During the summer of this year both battalions were encamped on Beachy Head, where they were reviewed in brigade, with the twenty-third regiment, commanded by Major-General the Honourable Edward Paget, by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Duke of York.
Bonaparte, after having been crowned King of Italy, and having added Genoa to his empire, proceeded to Boulogne and reviewed his army; and immediately afterwards marched against the forces of Russia and Austria, to crush at once the coalition forming against his interests, in which the British cabinet was taking a decided part. At the same time the French troops were withdrawn from Hanover, which country they had seized on soon after the resuming of hostilities in 1803. On the 21st of October the glorious victory at Trafalgar was won by the fleet, which gave Great Britain the uncontrolled sovereignty of the sea: and on the 27th of that month the first battalion of the King's Own embarked at Ramsgate for Hanover. Having landed at Cuxhaven on the 19th of November, it marched up the country and was cantoned at Blumenthal, where it was formed in brigade with the twenty-third and twenty-eighth regiments under Major-General Honourable E. Paget; the British troops in Hanover designed to co-operate with the continental powers being under the orders of Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart. Meanwhile the Austrians had been overpowered by Bonaparte, who had taken possession of Vienna; and the united Austrian and Russian armies were defeated in the beginning of December at Austerlitz, which established the preponderance of French power. In a subsequent treaty concluded at Vienna, it was stipulated, that Hanover should be occupied by the Prussians, and the British troops under Lord Cathcart retreated to Bremen and embarked for England.
1806
The first battalion of the King's Own landed at Yarmouth in February, 1806, and marched to Woodbridge barracks; from whence it proceeded in May to Colchester: the second battalion was quartered at Chelmsford.
1807
The influence of French councils at the court of Denmark, with the expectation that its navy would be employed by Bonaparte against Great Britain, occasioned the British court to resolve to obtain possession of the Danish fleet either by treaty or force, and to retain it until the conclusion of the war. An armament was fitted out for this service, and the first battalion of the King's Own embarked at Harwich on the 25th of July, to form part of the land force under the orders of Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart. The Danish government not acceding to the proposed conditions, the army landed on the island of Zealand, and took up a position before Copenhagen, the King's Own being formed in brigade with the twenty-third regiment, under the orders of Major-General Grosvenor. After a bombardment of three days the city surrendered, and the fleet was given up. The King's Own, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Wynch, occupied the citadel, where Lord Cathcart fixed his head-quarters. On the evacuation of Copenhagen, the King's Own re-embarked, and after landing at Deal on the 6th and 7th of November, marched to Colchester. The second battalion had, in the mean time, proceeded to Jersey.[32]
1808
Although the forces of Russia and Prussia had been defeated, and a most humiliating peace concluded at Tilsit, yet Sweden still resisted the power of Bonaparte; and the first battalion of the Fourth, or King's Own, after receiving the thanks of parliament for its conduct at Copenhagen, was selected to form part of a body of troops placed under the command of Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, to support the Swedish monarch. The King's Own, having embarked at Harwich on the 28th of April, 1808, arrived at Gottenburg; but, to the surprise of the troops, they were interdicted landing by the decree of the King of Sweden, who, though desirous of obtaining British aid (like his predecessor, the Great Gustavus Adolphus, who in 1632 had eighteen British regiments in his army), yet he proved so imbecile of mind, and purposed to employ his British auxiliaries in so absurd a manner, that the expedition returned to England.
Meanwhile important events had transpired in the Peninsula. Bonaparte, after reducing to submission to his inexorable will all Germany, and forcing Russia to accede to his decrees, was prompted by his restless ambition to attempt the subjugation of Spain and Portugal. Having resolved to commence with the latter, he compelled Spain to join in the enterprise; and when Portugal was subdued, he seized on the Spanish monarchy. The inhabitants revolted against his authority. A British force, commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, proceeded to their aid: and on the return of the King's Own from Gottenburg, they were immediately ordered to proceed to the Peninsula. Having landed in Maceira Bay, in Portugal, on the 25th of August, they advanced on Lisbon, and after the French army capitulated and vacated Portugal, they encamped within two leagues of Lisbon.