In a nutshell, what’s the ceremony all about?
Soldiers of the British Army are responsible for protecting the Queen and her residences. The Queen’s residences in London are Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace.
At any one time, a Unit of an army regiment is on duty. For the duration of its duty this Unit is called The Queen’s Guard.
The Guard consists of 40 guardsmen plus three officers. The Guard is split into two detachments – The Buckingham Palace Detachment and the St James’s Palace Detachment.
Guard shifts last 24 or 48 hours depending on the time of year. There is a change to the Unit on guard every 24 or 48 hours – hence the ceremonial Changing of the Guard.
The ceremony centres on the passing of responsibility from the outgoing regiment (known as the Old Guard) to the incoming regiment (known as the New Guard).
Only five regiments of the British Army have the privilege of providing soldiers for the protection of The Sovereign and her residences.
Together these five regiments are known as the Foot Guards. In order of seniority they are; the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards. The regiments are distinguishable by slight variations in their uniforms, most visibly by the number and groupings of buttons on their tunics.
The Foot Guards are professional infantry soldiers. Most have seen, or will see, active service around the world during their military careers. Many of today’s guardsmen have undertaken tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
How old is the tradition?
The Foot Guards have guarded St James’s Palace since 1689. The ceremony as it is today roughly dates back to 1837, when Buckingham House became the official royal residence of the British Monarch (when Queen Victoria took up residence).
Where can I learn more about the ceremony and its history?
The Guards Museum is the best place to learn about the Changing of the Guard, its history and the five regiments of the Foot Guards. It’s located within the Wellington Barracks compound.
Read the other parts of our guide: Changing of the Guard Timeline | Best ways to watch the Changing of the Guard
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Featured image of Buckingham Palace gates by Nick Schooley)
