1st Battalion Welsh Guards — Portrait Sittings

Drummer 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (Rory Lewis Portrait Non Profit 2019)

Formed in 1915 by order of King George V, the Welsh Guards stand as Wales’s senior infantry regiment, renowned both for battlefield distinction and their ceremonial presence as protectors of the Royal Household. Over more than a century, their service has extended across nearly every major British military campaign since the Great War, shaping a reputation grounded in discipline, sacrifice, and exceptional professionalism.

Recognisable worldwide for their scarlet tunics and bearskins, the Welsh Guards are perhaps best known by the public as guardians of Buckingham Palace and historic royal sites. Yet behind the ceremonial precision is a modern fighting regiment whose first duty remains to serve on operations. Each Guardsman carries the dual responsibility of combat service and ceremonial excellence, preserving the high standards of the Household Division.

Lieutenant Colonel 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (Rory Lewis Portrait Non Profit 2019)

RSM 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (Rory Lewis Portrait Non Profit 2019)

Drummer 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (Rory Lewis Portrait Non Profit 2019)

In 2019, the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards commissioned a series of portraits of their Commanding Officer and Senior Warrant Officers, photographed in Windsor. These sittings form a vital addition to the Rory Lewis Non-Profit Military Portrait Archive, an ongoing effort to document the leadership and heritage of British and Allied service members. The project seeks to protect these likenesses for national history, museum collections, and future generations.

Through chiaroscuro-inspired lighting and classical composition, the portraits aim to evoke dignity, fidelity, and identity — capturing each sitter not merely in uniform, but as a custodian of tradition, responsibility, and service.