Historical Record of the Twelfth, or the Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment of Lancers Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1715, and of Its Subsequent — A Reader’s Guide

Bligh was appointed to the colonelcy of the regiment, from the Twentieth Foot.

Brigadier-General Bligh was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1747, and removed to the Second Irish Horse, now Fifth Dragoon Guards; and the colonelcy of the TWELFTH Dragoons was conferred on Major-General Sir John Mordaunt, from the Eighteenth regiment of Foot. This distinguished officer was promoted to the Tenth Dragoons, in 1749, and was succeeded by Major-General Lord George Sackville, afterwards Viscount Sackville, from the Twentieth regiment of Foot.

On the 18th of January, 1750, Lord George Sackville was promoted to the Third Irish Horse, now Sixth Dragoon Guards; and the colonelcy of the TWELFTH Dragoons was conferred on Lieut.-Colonel Sir John Whitefoord, Baronet, from the Thirty-fifth Foot.

King George II. issued, on the 1st of July, 1751, a warrant regulating the clothing, standards and colours of the several regiments, from which the following particulars have been extracted respecting the TWELFTH DRAGOONS:--

COATS,--_scarlet_, double-breasted, without lapels, lined with _white_; slit sleeves, turned up with white; the button-holes ornamented with narrow white lace; the buttons flat, of white metal, set on two and two; a long slash pocket in each skirt; and a white worsted aiguillette on the right shoulder.

WAISTCOATS AND BREECHES,--white.

HATS,--bound with silver lace, and ornamented with a white metal loop and a black cockade; the forage cap red, turned up with white, and XII.D. on the little flap.

BOOTS,--of jacked leather.

CLOAKS,--of scarlet cloth, with a white collar, and lined with white shalloon; the buttons set on two and two, on yellow frogs or loops, with a green stripe down the centre.

HORSE FURNITURE,--of white cloth; the holster-caps and housings having a border of yellow lace, with a green stripe down the centre; XII.D. embroidered upon the housings, on a red ground, within a wreath of roses and thistles; the King's cipher, with the crown over it, and XII.D. underneath, embroidered upon the holster-caps.

OFFICERS,--distinguished by silver lace and embroidery, and a crimson silk sash across the left shoulder.

SERJEANTS,--to have narrow silver lace on their cuffs, pockets, and shoulder-straps; silver aiguillettes, with green and yellow worsted sashes tied round their waists.

DRUMMERS AND HAUTBOYS,--white coats, lined with scarlet, and ornamented with yellow lace with a green stripe down the centre; scarlet waistcoats and breeches.

GUIDONS,--the first, or King's guidon, to be of crimson silk, with a silver and green fringe; in the centre the rose and thistle conjoined, and crown over them, with the motto--_Dieu et mon Droit_, underneath; the white horse in a compartment in the first and fourth corners, and XII.D. in silver characters on a white ground, in the second and third corners: the second and third guidons to be of white silk; in the centre, XII.D. in silver characters, on a crimson ground, within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk; the white horse on a red ground, in the first and fourth compartments; and the rose and thistle conjoined, upon a red ground, in the second and third compartments; on the third standard, a figure 3, on a circular red ground underneath the wreath.

Lieut.-General Sir John Whitefoord died in 1763; and was succeeded in the colonelcy by Colonel Edward Harvey, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the Sixth Dragoons. In the following year, this officer was removed to the Third Irish Horse, now Sixth Dragoon Guards, and the colonelcy of the TWELFTH Dragoons was conferred on Major-General Benjamin Carpenter, from lieut.-colonel of the second troop, now second regiment, of Life Guards.

Although the necessity for maintaining an efficient military force in Ireland, had prevented the regiment sharing in the perils and conflicts of the war from 1741 to 1748, and from 1755 to 1762, during which periods several corps had acquired never-fading laurels, yet its excellent conduct during its service in Ireland had been noticed and appreciated; it was held in high estimation, and in 1768, King George III. conferred upon it the distinguished title of "THE PRINCE OF WALES'S REGIMENT," in honor of the heir-apparent to the throne, afterwards King George IV., who was then in the seventh year of his age. At the same time the arms, clothing, and equipment were changed, and it was constituted a corps of "LIGHT Cavalry," and was designated "THE TWELFTH, OR THE PRINCE OF WALES'S REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS." The regiment was also permitted to assume as a regimental badge, a coronet, with three feathers, and the motto "ICH DIEN;" also a rising sun, and a red dragon.

Major-General Carpenter was removed to the Fourth Dragoons in 1770, and was succeeded by Major-General William Augustus Pitt, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the Tenth Dragoons.