The infantry of the Royal Guard consisted of four battalions. A Grenadier Guard Battalion (Grenadier-Garde-Bataillion) and three battalions which formed the Regiment of Guards. All members of the guards battalions were referred to as grenadiers while men in the grenadier companies were designated Flügel-Grenadieres.

After the defeats of Jena–Auerstedt the Guards, along with the rest of the army were reorganised. Only one small detachment survived initially and it formed a nucleus of two new companies that were formed in January 1807. These were gradually built up and by 1809 it comprised three battalions.

Two battalions formed Garde-Regiment zu Fuß augmented by Garde-Füsilier-Bataillon. In 1813 a second Guard regiment was formed from existing infantry and a sharpshooter battalion, Garde-Schützen-Bataillon of men from Neuchâtel

The Grenadier Foot Guards wore an enormous plume in their shako. The shako badge was an eight pointed star with the Black Prussian Eagle. In common with the rest of the Prussian army the Guards wore dark blue double breasted coats. The coats had two rows of brass buttons. Collars and cuffs were in provincial colours.

All Princes of Prussia were commissioned lieutenants in the 1st Foot Guards upon their tenth birthdays. The King of Prussia was also the Colonel-in-chief of the regiment, as well as the Chief of the 1st Battalion and 1st Company of the regiment.

Therefore, the regiment held the highest rank within the Prussian Army, which, among other things, meant that the officer corps of the regiment marched before the princes of the German Empire and the diplomatic corps in the traditional New Year’s reception.