Watched by millions of people annually, the Changing of the Guard in London is one of those iconic ceremonies that everyone should see at least once. Check out this must-read guide before you go.
London is a fascinating city – on the face of it, it’s fiercely cosmopolitan – packed with skyscrapers, cool bars and quirky things to do.
But tradition still lives strong. There are age-old ceremonies and historic landmarks dotted all over London.
Can we make a confession? Until recently it had been years since we had seen The Changing of the Guard.
Somehow, this fabulous ceremony has been taking place several times a week, full of pomp and circ*mstance and we’ve been too busy doing other things to make time to add it to our London itinerary. Facepalm.
Don’t make the same mistake – whether you’re a first-time tourist or a battle-hardened seasoned Londoner, everyone should see the ceremony at least once.
If you’re planning to go and see the ceremony (and you totally should), this is what you need to know.
What is the Changing of the Guard?
The Changing of the Guard is the official ceremony when the Foot Guards currently guarding the monarchy (the Old Guard) are released from their duty, to be replaced with new soldiers (the New Guard).
It might sound confusing, but it’s a fun experience to witness.
Whilst Kings had always had an army of men protecting them, it wasn’t an official institution until Henry VII made the Royal Body Guard a permanent job role.
This means that these soldiers have been guarding Kings and Queens for over 520 years – in other words, they’re pretty good at their jobs.
The Old Guard hands over the responsibility for protecting the palace to the New Guard – along with a ceremonial set of keys to the palace. This is officially known as Guards Mounting.
The Guards Mounting ceremony is carried out by soldiers from the Foot Guards – you know the ones, the dudes with the massive black bearskin hats and bright red tunics (well, they’re grey during wintertime but you get the point).
What could be a simple changeover has been elevated to a striking military procession, complete with a series of marches.
It’s a very visual event but lent extra ceremony by the accompanying music played by the Guards Bands.
You could be forgiven for thinking that the band only plays traditional music – but you’d be completely wrong.
The music ranges from old military marches to well-known pop songs – the James Bond theme tune is a particular favourite and the Game of Thrones theme tune has been known to pop up from time to time too.
Head there and try to identify which songs are playing – you might just recognise one.
Read More: Cool Facts about London
How to See the Changing of the Guard?
If it wasn’t grand enough, there are actually three different ceremonies that are referred to as the Changing of the Guard.
The best-known takes place at Buckingham Palace, but another ceremony also takes place down the road at Horse Guards and yet another in Windsor (where the Queen has another one of her many castles).
The Buckingham Palace ceremony is the biggest (and the best?), so this is what we’ll focus on in this article, but we’ve also included a section on the Horse Guards ceremony if you want to go and check that out too.
Where Should I Watch the Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard?
You have five main options for watching the Buckingham Palace ceremony: Friary Court in St James’s Palace, The Mall, The Victoria Memorial, Buckingham Palace Gate and Wellington Barracks.
We recommend watching the ceremony from The Victoria Memorial if you can, or around Buckingham Palace Gate.
Both have the advantage of being at the centre of all of the action – you can see the New Guards arriving, the handover ceremony and then the Old Guards departing.
If you’re on the Victoria Memorial, you get a pretty good view of the ceremony from the raised steps – all this without having to get there ridiculously early like you would if you wanted to get to the front at the gates themselves.
The other three (The Mall, St James’s Palace and Wellington Barracks) all have the advantage of being less busy, but if we’re honest, we don’t think that they offer the same experience – nothing beats viewing it right in front of the imposing gates at Queenie’s house.
I’d advise seeing it at Buckingham Palace once and then moving onto a different location if you have time on a different day.
When is the Changing of the Guard? What Times Does it Happen?
It generally takes place on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between January and May and August to December. The ceremony happens daily in June and July.
It starts at 11am, though you’ll want to arrive a little bit earlier to secure yourself a great spot.
The main ceremony outside of Buckingham Palace lasts for around 40 minutes. You can see the breakdown of timings in the Schedule of the Ceremony section below.
Schedule of the Ceremony
10.40am: The New Guard form for inspection at Wellington Barracks then depart for Buckingham Palace once the Regimental Colour (flag) arrives.
10.30am: A Group of Old Guards leave Friary Court at St James’s Palace and march in formation to Buckingham Palace – often accompanied by a marching band or drum corps.
10.43am: The Old Guards from St James’s Palace arrive at Buckingham Palace and line up alongside the Buckingham Palace Old Guard detachment on the forecourt of the palace.
10.55am: The New Guards arrive at Buckingham Palace.
11am: Once in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, The Old Guard and New Guard present their arms (salute with their rifles) to each other and exchange the keys to Buckingham Palace. The presentation of arms and exchange of keys marks the transfer of responsibility from the Old Guard to the New Guard.
11am – 11.30am: Music plays and Guards parade their regimental colours as the soldiers are inspected, Officers report to the Senior Captain and new sentries from the New Guard are posted. A duty Drummer informs the Director of Music that the handover has been completed and the band reform at the Centre Gates.
