"Our will and pleasure is, that this establishment of our Guards, garrisons, and land forces within our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the Islands thereunto belonging, and of all other officers and charges therein expressed, do commence on the 1st day of January, 1683-4, in the Thirty-Fifth year of our Reign."

HIS MAJESTY'S OWN ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.
Staff-Officers.Per Diem.
£.s.d.
Colonel, as Colonel, xiis, and iij horses iijs0150
Lieutenant-Colonel, as Lieut.-Colonel, vijs, and ij horses ijs090
Major, as Major vs, and j horse js060
Chaplaine068
Chirurgeon ivs, and j horse to carry his chest, ijs060
Adjutant ivs, and for his horse js050
Quarter-Master and Marshal in one person ivs, his horse js050
Gunsmith ivs, and his servant is050
——————
2178
——————
The Colonel's Troop.
The Colonel, as Captaine, viiis, and iij horses iijs.0110
Lieutenant ivs, and ij horses ijs060
Cornett iijs, and ij horses ijs050
Quarter-Master, for himself and horse040
Two Serjeants each js vid, and ijs for horses050
Three Corporals each js, and iijs for horses060
Two Drummers each js, and ijs for horses040
Two Hautboys each is, and ijs for horses040
Fifty Soldiers each is vid for man and horse3150
——————
600
——————
Five Troops more at the same rate3000
——————
The Major to have no Troop, but instead thereof the pay of a Captain xis, in lieu of servants iiis0140
——————
Total 39118
——————
Total Per Annum £14,447 18s. 4d.

The four troops at Tangier arrived in England in February, 1684;[16] and, having returned their armour into store, the whole were equipped as dragoons with long muskets and bayonets.[17]

The uniform of the regiment was scarlet lined with blue. The men wore hats bound with silver lace, and ornamented with blue ribands, having a metal headpiece fastened inside the crown; also high boots: their horse furniture was made of scarlet cloth trimmed with blue, with the King's cipher embroidered in yellow characters on the housings and holster-caps. The drummers and hautboys were clothed in splendid liveries, which (according to the War-Office Records) cost upwards of 10l. per suit; and each troop was furnished with a crimson standard or guidon, with the following devices embroidered thereon, namely:—

On the standard of the Colonel's Troop,—the King's cipher and crown.

The Lieutenant-Colonel's Troop,—the rays of the sun, proper, crowned, issuing out of a cloud, proper: a badge used by the Black Prince.

The First Troop,—the top of a beacon crowned, or, with flames of fire, proper: a badge of Henry V.

The Second Troop,—two ostrich feathers crowned, argent: a badge of Henry VI.