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THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY. 
Constitution Before commencing the period following the reorganisation of the 
Honourable Regiment in 1889, when the Company took a new lease of life, and 
Company began to re-assert its position as the premier Volunteer Corps of 
England, it would be well to give a short explanation of the ancient 
constitution of the Company. Previous to the year 1889 the supreme 
head of the Corps was the Crown, to whom the members looked for 
their privileges and chief command. The Sovereign has almost invari¬ 
ably occupied the position of Captain-General, the first to hold the 
Command being H.R.H. James Duke of York, afterwards James II.; 
the present occupant of the rank being H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, 
who succeeded his father in 1862. The Prince was proposed and 
seconded for election in the ordinary way, viz.: 
“ To the Court of Assistants of the Hon. 
Artillery Company. 
Gentlemen—We beg to recommend H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince 
of Wales, K.G., K.S.I., D.C.L., &c., &c., of twenty-one years of age, 
and of the height of 5 feet 6 inches, to bo admitted a member of the 
Hon. Artillery Company.” 
(Signed by the Lieut.-Col., two Majors and 18 Members.) 
His Royal Highness resigned in 1889, and was re-appointed on 14th 
June, 1893. 
Command. Next to the Captain-General, the command is vested in the Lieut.- 
Colonel Commanding all arms, who is appointed by the Sovereign. 
The Company is now divided into three branches: Horse Artillery, 
Field Battery, and a Battalion of six Companies of Infantry. The staff 
includes a supernumerary Lieut.-Colonel, a Major for the Artillery, and 
an Adjutant appointed from the Regular Forces; and the authorised 
establishment of the whole Company is at present 899 members, exclu¬ 
sive of the Veteran Company. 
strength The Corps lias varied very considerably in strength, recruiting having 
been spasmodic to a degree. In 1803 when Britain declared war 
against France, and Bonaparte assembled 100,000 men at Boulogne to 
invade England, recruits presented themselves in large numbers, no 
less than 639 men being enrolled in July and August of that year; thus 
shewing what effect a threat of iuvasion has upon the citizens of Lon¬ 
don. The present strength of the regiment is 465 (excluding the 
Veterans who number about 150) showing an increase of 60 upon the 
numbers on 1st November, 1892. 
Reserve and A unique feature of the Company's “ establishment ” is the inclusion 
Compares. a Reserve Company and a Veteran Company. The former is com¬ 
posed of members who have been returned as efficient for two consecutive 
years. “ They will be considered as reserve men who are willing* to 
join the active companies should their services be required.” The 
value of such a company must be apparent to all, as it is a means of 
retaining the services of men who, by reason of business or other cause, 
are compelled to quit the metropolis for any lengthened period. 
Those who are acquainted with the Volunteer movement know what a 
great drain upon the efficients in many Volunteer Corps is due to this 
transfer of young business men to a distant office or similar cause, The 