11.35am: The New Guards march into their positions at Buckingham and St James’s Palace. The Old Guards march back to Wellington Barracks.
The best chances for you to see some action are when the New Guard arrive at the beginning of the ceremony and when the Old Guard leave at the end.
There’s a lot of marching and music in between, but it can be difficult to see unless you have a good position right outside the palace or on the Victoria Memorial as it takes place inside the palace forecourt.
Changing of the Horse Guards
You can see the Changing of the Queen’s Life Guard ceremony at Horse Guards Parade at 11am during the week and at 10am on Sundays.
Horse Guards Parade is a ceremonial parade ground located just off Whitehall. It marks the formal entrance to both St James’s and Buckingham Palace.
It’s best-known for the smaller Guards Mounting ceremony that takes place in the courtyard, as well as for being the location of the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony.
The Queen’s Life Guard dates all the way back to 1660 when King Charles II was restored to the throne – they’ve been protecting the reigning monarch ever since.
Unlike the ceremony at Buckingham Palace, The Guards Mounting ceremony takes place daily at the Horse Guards (unless it’s cancelled due to bad weather).
The Queen’s Life Guard leaves the Barracks at Hyde Park at 10:28am sharp (or 9:28am on Sundays), passing through Hyde Park Corner, Constitution Hill, and The Mall. The changing of the guard ceremony takes place straight after.
Seeing the Ceremony in Windsor
It’s easy to combine a trip to Windsor with seeing the Changing of the Guards ceremony there.
The dates change every month, you should check this websiteto see which days of the week the ceremony will take place. It generally happens on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for most of the year but can change – rarely will it take place on a Sunday, though.
The best places to see the procession in Windsor without going into the castle is either on Windsor High Street or on Corn Exchange – from where the guards march on to Windsor Castle.
If you want to see the ceremony itself, you need to buy a Windsor Castle ticket and head there for 11am (ideally just before). Get there early as it can get very busy.
Keep a close eye on your belongings as the ceremony is often targeted by pickpockets.
You could get to Buckingham Palace really early to get a good position (like 45 minutes early) but then you will be standing and waiting around for ages before anything happens.
I’d recommend turning up 10 minutes earlier – you probably won’t get the perfect vantage point but it will be good enough – there’s pretty much no viewpoint where you wont be able to see the New Guard marching up to the palace and the Old Guard marching away after they’ve been relieved.
The ceremony can be cancelled at the last minute during bad weather (in Britain, the weather truly dictates our lives – this is no exception). If it looks like it’s going to be really rainy, try and check ahead – but don’t be too disappointed if its cancelled shortly before its due to start.
Look at the flag being flown above Buckingham. If it’s the Royal Standard rather than the Union Jack, it means that the Queen is in residence at the palace. Who knows, maybe she’s peeking from behind the curtains and goggling at the huge crowd.
The nearest underground stations to Buckingham Palace are Victoria, St James’s and Green Park. It’s also a relatively easy walk from Hyde Park Corner station.
Although we refer to it as the Changing of the Guard – the ceremony’s proper name is actually Guard Mounting.
The guards’ hats are a standard 18 inches tall and weigh 1.5 pounds each.
If you get in the way of the guards, they won’t march around you – you will be instructed to “make way for the Queen’s Guards”.
The guards are trained to deal with and ignore public nuisance, but in very limited and serious cases they are permitted to point their weapons at a person and restrain them.
When The Queen is in residence – a.k.a when she’s chilling at home – four sentries will guard Buckingham Palace. If there are only two guards, she’s probably off on her jollies somewhere (likely Windsor Castle or Scotland).
The Household Guard is split into five regiments. While they might look the same at first glance, you can tell the difference by looking at the colour and placement of the plume on their hat and also at the spacing of their buttons. See if you can spot the difference.
The guards change their uniforms in the winter and summer months. The summer uniforms are the instantly-recognisable bright red tunics, but they wear a heavier muted-grey tunic during the winter months – far more practical for the colder weather. You’ll be glad to know that the bearskin hat stays all year round though.
Map of Important Locations for the Changing of the Guard
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is the ceremony where The King's Guard hands over responsibility for protecting Buckingham Palace and St.James's Palace to the New Guard. Dates - Daily in June - July, and from August - May on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Buckingham Palace railings is the spot most most first time visitors try to grab when they visit the Changing of the Guard. Providing you get here early enough, you will have a great view of the part of the Changing Ceremony that takes place in the forecourt.
Changing of The King's Guard takes place in front of Buckingham Palace at 10:45am and lasts for about 45 minutes. You should arrive early to get the best view. Soldiers gather at St James's Palace and Wellington Barracks from 10:00am and march to Buckingham Palace accompanied by music.
Changing the Guard, also known as Guard Mounting, takes place outside Buckingham Palace every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 10.45am and lasts around 45 minutes, with the actual handover taking place at 11am.
