selected

The Honourable Artillery Company, now the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, was granted a royal charter by Henry VIII.

Historical image related to The Honourable Artillery Company, now the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, was granted a royal charter by Henry VIII. from August 25, 1537

Honourable Artillery Company

Oldest regiment of the British Army

The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the world. Today, it is also a charity…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

British Army

Land warfare force of the United Kingdom

The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 1 January 2025, the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Gurkhas, 25,742 volunteer reserve personnel and 4,697 "other personnel", for a total of 108,413.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Royal charter

Document granting rights from a monarch

A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta of 1215, but since the 14th century have only been used in place of…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Henry VIII

King of England from 1509 to 1547

Henry VIII was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation,…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)