The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is the reserve regiment in the British Army's Land Special Operations Force. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the world. Today, it is also a charity whose purpose is to attend to the "better defence of the realm", primarily through supporting the HAC regiment. The word "artillery" in "Honourable Artillery Company" does not have the current meaning that is generally associated with it, but dates from a time when in the English language that word meant any projectile, for example arrows shot from a bow. The equivalent form of words in modern English would be either "Honourable Infantry Company" or "Honourable Military Company".
The Honourable Artillery Company, now the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, was granted a royal charter by Henry VIII.
On August 25, in the year 1537, The Honourable Artillery Company, now the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, was granted a royal charter by Henry VIII. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of August 25, one of 461 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on August 25, 1537 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 4 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 3 August 2026.
On This Date in History 461
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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