Imperial Guard

An imperial guard describes any group of military bodyguard or retainers responsible for the protection of an imperial person, be they an Emperor, Empress or Imperial Prince or Princess. They often comprise the more elite of the regular armed forces and maintain special rights or privileges.

Because the head of state often wishes to be protected by the best soldiers available, their numbers and organisation may be expanded to carry out additional tasks. Napoleon's Imperial Guard is an example of this.

In modern times, used colloquially and derisively to describe the staff of a person, usually a politician or corporate executive officer, that acts to prevent direct communication with the person (also called a palace guard in this context).

List of Imperial Guards

see also List of protective service agencies

• Persian Immortals
• Iranian Imperial Guard
• Praetorian Guard of the Roman Empire (from around 275 BC until 284 A.D.)
• Jovians and Herculians Guards, Roman Empire (from 284 until 988)
• Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Empire
• Janissary of the Ottoman Empire
• Imperial Guards Brigade of Manchu Banner soldiers, entrusted with guarding the person of the Emperor of China and the Forbidden City during the Qing dynasty
• Imperial Guard of Napoleon I and the First French Empire
• Imperial Guard of the Second French Empire
• Leib Guard of the Russian Emperor
• Garde du Corps of the German Empire
• SS of the (German) Third Reich
• Imperial Guard of Japan
• Imperial Bodyguard (Ethiopia)
• Emperor's Bowmen of the Guard (Korea)

Fiction

• Imperial Guard (Warhammer 40,000), a faction from the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop miniature wargame.
• Imperial Guard (comics), a group of alien warriors in the Marvel Comics universe.
• Emperor's Royal Guard, Emperor Palpatine's personal protectors in the Star Wars universe.

See also

• Swiss Guard
• Republican Guard
• Presidental Guard

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