In 1914 the Royal Guard numbered a few thousand men and took part in all major battles of the Balkans theatre of World War I (until the liberation in 1918).

The Royal Guard was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nikola Kalabić during World War II and saw service against both Axis powers, their collaborators and the Yugoslav Partisans.

On the other side, at the end of the war, by the decision of the Josip Broz Tito on November 1, 1944, the Guards Brigade of the Supreme Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia was formed on the basis of the royalist formation.

The first military honor was given to British Field Marshal Harold Alexander, Commander of the Allied Force Headquarters for the Mediterranean.

During the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the 1st Guards Mechanised Brigade took part in the Battle of Vukovar, where it acted as the Yugoslav People's Army's strike force from the southern flank.

These include guarding and protection of buildings and residences of chief military authorities: the Novi dvor (the seat of the Commander-in-Chief i.e. President of Serbia), buildings of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff as well as the official residences of the President of the Republic, Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff.

The close physical protection of the President of the Republic, Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff is entrusted to the "Cobras", the unit that is not part of the Guard.