The Division of Royal Volunteers (Portuguese: Divisão de Voluntários Reais or Voluntários Reais do Príncipe, later Divisão de Voluntários Reais do Rei following the prince's ascent to kingship) was a detachment of the Portuguese military, formed in 1815 and deployed to Rio de Janeiro on 30 March 1816.[1] The unit was commanded by Carlos Frederico Lecor, Viscount of Laguna.
The unit was formed on order of then-Prince Dom João VI, to consist of 5,000 men, and invaded the Banda Oriental (in modern Uruguay), as part of the Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental.[2] The unit occupied the city of Montevideo on 20 January 1817.[3]