Although the Buffs did not become a regular regiment in the English Army until 1665, it was actually formed in in 1572 by Sir William Morgan and fought at the siege of Mons in that year, helping to defend Flanders and the Brabant from the Spanish under the Duke of Alva. It was one of a number of “Ensigns” or Companies which were formed by command of Elizabeth and reviewed by her at Greenwich before taking ship to Flushing.
By 1573, Morgan’s Ensign had combined with several others to form a Regiment of 12 companies and was sent to relieve Haarlem which was besieged by the Spanish at the time. (The Garrison of Haarlem included a company of 300 women commanded by Mrs Margaret Kenault).
By 1578, there were 4 English Regiments serving in the Netherlands with the Army of the States General under the Prince of Orange. From time to time, reinforcements were sent out from London over the years and by 1596 the Regiment, now commanded by Sir Francis Vere, numbered 2,200 men. In that year, it was sent to lift the siege of Calais but the town surrendered before it could be relieved. Subsequently it was sent to Plymouth to form part of an expedition to attack Cadiz. Having taken the city, Vere’s regiment was returned to the Netherlands where it continued in active service until the Queen’s death in 1603, Although James 1st made peace with the Spanish, he did not withdraw his troops from the Netherlands and they were still in action right up to 1609 when Spain recognised the independence of the United Provinces.
The Regiment remained in the Netherlands after the Dutch had paid off their debts to the English crown in 1616 which they had incurred in order to pay for the Regiment and other troops that the English had provided. When the debt was discharged, the regiment was reduced in numbers for a brief period and Sir Horace Vere took command. A few years later, the truce between the United Provinces and Spain expired and with it the peace. The regiment was brought back to strength and by 1626 consisted of 32 Ensigns (companies), a total of 4090 men.
The regiment remained in the Netherlands during the English Civil War and the Commonwealth. It even stayed through the Anglo Dutch War of 1652 though it saw no service during the war. From 1655 it was commanded by John Cromwell , a relative of Oliver and a staunch Royalist who subsequently changed his name to Williams. It remained there after the Restoration until the outbreak of the Second Dutch War in 1665, when it finally returned to England and it was taken into the English Army.
It’s seniority on the English Establishment dates from May 1665 as the “Holland Regiment” and ranked as the 4th Regiment of Foot. This was after the Admiral’s or The Duke of York’s Regiment of Foot which was ranked as the third. Subsequently, in 1689, the Duke of York’s Regiment became the 2nd Foot Guards and so it became the 3rd Regiment of Foot.
British Army Historical Database 