Royal Military Police
A British Army corps responsible for policing service personnel and providing military-police support in the United Kingdom and on overseas operations.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the British Army’s specialist military-police corps. Its core responsibility is policing members of the British armed forces, both in the United Kingdom and wherever British personnel are stationed, training or deployed. The corps also exercises relevant authority over Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel in specified circumstances, while the other service police branches have reciprocal authority over Army personnel. RMP personnel are commonly called “Redcaps,” a reference to the scarlet covers worn on their peaked caps and to their red berets. The RMP is not a civilian police force and its personnel do not generally possess general police powers over the public under ordinary UK law. Its principal jurisdiction concerns service personnel and others subject to service discipline. On Ministry of Defence land, military byelaws may give personnel limited powers to regulate access and traffic or require civilians to leave. When British forces operate overseas, the RMP can provide a more comprehensive policing capability, including policing operational bases, investigating serious offences and war crimes, managing detainees, collecting evidence, conducting searches and reconnaissance patrols, and supporting foreign military or police organisations. It also supplies close-protection personnel for senior military and diplomatic figures in operational environments. The institution has roots in the medieval office of the Provost Marshal. A permanent Provost Marshal General was established in the late seventeenth century, while the Cavalry Staff Corps of the Napoleonic period is regarded as an early standing military-police precursor. The first regular formations associated with the modern corps were the Military Mounted Police, created in 1877, and the Military Foot Police, established in 1885. They operated as separate corps but performed closely related duties until their formal merger into the Corps of Military Police in 1926. The organisation expanded substantially during both world wars. During the First World War its strength grew from several hundred personnel to more than 25,000. During the Second World War, it expanded to more than 50,000 personnel and developed specialist branches for criminal investigation, general provost duties, protection of vulnerable points, traffic control and field security. Its wartime Special Investigation Branch developed into a military criminal-investigation capability, while elements of field security were transferred to the Intelligence Corps. In recognition of its wartime service, King George VI granted the corps the Royal prefix in November 1946. The RMP later made a major contribution to security and policing during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. In 1992 it became part of the newly organised Adjutant General’s Corps, where it remains within the Provost Branch alongside other service-policing and military-provost organisations. Although it lost independent corps status, it retained its name, cap badge and distinctive red headgear. Today, RMP units operate in British garrisons and at selected overseas locations, and support Army formations on exercises and deployments. Training begins with common Army recruit training and continues at the Defence School of Policing and Guarding. Specialist capabilities include service policing, serious-crime investigation, close protection, detention and operational military-police support. The corps’ motto is “Exemplo ducemus,” meaning “By example shall we lead.”
History
The Royal Military Police developed from the long-standing British military office of the Provost Marshal, whose responsibilities included maintaining order and administering military justice. The office can be traced to the medieval period, and the position of Provost Marshal General became permanent in 1685. The Cavalry Staff Corps, active during parts of the nineteenth century, is generally treated as an early standing military-police predecessor. The modern institutional lineage began with the creation of the Military Mounted Police in 1877 and the Military Foot Police in 1885. The two formations retained separate identities but performed complementary duties, including policing, traffic regulation and maintaining discipline among soldiers. Their importance increased during the First World War, when the military-police establishment expanded from 508 personnel to more than 25,000 by the end of the conflict. During the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915, military police were used in support of the Army as a whole rather than being limited to individual units. On 27 February 1926, the mounted and foot formations were formally merged to create the Corps of Military Police. The Second World War produced another major expansion. From a strength of approximately 4,121 personnel, the corps grew to more than 50,000 and organised specialist functions. The Special Investigation Branch began in 1940 with detectives transferred from the Metropolitan Police and developed into a military criminal-investigation service. Provost units provided general policing at formations and commands; Ports Provost units combined policing with protection of vulnerable port facilities. A Vulnerable Points Wing guarded static sites, prisoner-of-war camps and other installations, while Traffic Control units relieved ordinary provost companies of road-management duties. A Field Security Wing operated before its absorption into the Intelligence Corps in 1940. On 28 November 1946, the corps received the Royal prefix in recognition of its service during the two world wars. After the war, a mounted RMP troop was recreated in 1950 at Aldershot. It preserved mounted traditions and undertook patrols where vehicles were unsuitable, but it was progressively reduced and disbanded in 1995. From 1969, the RMP played an important role in British military activity during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A major constitutional change occurred on 6 April 1992, when the RMP amalgamated into the Adjutant General’s Corps. It became part of the AGC’s Provost Branch alongside the Military Provost Staff Corps and, later, the Military Provost Guard Service. The RMP retained its title, insignia and red headgear despite no longer being an independent Army corps. Its regimental headquarters and training centre moved to MOD Southwick Park near Portsmouth during the 2000s, where the site also hosts the Defence School of Policing and Guarding and the Service Police Crime Bureau. The contemporary RMP combines domestic service policing with expeditionary support. In the United Kingdom and overseas garrisons it works within the service community, assists civilian police forces around garrison towns and supports crime-prevention and family-estate liaison activity. On operations it can investigate serious offences and war crimes, gather evidence, conduct searches and patrols, manage detainees, police bases and train partner military or civilian police organisations. Its personnel receive common Army training followed by specialist instruction in service-police law, investigative procedure, evidence handling, personal safety and international obligations. The corps remains an active component of the British Army’s Provost Branch.
