857, it served in both the Anglo-Persian War (1856-1857) and the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859). Then, in 1861, it was made a hussar unit.

Further garrison duties across the British Empire followed. It also fought in the Boer War (1899-1902), taking part in the Relief of Kimberley (1900) and several other operations.