Hennes Majestet Dronningens Garde
Hennes Majestet Dronningens Garde (Her Majesty the Queen's Guard) is a royal guard regiment of the Nordenland Army. The regiment has two primary roles: serving as the Queen’s bodyguards, tasked with protecting the royal residences, including the Royal Palace in Kalda, the royal estate at Bygdøy Konungsgård, and the Queen’s private residence at Skaugum, all located in Kalda, and acting as the main infantry unit responsible for the defense of Kalda. Hennes Majestet Dronningens Garde is stationed at Huseby Leir, located in Kalda, on the historic Nordre Huseby Gård (Northern Huseby farm), which was acquired by the Nordenland government in the late 19th century.
| Her Majesty the Queen's Guard | |
|---|---|
| Hennes Majestet Dronningens Garde | |
 | |
| Active | 1835- |
| Country |  Nordenland |
| Allegiance |  Monarch of Nordenland |
| Branch |  Royal Nordenic Army |
| Type | Royal Guard |
| Size | 1,600 |
| Anniversaries | 10 April, 1 November |
| Engagements |
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| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Guard | Colonel Eirik Jonsson Nygaard |
| Ceremonial Chief | Queen Helena III |
| Colonel-in-Chief | Major General Sir Nils Olav III |
After the terrorist attack in November 2015, the unit also functions as a defence force in the capital and assisted the police raids for capturing the suspected members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the suburb of Kalda.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Guard’s Rapid Response Force
The Guard’s rapid response force is the standing emergency unit of Her Majesty the Queen’s Guard, based at Huseby Leir in Kalda. The force consists of over 150 guardsmen and is ready to reinforce security around the Guard’s protected sites or assist the police around the clock. The rapid response force uses armored MB field vehicles and Jotun trucks. Guardsmen wear bulletproof vests during critical missions. The response force can be equipped with various weapons depending on the type of mission. Personnel from the Guard have also been deployed for other tasks, including in international operations, but have not always had sufficient training for such missions.
The Capital Defense Mission
As part of the capital’s defense, the Guard must be prepared to support the police in crisis situations such as natural disasters, major accidents, and terrorist attacks. The Guard’s role in the capital’s defense is primarily to serve as a military rapid response force in Kalda, working closely with the Home Guard. For the Guard, the most relevant task is to support the police with armed security at key sites in Kalda in the event of a crisis.
In Wartime
In a wartime situation, the Guard’s primary mission would be to protect the Queen and the royal family. Thus, the Guard serves as the Army’s infantry unit in Kalda and must be capable of conducting military operations independently.
Trivia
- A guard from the rifle companies has an average of 35–40 duty days.
- Guards on duty are not allowed to initiate conversations with the public but may answer non-critical questions.
- The maximum hair length for a guard is 6mm for areas not covered by the ceremonial hat, and "well-groomed" on top, but never over 2cm. This is especially strict in Company 3, where hair not covered by the ceremonial hat must be 0.5–1mm, and the maximum length is 9mm. Members of the band are allowed to have bangs, but they must not extend beyond the highest point of the head.
- Female guards can choose to cut their hair like male guards or wear it tied up in a band under or behind the ceremonial hat.
- At the Royal Palace, the signal Tappenstrek is played every evening at 21:45. This is an old tradition originating from the practice of signaling that beer taps were closing and soldiers needed to return home.
- The recruit training period at Terningmoen ends with the "cap run." Recruits are tested on everything they have learned during the period, and at the end of the run, they are awarded the Guard Cap.
- Gardisten is HMDG's own camp newspaper, published quarterly.
- The Guard’s mascot is the penguin Sir Nils Olav, who resides at Edinburgh Zoo. He holds the rank of brigadier.