Designed to guard palaces and headquarters, the elite Gendarmerie Legion was formed on July 29, 1804. It had a staff, two squadrons of two companies each and a half-battalion of two foot companies, which provided a total strength of 632 gendarmes.
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- Elite Guardsman
From 1806, there were only the two squadrons fielding 456 cavalry. The horses were black. Regular service included
1° two pickets on horseback at the Tuileries and at Malmaison, which were to serve as dispatch riders or patrols preceding the Emperor's carriage;
2° a foot station on the terrace of the Tuileries on the side of the gardens open to the public;
3° two posts at the Temple Tower State Prison.
In extraordinary service, the elite gendarmerie carried out security missions such as escorting the pope and the coronation procession. The safety of the Emperor and his suite, on the roads, also fell to him. Arrived on the battlefield, the elite gendarmes fought with the cavalry of the Guard.
They then had custody of the prisoners and trophies when they were presented to the Emperor.
Until 1806, the outfit on foot differed from the outfit on horseback only by the black gaiters, the epaulets of grenadier without aiguillette, the absence of a cord on the fur cap with red plumed and the equipment of the gendarmerie with foot.