An officer of the 4th Irish Horse, 1755 (c)

Oil on canvas by Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1735-1811), 1755 (c).

Bust length portrait of an unidentified officer in the uniform of the 4th Irish Horse, 1755 (c).

The 4th (Irish) Horse traces its origin to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It saw service in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713), fighting at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and Malplaquet (1709). The regiment joined the Irish establishment as the 4th Horse in 1746. The regiment served in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), fighting at Dettingen (1743) and Fontenoy (1745). During the Seven Years War (1756-1763) the regiment charged at Warburg (1760). In 1788, it returned to the British establishment, converting into a dragoon guard regiment. It was also renamed the 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards.