The distinctive black lance cap of the 9th Lancers was introduced in the 1830s when they were titled 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers in honour of Queen Adelaide. The Royal Arms on this gilt plate combines the Hanoverian Garter and shield, or escutcheon, with ‘the 17 quarterings of Mecklenberg-Strelitz, surrounded by a Chaplet of Rue-Leaves, a special mark of the House of Saxony’. This description is taken from Records and Badges of the British Army by Chichester and Burges-Short (although I have altered the number which they say is 15 quarterings). However, other sources say that Adelaide was a Princess from Saxe-Meiningen.
The crown above the arms is not the usual Victorian shape and may well be Hanoverian, indicating that this example is pre-1837. The AR cypher of Queen Adelaide is in silver but everything else is gilt. There are no battle honours; they could have included Peninsula, but that was their only honour until January 1844 when Punniar was awarded for the battle on 29 Dec 1843.
