Swiss Guards swearing-in ceremony to take place at the Vatican on Saturday.The Vatican’s Swiss Guards on Thursday unveiled a new uniform ahead of a ceremony that will see 27 new recruits join the pope's army on Saturday.The new Swiss-made uniform - which does not replace the famous "Gala" uniform - is to be used for non-ceremonial formal occasions such as diplomatic receptions and official dinners outside the Vatican. Until now, the officers wore "personal suits" on these occasions, "which did not fully reflect the identity of the Corps", the Swiss Guards said. The mostly black wool uniform has two rows of buttons, with a yellow and white belt, in an update of the "mezza gala" uniform used from the late 19th century until 1976. Photo credit: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia – Media / Päpstliche Schweizergarde   The new uniforms, which were debuted at an event in the Swiss Guards' barracks on Friday evening, were paid for by an unnamed benefactor and cost €2,000 each. The Swiss Guards noted that, despite a popular legend, their famed blue, gold and red uniform was not designed by Michelangelo but rather by Commander Jules Repond in the early 1900s, based on the colours of the Medici family. On Saturday afternoon at 17.00, at a pomp-filled event in the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the new Swiss Guards will take a solemn oath to serve the pope. Swiss Guards: a brief history of the pope's army The annual ritual normally takes place on 6 May but was postponed this year following the death of Pope Francis and the conclave to elect his successor, Pope Leo XIV. The traditional 6 May date commemorates the day in 1527 when 147 Swiss Guards died protecting Pope Clement VII from the army of the Holy Roman Emperor. The pope fled via the 800-m Passetto di Borgo passageway - which is open for guided tours - to the nearby refuge of Castel Sant'Angelo. The current Swiss Guards belong to the world's oldest standing army which celebrated its 519th anniversary on 22 January this year. Those seeking to join the ranks must meet certain criteria: they must be male and of Swiss nationality, as well as being Catholic, unmarried and aged between 19 and 30. They must also have undergone intensive Swiss military training and be a minimum height of 174 cm. The soldiers generally serve for between two and 25 years at the Vatican, in the service of the pope. Photo credit: Vatican Media 

The Vatican’s Swiss Guards on Thursday unveiled a new uniform ahead of a ceremony that will see 27 new recruits join the pope's army on Saturday. The new Swiss-made uniform - which does not replace the famous "Gala" uniform - is to be used for non-ceremonial formal occasions such as diplomatic receptions and official dinners outside the Vatican. Until now, the officers wore "personal suits" on these occasions, "which did not fully reflect the identity of the Corps", the Swiss Guards said. The mostly black wool uniform has two rows of buttons, with a yellow and white belt, in an update of the "mezza gala" uniform used from the late 19th century until 1976.
Photo credit: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia – Media / Päpstliche Schweizergarde   The new uniforms, which were debuted at an event in the Swiss Guards' barracks on Friday evening, were paid for by an unnamed benefactor and cost €2,000 each. The Swiss Guards noted that, despite a popular legend, their famed blue, gold and red uniform was not designed by Michelangelo but rather by Commander Jules Repond in the early 1900s, based on the colours of the Medici family. On Saturday afternoon at 17.00, at a pomp-filled event in the San Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the new Swiss Guards will take a solemn oath to serve the pope.

• Swiss Guards: a brief history of the pope's army

The annual ritual normally takes place on 6 May but was postponed this year following the death of Pope Francis and the conclave to elect his successor, Pope Leo XIV. The traditional 6 May date commemorates the day in 1527 when 147 Swiss Guards died protecting Pope Clement VII from the army of the Holy Roman Emperor. The pope fled via the 800-m Passetto di Borgo passageway -  - to the nearby refuge of . The current Swiss Guards belong to the world's oldest standing army which celebrated its 519th anniversary on 22 January this year. Those seeking to join the ranks must meet certain criteria: they must be male and of Swiss nationality, as well as being Catholic, unmarried and aged between 19 and 30. They must also have undergone intensive Swiss military training and be a minimum height of 174 cm. The soldiers generally serve for between two and 25 years at the Vatican, in the service of the pope. Photo credit: Vatican Media