Braganza - Quick March of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence.

Braganza, the Regimental Quick March of The Queen's Royal Regiment. Soon after the formation of the Regiment in 1661, it was dispatched by Charles II to garrison Tangier, which formed part of the dowry of his Queen Consort, Catherine of Braganza a Princess of Portugal. From 1837 to 1881 the Regiment marched past to a tune known as The Old Queen's in which the melody of the National Anthem is embodied. In 1881 at a Review held near Aldershot before Queen Victoria and the Duke of Cambridge, The Old Queen's was played as the 1st Battalion marched past. Her Majesty enquired whether special permission had been given for the use of the National Anthem, saying that unless it had, the practice must cease.

No authority could be found by the Colonel of the Regiment, Lt General Sir Hector Smyth KCB and on orders from HM Queen Victoria forbade the march to be played in public. In 1883 Lieutenant Colonel Kelly-Kenny then commanding the 1st Battalion, communicated through the Portuguese Embassy with the Royal Family in Portugal. He mentioned the long association between the House of Braganza and the Regiment, explained the problem that had arisen and asked if a Portuguese air could be used as a March Past. In reply, several airs were suggested, and these were set to music in 1883 and 1884 by the Bandmasters of the 1st and 2nd Battalions. Official approval of the Regimental March Past 'Braganza' was finally given by the War Office in 1903.

Performed by The Band of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

The painting is 'The Storming of Ghuznee and Kelat' by W Taylor after Lieutenant Thomas Wingate, 2nd Queen's Royal Regiment, 1839 (c).

[bilgewater]

I appreciate the added painting, brings me joy to see that one guy in the bottom left who fell over but nobody else marching is acknowledging him.

[DomCarlosI]

Very similar to the “Hymno da Carta”, the Portuguese national anthem by the time of the Constitutional Monarchy