The oldest of the household or bodyguard corps in the United Kingdom is the King's Bodyguard of the _Yeomen of the Guard_ (q.v.), formed at his accession by Henry VII. The "nearest guard," the personal escort of the sovereign, is the "King's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of _Gentlemen-at-Arms_," created by Henry VIII. at his accession in 1509. Formed possibly on the pattern of the "Pensionnaires" of the French kings--retainers of noble birth who were the predecessors of the _Maison du Roi_ (see below)--the new corps was originally called "the Pensioners." The importance of such guards regiments in the general development of organized armies is illustrated by a declaration of the House of Commons, made in 1674, that the militia, the pensioners and the Yeomen of the Guard were the only lawful armed forces in the realm. But with the rise of the professional soldier and the corresponding disuse of arms by the nobles and gentry, the Gentlemen-at-Arms (a title which came into use in James II.'s time, though it did not become that of the corps until William IV.'s) retaining their noble character, became less and less military. Burke attempted without success in 1782 to restrict membership to officers of the army and navy, but the necessity of giving the corps an effective military character became obvious when, on the occasion of a threatened Chartist riot, it was called upon to do duty as an armed body at St James's Palace. The corps was reconstituted on a purely military basis in 1862, and from that date only military officers of the regular services who have received a war decoration are eligible for appointment. The office of captain, however, is political, the holder (who is always a peer) vacating it on the resignation of the government of which he is a member. The corps consists at present of captain, lieutenant, standard bearer, clerk of the cheque (adjutant), sub-officer and 39 gentlemen-at-arms. The uniform consists of a scarlet swallow-tailed coat and blue overalls, with gold epaulettes, brass dragoon helmet with drooping white plume and brass box-spurs, these last contrasting rather forcibly with the partizan, an essentially infantry weapon, that they carry.