Even at this early point in the evolution of military uniforms a purely military form of headdress, the grenadier cap, came into being. During the late seven- teenth century, the grenade was a significant factor in in- fantry tactics. It was an iron sphere filled with gunpowder that was ignited by a fuse. Specialist troops were trained to light these fuses from a hand-held match and then throw the grenades into the ranks of the enemy. Since two hands were required for this, grenadiers had to sling their muskets on their backs, an operation difficult to ac- complish when wearing the broad-brimmed hats of the era. Thus grenadiers were given a sort of stocking cap. Some military tailor concluded that these grenadiers, al- ready selected for their size and strength, would look even more impressive if the cap were stiffened to increase the apparent height of its wearer (Laver’s seduction princi- ple). The grenadier cap became a symbol of an elite sol- dier (Laver’s hierarchical principle). Since elite troops were useful for assaulting or defending key positions on a battlefield, European armies continued to designate units as “grenadiers,” and these wore grenadier caps long after grenades had become obsolete (hand grenades were reintroduced in warfare in the trenches of World War I). The grenadier cap was sometimes given a metal front (such as that worn by the Russian Life Guard Pavlovski Regiment in full dress until 1914) or made of fur. The fur headdress worn by the Brigade of Guards at Buck- ingham Palace in London is in fact a grenadier cap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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