Nowadays, an adelborst is the name for an officer on the Dutch Royal Institute for the Navy (KIM). Comparable with a cadet with the army. It did not have this meaning during the Kingdom of Holland. In fact, it had no meaning at all and it was just the name of yet another short-lived unit of the army. The Korps Adelborsten of 3 companies was raised on 3 August 1808. The name "adelborst" was already in use since 23 November 1806, when with the Guard-Grenadiers (and also the guard cavalry) the men of the 1st or elite company of each battalion (/guard cavalry regiment) were renamed adelborsten. In fact, when the Korps Adelborsten was raised, it was intended that these adelborsten would be incorporated into this Corps. Most probably, this never happened, as on 29 November 1808 the adelborsten again officially became the 1st or elite company of the Guard-Grenadiers. As a result, the formation of the Korps Adelborsten was reduced to a mere two companies. The Korps Adelborsten was part of the Foot Guard but was short-lived: on 7 August 1809 the Korps Adelborsten (2 companies) and the Koninklijke Karabiniers (Royal Carabiniers, 2 companies) were combined to form the Lijfwacht te Voet (Foot Lifeguard).

The term adelborst could have referred to men of noble birth but this also seems not to have been the case.

In short, adelborst was nothing more than a honorary name intended to attract men.

Best regards, Geert