The new jacket introduced for heavy cavalry c1820 was a return to the coatee with tails and gold lace buttonholes etc but the effect was a coat covered with gold. It fastened down the front with eight buttons, and on the sleeves and cuffs were four chevron loops with buttons in the middle. The high Prussian collar of blue velvet had a single loop and it was laced all around. As if there wasn’t enough gold, aiguillettes were attached to the right shoulder. These were plaited gold cords worn with gold shoulder cords, but the artist seems to have been unclear about that. The pouch-belt in this print is gold laced with blue edges, replacing the plain white leather belt in the first state of the print.
The helmet has been left unchanged but it was very soon exchanged for a tall crested heavy dragoon metal helmet. It would seem from the evidence of Parker’s painting of the KDG on the move at Newcastle-on-Tyne c1824, that the 1812 helmet was adapted by removing the horse-hair mane and adding a fur crest. But the 1822 dress regulations mention a black glazed helmet which means the metal helmet that was worn until 1834.
