Very little is known about these quiet, red-clad guards. They were hand-picked from the hundreds of ranks of stormtroopers. They were the elite of the elite, and a small number of the guards stayed extremely close to Palpatine at all times.

They wore completely red uniforms, which were based partly on the Manadalore system's Death Watch uniforms, and the Sun Guards of the Thyrsus system. Their weapons were two metre force pikes, as deadly as any hand blaster, which they also had concealed beneath their scarlet robes.

The most trusted and loyal of the Royal Guards wre promoted to the ranks of the Sovereign Protectors. These elite Royal Guards protected the palaces and monasteries which Palpatine used.

The ranks of the Royal Guard lessened, if not disappeared completely, after Palpatine's death. Nothing is known of what happened to the remaining guards after Palpatine died. There were rumours that Palpatine's power streched beyond the grave and forced the guards to take their own lives.