Royal Guard (Britannia)

The Royal Guard was the military force that governed the Soul Society of Britannia.

Lord
Each of the twelve divisions was led by a single individual known as a Lord (ロルド; Rorudo). The lord was an equivalent to the Japanese Captain, though a Captain-Commander position was non-existent in the organization. The Soul Lord acted as a thirteenth member of the Royal Guard, keeping the other lords in check. The Soul Lord held absolute authority over the Royal Guard.

Promotion to Lord
Aspiring lords follow similar promotion methods as that of the Gotei 13, though the ability to release bankai was a requirement to be eligible. Potential lords could be recommended by four existing lords, though a vacancy was required for this method to occur. They could also be promoted by defeating an existing lord in a one-on-one duel where the absolute majority of the division's members and three lords were present.

Aides
The closest equivalent to a lieutenant would be an Aide, which was an individual who was personally selected by the lord to assist him or her in administrative activities. There was no title that an aide would go by to distinguish him or herself from other members of the division. However, they wore division badges to allow others to identify his or her status. They usually took over the position of lord unless the aide refused or was considered ineligible for the position.

Size and recruitment
Each division of the Royal Guard, including the Guard Division, consisted of at least 300 enlisted personnel, bringing the overall manpower to over 4000 men.

Distinguishing from other societies
Although technically shinigami, a Royal Guard distinguishes himself from the other regions' soul societies by calling himself a Messenger (メッセンジャー; Messenjā) in the presence of a Japanese shinigami. Otherwise, they use soul reapers and shinigami interchangeably among themselves. The custom was rarely followed on a consistent basis.

Some of the divisions have specialties, such as the dragoons of the 10th Division.

Uniform
Varying degrees of plate armor is the dominant uniform of Britannia's military forces, the 12 Royal Guard Squads (ロイヤルガード隊; roiyaru gādo jūni tai). They distinguish themselves from others based on the color of their armor. It should be noted that helms are not part of standard uniform.