Royal guards have historically comprised both purely ceremonial units serving in close proximity to the monarch, as well as regiments from all arms, forming a designated substantial elite and intended for active service as part of the army. An example of the first category would include the
Tropas de la Casa Real of the Spanish monarchy prior to 1930, comprising
halberderos and a mounted escort. Examples of the second would include the Imperial Guards of the Russian and German Empires prior to 1917–18. Monarchs frequently modelled their royal guards upon those of fellow rulers. Thus,
Napoleon I's
Garde Imperiale was imitated by his opponent
Alexander I of Russia, his Bourbon successor
Louis XVIII, and his nephew
Napoleon III. The modern
Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers regiment of the Netherlands and the
Escorte Royale of Belgium retain features of uniform and other distinctions that can be traced back to Napoleonic influences. ==Political importance==