Though Grenadier mitre caps were abolished in 1805, the shakos that replaced them didn't reach the troops until some time later, resulting in the Pavlovsky Grenadier regiment still wearing their mitre style caps during the 1807 campaign against the Napoleonic Army. For the regiment's gallantry at the battle of Friedland, Czar Alexander I ordered the regiment to retain their caps "in the state in which they left the battlefield as a visible mark of its bravery and Our grace." In 1813, in commemoration of their service during the 1812 war with Napoleon, the regiment was incorporated into the Imperial Life-Guards. Not only did the style of caps survive without any changes until 1917 (beside of the late 19th century addition of the Guard’s star and Turkish war award scroll to the front plate of the cap), but the frontal parts from retired caps were carefully preserved and mounted on the new caps. Mitres with bullet holes from the time of Napoleonic wars were preserved with the name of the original wearer permanently stamped on the front. Over 600 of the caps originally worn at Friedland were still in use at the time of the Great War.

Condition: Minor wear and surface dirt on wool material, minor enamel chip on star’s enamel, but overall superbly preserved condition with all original parts.