1702
The regiment remained in England until the summer of 1702, when, war having been declared against France and Spain, an expedition, commanded by the Duke of Ormond, was sent against Cadiz, and a detachment of the Queen's dragoons, consisting of three field-officers, three captains, four lieutenants, five cornets, three staff-officers, five quarter-masters, five serjeants, fourteen corporals, eight drummers, and one hundred and eighty-six private men[15], was embarked for this service. A landing was effected on the coast of Spain, near Cadiz, on the 15th of August; on the following day Rota, a town on the north side of the bay seven miles from Cadiz, was taken, and on the 21st, Port St. Mary's, situate at the mouth of the river Guadalete, was captured. The Queen's dragoons, being the only cavalry with the expedition, were almost constantly employed on piquet and outpost duty. On the 25th of August the army encamped at Santa Victoria, and in the early part of September the attack of the Matagorda was commenced. 'On the 5th of September a squadron of Spanish horse made bold to attack a small party of the Queen's dragoons, who behaved themselves so gallantly, that they put the enemy to flight, having wounded and taken an officer and two men with their horses, and on our side we had a cornet and a private man killed, and a lieutenant taken, whom the Spaniards, against all the laws of nations and arms, most barbarously cut in pieces[16].'
Cadiz was found better prepared for a siege than had been expected, and the troops were re-embarked. A successful attack was afterwards made on the fort of Vigo in Galicia, and a rich fleet was captured in the harbour, for which the Queen's dragoons received 187l. 3s. 4d. prize money[17].
1703
On the 31st of December, 1703, Brigadier-General (afterwards Lord) Carpenter, was appointed to the colonelcy of the Queen's Dragoons, by purchase[18], in succession to Major-General Lloyd.
1706
The regiment remained on home service until 1706, when another detachment of about two hundred and forty officers and men embarked on board the fleet of Sir Cloudesley Shovel; forming part of a force of 10,000 men commanded by the Earl Rivers, and designed to invade the coast of France, on a plan suggested by the Marquis De Guiscard. The descent was, however, rendered impracticable by contrary winds, and the troops were ordered to Lisbon. In the meantime the English forces in Spain had retired from Madrid to Valencia and Catalonia, and the troops under the Earl Rivers were directed to proceed thither.
1707
The Queen's dragoons, and other forces, were accordingly re-embarked; they left Portugal in the early part of January, 1707, and, having landed at Alicant in Valencia on the 11th of February, commenced their march to join the forces under the Earl of Galway,—the united camp being formed at Caudete, on the 30th of March. The army soon afterwards destroyed several of the enemy's magazines, and besieged Villena in Murcia. Meanwhile the French and Spanish forces, commanded by the Duke of Berwick, advanced to the plains of Almanza, where the allies resolved to attack them on the 25th of April.