Almost fifty years later in 1843, during the battle of succession that erupted in Gwalior after the death of Maharaja Jankojirao Scindia, the unit took an active part in brokering a settlement. The unit also fought in World War I and II abroad.The Partition divided the armed forces in a 2:1 ratio between India and Pakistan. Muslim members of the unit went over to Pakistan while Sikhs, Jats and Rajputs stayed back with the Indian Army. On 26 January 1950, when India became a republic, the unit was renamed President’s Bodyguard – in short – PBG. After the division of all other assets of the regiment between India and Pakistan, both the countries wanted the gold-plated buggy of the British Viceroy. It was eventually decided by a toss of the coin and India called correctly to retain it.The President of India even now uses the buggy on ceremonial occasions. President Ram Nath Kovind took the historic buggy ride from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament House for his oath-taking ceremony, as did his predecessors including Pranab Mukherjee. Both Presidents used the buggy to attend the Republic Day parade as well.Calcutta Gazette, one of the first newspapers published from Kolkata, reported in 1802, that ‘Antoine De L’Etang was appointed as veterinary surgeon to the Bodyguard of the Governor-General of Bengal. The position had been created for the first time and the Frenchman was with the unit till 1806.Historians from Evan Cotton to William Dalrymple have mentioned De L’Etang (1757-1840), who started as the Page of Honour to Marie Antoinette (1755-1793)–the last queen of France and wife of Louis XVI, and some say he had an affair with the queen, which resulted in his escape to India to escape the king’s wrath. Others believe he was merely devoted to the queen.His name is spelt differently in different narratives, as ‘de l’Etang’, ‘De L’Etang’ and ‘Deletang’. Born on 20 July 1757 in Versailles to a former cavalry captain and his wife Jeane Barbier, a year after the first treaty of Versailles was signed. The treaty led to the marriage in 1770 of the 15-year-old Princess Maria Antonia (Marie Antoinette) Josepha Johannato Louis-Auguste, heir of the French monarch Louis XV and who became infamous as Louis the XVI.Marie Antoinette had an affair with Hans Axel von Fersen (1755-1810), a Swedish Count, which is well documented, and questions arose regarding the paternity of Marie’s children. To avoid causing a scandal, Axel von Fersen left for the war in America in the early part of 1780.
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