Portal:Military history of France/Selected unit/3
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The Garde du Corps (English: Life Guards or Body Guards) was the senior formation of the King of France's Household Cavalry, the Maison du Roi.
The oldest company in the Garde du Corps was the Company of Scottish Archers, later just the 1st Scottish Company, formed in 1440 from Scots that fought for the French in Hundred Years' War. In the Battle of Fornovo during the Italian Wars the Garde du Corps saved king Charles VIII from being captured by enemy forces. Later in the Italian Wars they failed to save Francis I from being captured in the Battle of Pavia. The last time the Garde du Corps campaigned was during the War of the Austrian Succession because it only went on campaign when the king was present. The last battle in which the Garde du Corps was present was Lauffeld on 1 July 1747. The Garde du Corps was dissolved in 1791 along with all of the Maison du Roi. (More...)
