During the fifteen years of its existence, the lancers provided an escort for Napoleon III during the Orsini assassination attempt in Paris; in the field, they also followed the Emperor, but rarely took part in combat.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the corps under Colonel Latheulade took part in the battle of Mars-la-Tour, shortly before the final French defeat that led to its demise.

The rest of the uniform features a white suit with a blue bib and scarlet passementarie, which led military painter Lucien Rousselot to describe it as "one of the most brilliant of the Second Empire".

In 1854, two years after the Second Empire came to power, Napoleon III re-established the Garde Impériale, an elite military corps attached to his person.

The dissolution of the 2nd cuirassiers de la Garde regiment in 1865 increased the number of squadrons to eight,[2] which was reduced to five on November 15 of the same year for reasons of economy.

At this point, they moved to Paris to provide security for foreign monarchs visiting the Exposition Universelle (1867), before returning to Melun at the end of 1869.

[4] The corps was dissolved on October 28, 1870, with the rest of the Imperial Guard and its elements incorporated into the marching regiments of the French cavalry.

One of his accomplices threw a bomb under the horses of the escort, which that day consisted of a squadron of Imperial Guard lancers commanded by Lieutenant Noguet.

[6] A maréchal des logis positioned at the left door of the imperial carriage received three wounds; "not one of the men of the escort whose effects bear no trace of the explosion".

[citation needed] Fleury and Sonolet, in Historia n° 134, report the following anecdote:"A moment later, one of the doctors on duty came to warn the Emperor that a lancer from the escort, mortally wounded and deposited in a nearby pharmacy, had just entered agony.

Without a word, Napoleon III took the small diamond cross he wore on the lapel of his black suit and attached it to the dying man's uniform".

[citation needed]The Italian campaign began in April 1859, when France joined forces with the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire.

The first part of the campaign was a series of marches and counter-marches for the Guard cavalry, with Metz, Boucheporn, Longeville-lès-Saint-Avold, Maizery and Borny being the successive stages.

[4] French defeats at Forbach-Spicheren and Frœschwiller led to the formation of a Guards cavalry marching regiment, to which the 4th squadron of lancers was assigned.

On the 16th, after escorting the Emperor beyond Conflans, the regiment took up position in a wooded area near the village of Rezonville, amid the tumult of the battle that had just begun.

[4] The afternoon passed without any major events, but a reconnaissance by General du Barail 's chasseurs d'Afrique confirmed the presence of large masses of Prussian cavalry.

[4] The "extremely violent"[9] clash disables the German front rank, before the melee becomes confused: "saber and lance blows, gunfire, horses and riders falling on top of each other, cries of rage and despair...".

[9] After an intense fight, the confrontation finally turned to the disadvantage of the lancers, who were forced to withdraw to their home base, where Latheulade rallied them.

Some of them die on the rope for lack of food, while others are slaughtered to feed the troops.In fact, all the cavalry was soon dismantled, and Latheulade's lancers had to swap the lance for the Chassepot rifle.

The rest of the uniform consists of rose madder pants with false boots, decorated on the side with piping and two sky-blue stripes.

[9] The chapska is worn without a plume but with a tricolor cockade, while the breastplate is turned up on the white side, revealing sky-blue piping around the edges.

[11] The troop's cartridge box is made of black leather edged with yellow copper, with the Empire coat of arms on a radiant background at its center.