The Old Guard were the veteran elements of the Emperor Napoleon's Imperial Guard. As such it was the most prestigious formation in Napoleon's Grande Armée. French soldiers often referred to Napoleon's Old Guard as "the Immortals".
Wearing their distinctive bearskin caps, Napoleon's Old Guard was the most celebrated and most feared elite military formation of its day.
Horse Grenadiers of the Old Guard during the Battle of Eylau by Édouard Detaille
Napoleon saying goodbye to the Old Guard at the Palace of Fontainebleau, after his first abdication (1814)
Grenadier of the old guard or Grognard (1813)
Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)
The Imperial Guard was originally a group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. It acted as his bodyguard and tactical reserve, and he was careful of its use in battle. The Guard was divided into the staff, infantry, cavalry, and artillery regiments, as well as battalions of sappers and marines. The guard itself as a whole distinguished between the experienced veterans and less experienced members by being separated into three sections: the Old Guard, Middle Guard and Young Guard. The Young Guard was virtually annihilated in the Battle of Krasnoi during the French invasion of Russia.
Grenadier of the Old Guard in 1813
Memorial to the gunners of the Imperial Guard Artillery
Officer belt buckle
Grenadier of the 3e Régiment de Grenadiers-à-Pied de la Garde Imperiale