Material: Gilt brass
Size: 45 mm W × 45 mm H
Description: Eight-pointed star of the Order of St. Patrick, bearing a central shamrock enclosing the cross of St. Patrick and the motto “QUIS SEPARABIT” (Who shall separate us?) with the date MDCCLXXXIII (1794) below
Reverse: Two copper lugs for attachment
Circa: First authorized following the formation of the regiment by Army Order No. 77 in April 1900, this fundamental brass design remained actively manufactured and issued through World War I and World War II
Notes:
The Irish Guards were formed in 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate Irish soldiers’ service during the Boer War. This badge remains one of the most iconic of the Guards Divisions.
1794 displayed on the badge in roman numerals is the year the Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick was founded.
The regiment's continued existence was threatened briefly when Winston Churchill, who served as Secretary of State for War between 1919 and 1921, sought the elimination of the Irish Guards and Welsh Guards as an economy measure. This proposal, however, did not find favor in government or army circles and was dropped. Between the wars, the regiment was deployed at various times to Turkey, Gibraltar, Egypt and Palestine.