Changing the Guard @ Buckingham Palace

On Friday September 28 I took a train into London to Buckingham Palace. Matt was still in Poland and the 28th was the last day that the Palace would be open for tours this year. Unfortunately it rained the entire day, but I did not let that dampen my mood. Haha! I had watched the weather earlier in the week to see which day would be best and Friday was supposed to be a clear day. That is England weather for you, I guess.

When I first arrived at the Palace I staked out my spot for the Changing the Guard. That ceremony began at 11:30, but I got there around 10:45 to get a good position. It was interesting just watching all of the tourists take in everything...and not listen to the guards when they told them to stay clear of certain areas. It is pretty cool to see the tradition of the ceremony and see the grandeur of it all...and know that they do this every day in the summer and every other day in the off season. Magnificent!

Anyway, once the ceremony was over I went to lunch before my 1:15 tour. Unfortunately I could not take pictures inside the Palace, nor did I get to see any of the Royal Family. It is an awesome place, really like a working museum. I mean, there are so many antiques and historical pieces in the Palace. Most of them are still used but in mint condition. If you ever make it to London this would be a great place to check out. However, if I would have to decide between Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, I would choose Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today.

CHANGING THE GUARD

The regular hand-over of guards in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace draws thousands of visitors to watch the soldiers and listen to the music.

Known as Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting, the process involves a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard.

The soldiers are drawn from one of the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army: the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards.

The handover is accompanied by a Guards band. The music played ranges from traditional military marches to songs from the shows and even familiar pop songs.

When The Queen is in residence, there are four sentries at the front of the building. When she is away there are two.

The Queen's Guard usually consists of Foot Guards in their full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins. If they have operational commitments, other infantry units take part instead.

Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces since 1660. Until 1689, the Sovereign lived mainly at the Palace of Whitehall and was guarded there by Household Cavalry.

In 1689, the court moved to St James's Palace, which was guarded by the Foot Guards. When Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in 1837, the Queen's Guard remained at St James's Palace, with a detachment guarding Buckingham Palace, as it still does today.