A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name Republican) which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous with a presidential guard. The term is derived from the original French Gendarmerie unit. Several other countries also have adopted the term and have active guard units. Republican Guards may be purely ceremonial units providing close protection to heads of states during functions and parades or be full time protective security units.