- 2024
Red stable belt reintroduced
[1]The RMP reintroduced its solid red regimental stable belt after a period using the Adjutant General’s Corps belt.
- 2007
Regimental headquarters moves to Southwick Park
[1]The RMP headquarters relocated to Southwick House at MOD Southwick Park near Portsmouth.
- 2005
Training centre moves to Southwick Park
RMP training moved from its former Chichester location to MOD Southwick Park.
- 1995
Mounted troop disbanded
[1]The post-war mounted RMP detachment was finally disbanded after years of declining size and changing operational requirements.
- 1992
RMP joins the Adjutant General’s Corps
[1]The RMP became part of the AGC’s Provost Branch while retaining its name and distinctive identity.
- 1969
Operational role in Northern Ireland expands
[1]The RMP began making a significant contribution to British military operations during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
- 1946
Royal prefix granted
[1]On 28 November, the Corps of Military Police became the Corps of Royal Military Police in recognition of wartime service.
- 1940
Special Investigation Branch established
[1]A dedicated criminal-investigation branch began with Metropolitan Police detectives attached to the Army.
- 1926
Corps of Military Police created
[1]The mounted and foot military-police corps were amalgamated into the Corps of Military Police.
- 1885
Military Foot Police formed
[1]The Military Foot Police was established to provide a complementary regular policing capability.
Products and positioning
A specialist British Army service-policing organisation combining law enforcement, criminal investigation, operational support, protection and detention functions for the armed forces.
Service policing
Garrison policing
Routine policing and crime-prevention support for British Army personnel in the United Kingdom and overseas garrisons. Activities can include responding to offences involving service personnel, community liaison, support to service families and assistance to civilian police around military communities.
Military operations
Operational military-police support
Deployed RMP personnel provide policing within operational bases and formations, conduct patrols and searches, handle detainees, support evidence collection and help maintain discipline and order during exercises and military operations.
Criminal investigation · 1940
Specialist investigation
The RMP’s investigative capability covers serious service-related offences, criminal evidence handling and investigations that may include organised crime, murder and alleged war crimes. Service-police investigation is supported by specialist crime-bureau arrangements.
Protective security
Close protection
RMP close-protection personnel provide protective support to senior military and diplomatic figures, particularly in operational or higher-risk overseas environments.
Training
Defence police training
RMP recruits and officers receive specialist education through the Defence School of Policing and Guarding, covering service-police codes, military legislation, investigative practice, personal safety and relevant international rules.
Brand decisions
2024
Reintroduction of the red regimental stable beltOtherBackground
Following its integration into the AGC, the RMP had used the wider corps stable belt rather than its former solid red version.
Action taken
The RMP reintroduced its solid red regimental stable belt.
Aftermath
The change reinforced the corps’ continuing separate visual identity within the Adjutant General’s Corps.
2005
Relocation of specialist trainingStrategyBackground
The Army sought to consolidate defence policing and guarding education with related service-police capabilities.
Action taken
The RMP training centre moved to MOD Southwick Park, near Portsmouth, on 27 September 2005.
Aftermath
Southwick Park became a shared centre for defence policing and guarding training and related headquarters functions.
1992
Integration into the Adjutant General’s CorpsStrategyBackground
The British Army reorganised several personnel, administrative and provost functions under the newly formed Adjutant General’s Corps.
Action taken
The RMP was amalgamated into the AGC’s Provost Branch on 6 April 1992.
Aftermath
The RMP ceased to be an independent corps but retained its title, cap badge and red ceremonial identity.
1926
Merger of the mounted and foot military-police corpsM&ABackground
The Military Mounted Police and Military Foot Police had operated as separate but closely related formations.
Action taken
They were amalgamated on 27 February 1926 to form the Corps of Military Police.
Aftermath
The merger created the direct institutional predecessor of the modern Royal Military Police.
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