The regiment of dragoons was raised in Reading by Brigadier-General Phineas Bowles as the Phineas Bowles's Regiment of Dragoons in July 1715 as part of the response to the Jacobite rebellion.
It was employed escorting prisoners to London later in the year.
In 1718, the regiment was placed on the Irish establishment and posted to Ireland, where it remained for 75 years.

In 1751, the regiment was officially styled the 12th Dragoons.
In 1768, King George III bestowed the badge of the three ostrich feathers and the motto "Ich Dien" on the regiment and re-titled it as The 12th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons.
A young Arthur Wellesley joined the regiment as a subaltern in 1789.
The regiment took part in the Siege of Bastia in April 1794, which took place in Corsica, during the French Revolutionary Wars.
Pope Pius VI was impressed by the conduct of the regiment and ordered that medals be awarded to its officers.

The regiment landed at Alexandria in March 1801 and, although its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Mervyn Archdall, was seriously injured in skirmishes, it saw action at the Battle of Alexandria later in the month.
The regiment, under a new commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John Doyle, captured 28 officers and 570 other ranks of the French Dromedary Regiment (French: Régiment de Dromadaires) in an action in the Egyptian desert in May 1801.
It took part in the Siege of Cairo securing the city in June 1801 and then participated in the Siege of Alexandria taking that city in September 1801.
The regiment next deployed for the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809.

In June 1811 the regiment embarked for Lisbon and, under the command of Colonel Frederick Ponsonby, took part in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, the Siege of Badajoz in March 1812 and the Battle of Villagarcia in April 1812 during the Peninsular War.
It also undertook two charges at the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 before taking part in the Siege of Burgos in September 1812, the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and the Siege of San Sebastián in autumn 1813.
The regiment next advanced into France and supported the infantry at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813.
The regiment marched through France and arrived in Calais in July 1814 from where it returned to England.

During the Waterloo Campaign, the regiment was attached to Sir John Vandeleur's light cavalry brigade.
At the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the regiment charged down the slope to support the Union Brigade of medium cavalry.
Ponsonby was seriously wounded in the melee but survived.

In 1816, the 12th Light Dragoons was armed with lances after the cavalry of Napoleon's Army had shown their effectiveness at Waterloo and were re-titled 12th (The Prince of Wales's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Lancers).
In 1855, it reinforced the Light Cavalry Brigade in the Crimea after the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava.
In 1861, the regiment was renamed 12th (The Prince of Wales's) Royal Regiment of Lancers.

The regiment was stationed in India between 1857 and 1860 in response to the Indian Rebellion and in Ireland from 1865 to 1870, before fighting in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the late 1870s.
It was deployed to South Africa for service in the Second Boer War in October 1899, and took part in the Relief of Kimberley and the ensuing Battle of Paardeberg in February 1900.
The commanding officer of the regiment, the 11th Earl of Airlie, was killed at the Battle of Diamond Hill in June 1900.
Following the end of the war in 1902 they went to India.
Almost 530 officers and men left Cape Town on the SS Lake Manitoba in September 1902, arriving at Bombay the following month and was then stationed at Ambala in Punjab.
The regiment of dragoons was raised in Reading by Brigadier-General Phineas Bowles as the Phineas Bowles's Regiment of Dragoons in July 1715 as part of the response to the Jacobite rebellion. It was employed escorting prisoners to London later in the year. In 1718, the regiment was placed on the Irish establishment and posted to Ireland, where it remained for 75 years.
In 1751, the regiment was officially styled the 12th Dragoons. In 1768, King George III bestowed the badge of the three ostrich feathers and the motto "Ich Dien" on the regiment and re-titled it as The 12th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons. A young Arthur Wellesley joined the regiment as a subaltern in 1789. The regiment took part in the Siege of Bastia in April 1794, which took place in Corsica, during the French Revolutionary Wars. Pope Pius VI was impressed by the conduct of the regiment and ordered that medals be awarded to its officers.
The regiment landed at Alexandria in March 1801 and, although its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Mervyn Archdall, was seriously injured in skirmishes, it saw action at the Battle of Alexandria later in the month. The regiment, under a new commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John Doyle, captured 28 officers and 570 other ranks of the French Dromedary Regiment (French: Régiment de Dromadaires) in an action in the Egyptian desert in May 1801. It took part in the Siege of Cairo securing the city in June 1801 and then participated in the Siege of Alexandria taking that city in September 1801. The regiment next deployed for the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809.
In June 1811 the regiment embarked for Lisbon and, under the command of Colonel Frederick Ponsonby, took part in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, the Siege of Badajoz in March 1812 and the Battle of Villagarcia in April 1812 during the Peninsular War. It also undertook two charges at the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 before taking part in the Siege of Burgos in September 1812, the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and the Siege of San Sebastián in autumn 1813. The regiment next advanced into France and supported the infantry at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813. The regiment marched through France and arrived in Calais in July 1814 from where it returned to England.
During the Waterloo Campaign, the regiment was attached to Sir John Vandeleur's light cavalry brigade. At the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the regiment charged down the slope to support the Union Brigade of medium cavalry. Ponsonby was seriously wounded in the melee but survived.
In 1816, the 12th Light Dragoons was armed with lances after the cavalry of Napoleon's Army had shown their effectiveness at Waterloo and were re-titled 12th (The Prince of Wales's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Lancers). In 1855, it reinforced the Light Cavalry Brigade in the Crimea after the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava. In 1861, the regiment was renamed 12th (The Prince of Wales's) Royal Regiment of Lancers.
The regiment was stationed in India between 1857 and 1860 in response to the Indian Rebellion and in Ireland from 1865 to 1870, before fighting in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in the late 1870s. It was deployed to South Africa for service in the Second Boer War in October 1899, and took part in the Relief of Kimberley and the ensuing Battle of Paardeberg in February 1900. The commanding officer of the regiment, the 11th Earl of Airlie, was killed at the Battle of Diamond Hill in June 1900. Following the end of the war in 1902 they went to India. Almost 530 officers and men left Cape Town on the SS Lake Manitoba in September 1902, arriving at Bombay the following month and was then stationed at Ambala in Punjab.
12th Royal Lancers