The folly of reduction was now shown. War opened with France again in 1803, and the Regiment's strength was brought up to 10 troops. Its efficiency was also promoted by adding 3 captains, and thus releasing the field officers from the charge of troops. The establishment now became 51 officers, 10 quarter-masters, 54 sergeants, 10 trumpeters, and 1,000 rank and file.
In June, 1803, the Regiment marched to Canterbury, staying there nearly two years, the period when Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, was hourly expected to attempt an attack on our coast.
In May of 1805 the Greys marched to Ipswich and Colchester.
On Thursday, January 9th, 1806, Lord Nelson was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, and two squadrons of the Greys took part in the procession on this occasion.
Soon afterwards the Regiment marched into Yorkshire and Northumberland; and the talk of invasion having passed off, the Regiment was once more reduced, and the establishment became 40 officers, 10 quarter-masters, and 854 non-commissioned officers and men.
In January, 1807, the Regiment marched to Scotland. In June, 1808, the Regiment sailed to Ireland. In June, 1809, an alteration was made by substituting a regimental quarter-master and 10 troop sergeant-majors, in the place of the 10 troop quarter-masters.
In 1810 the Regiment sailed from Dublin for England, and now occupied quarters in Yorkshire and Lancashire. In the spring of 1813 the quarters of the Regiment were extended to Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Two troops were left at Birmingham, and in December 8 troops marched to Canterbury, remaining there and at Dover, Deal, and Hythe.
The following account relates to the review in Hyde Park before the Prince Regent, the King of Prussia, and the Czar of Russia, on June 21st, 1814, and is from The Times of Wednesday, the 23rd:—
"It is little less than impossible to keep pace in the public journals with all the movements of the illustrious personages now in the British metropolis, or to describe the affectionate zeal with which they are received.... Our army has now, with great reason, become as much our boast as our navy, and therefore the display of its merits—of the persons, the horses, the accoutrements, of its component parts—ought to excite as great an interest as the exhibition of our ships of war and their equipages. Their Majesties, we have reason to believe, were as highly gratified by the review as British hearts could wish. A detachment of the Greys attended the great potentates, accompanied by the Hetman Platoff and a small detachment of Cossacks.
"They were received with the loudest shouts by the populace. The Prince Regent, who was accompanied on one side by the King of Prussia, and on the other by the Emperor of Russia, was greeted with high applause. He was followed by Blucher and a most magnificent staff, superbly attired."