In 1897 the 1st battalion were stationed in the West Indies and then transferred to Cape Colony, South Africa. Prior to the outbreak of the war, as relations between the British and Boer republics deteriorated, the 1st King’s formed a company of mounted infantry and moved to Ladysmith, where it underwent intensive training. The war began on 11 October 1899. The Boers invaded Natal soon afterwards and besieged Ladysmith on 2 November.

The Boer War had provided the first opportunity for the regiment’s volunteer battalions to serve overseas with the regular forces, supplying small detachments and service companies for the 1st King’s and other units. In contrast, the regiment’s militia battalions, numbered the 5th and 6th, were sent to South Africa as intact units late in the war.

The names of the men who served in the regiment are listed below