Viewing the Changing of the Guard

The Coldstream Guards at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

Before or after taking a cruise from Southampton, Harech or Dover, many people stop in London. One of the things that visitors like to do when they are in London is go to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Accordingly, I have written an article and posted some photos that explain something about the who and why of the Changing of the Guard.

It is part of the pageantry of the British monarchy and it also appeals to those who are interested in the military. Furthermore, many of us of a certain age had toy figures with black bearskin helmets and red tunics when we were small so there is also an element of nostalgia here.

The people that you see in front of Buckingham Palace are known as The Guards. They are not re-enactors but rather an elite military formation with a long proud combat history. The precision with which they perform their ceremonial tasks reflects the self-discipline that they bring to their military duties.

What exactly they are doing in front of the Palace during the Changing of the Guard ceremony may be somewhat bewildering to a spectator. Therefore, I have tried to explain the various steps in the ceremony.

Also, Buckingham Palace is not the only place where you can see the Guards performing their ceremonial duties. There are ceremonies that go on at other nearby locations that are part of the Buckingham Palace ceremony. In addition, you can see the Guards executing other ceremonial duties at other locations in and around London.

Beyondships illustrated article about the Changing of the Guard is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-england-changing-of-the-guard.html