Buckingham Palace is immediately adjacent to St James's Park and The Green Park. Horse Guards Arch - the Changing the Guard takes place daily at 11am (10am on Sundays) and lasts about 30 minutes. It is held on Horse Guards Parade by Whitehall, which is located east of St James's Park.
The Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace is well worth seeing but you may need to a bit of research first. We went in September and the Changing of the Guards was done every second day. Also it's probably best to do it as a tour as they know the ins and ours.
If you want to see the ceremony itself, you need to buy a Windsor Castle ticket and head there for 11am (ideally just before). Get there early as it can get very busy.
Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace does not take place every day. The current schedules are: August - May: The Queen's Guard change on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. June - July: The Queen's Guard change daily.
It marches in front of the Band and halts to face the Old Guard. The Band then plays the New Guard's Regimental Slow March as it advances towards the Old Guard. The Old Guard and New Guard then 'Present Arms' (salute with their rifles) after which the Captain of the Old Guard hands over the key to the Palace.
The Tomb Guard marches exactly 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb, turns, faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds, then takes 21 steps down the mat and repeats the process. (The number 21 symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed, the 21-gun salute.)
The Changing of the Guard is a formal ceremony in which a group of soldiers is relieved of their duties by a new batch of soldiers. The King's Guard soldiers actually work in shifts of 2 hours each, which means new guards begin their shift every 2 hours.
The days the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace normally takes place are: August to May - Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. June and July - Daily.
The changing of the guard happens every hour on the hour when the cemetery is open to the public. Historically, it has also occurred on the half-hour during summer months but from 2020, that had stopped.
They work for the military full time, may live on a military base, and can be deployed at any time. Persons in the Reserve or National Guard are not full-time active duty military personnel, although they can be deployed at any time should the need arise.
While on duty, Queen's Guards are not supposed to move or respond to anything that the tourists may throw at them. However, the rules indicate that after being still for at least 10 minutes, they can march up and down the street in order to stretch their legs and avoid passing out.
The Queen's Guard members are posted at Buckingham Palace and at St James's Palace, with two in Pall Mall and two in Friary Court. They are working soldiers and as such should be given due consideration and respect. 3. Re: Where to see the Queen's guards up close?
Hours of operation change April 1; Changing of the Guard takes place every 30 minutes. Effective April 1, Arlington National Cemetery's hours of operation change to remain open two hours later each day. The cemetery is now open from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. The parking garage closes an hour later at 8 p.m.
The Queen's Guards are employed by the British Army, so how much they get paid is dependent on their rank. The average salary for a soldier in the UK is £20,400 per annum.
THERE ARE WOMEN IN THE RANKS Although the iconic troops are usually associated with male figures, there are more and more women joining the Queen's Guard.
When The Queen is in residence, there are four Foot Guards at the front of the building; when she is away there are two. Altogether the Guard consists of three officers and 36 soldiers.
You'll also lose your military perks, bonuses or benefits immediately, as explained by OMK. In fact, should you manage to find gainful civilian employment and earn a tax refund, it may be withheld or deducted to pay back an enlistment bonus you might have received.
Your total enlistment period will be eight years, but you can serve as little as three or six years, and spend the remainder in IRR (Individual Ready Reserve).
It actually can take months to process. A reservist or guard member must first be released from their reserve status and basically apply to join the active duty ranks. That means finding a recruiter to assist you with the processing into the military (active).
This cancellation of a few hours after Buckingham Palace reported that doctors were concerned about the health of Queen Elizabeth II, and recommended that she remain under medical supervision .
Your National Guard Special Forces training is one weekend (three to four days) per month plus an additional two to four weeks of training per year. Deployments are also less frequent. You will generally be deployed once every two to three years for six to 15 months.
Why are the Queen's guards called Beefeaters? Dating back to 1485, there are a number of theories surrounding the origin of the name. One is that it comes from the old French word 'buffetier', which means 'food taster'.
What if it rains? The Changing of the Guard may be cancelled up until the last minute, especially in wet weather. In heavy rain the ceremony will not take place. If the weather is changeable you may ask police officers stationed at Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial if the ceremony is going to be cancelled.
“The moment the queen dies, Charles becomes the sovereign, a quasi-mystical transformation that is marked ceremonially and legally the next day,” Gullace says. “The code name for Charles's accession to the throne is Operation Spring Tide.
There are circ*mstances in which they are allowed to speak…
warnings if they fail to move away or start to act aggressively,” the Reddit guard says. For instance, they're known to yell “make way for the Queen's Guard!” at tourists who get in their way. He finds shouting this to be a fun part of the job.
Guard change at Windsor Castle takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am. Windsor Castle is one of three official residences of The King and has been home to the Sovereign for over 900 years.
The salary for this job is paid based on a list defined by the British army, with values starting at £20,400 (or around $28,266). An entire “day” of work can last up to 24 to 48 hours, with 2 hours on sentry duty and then 4 hours off.
How many steps does the Sentinel take during their 'walk' by the Tomb of the Unknowns and why? Twenty-one steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
There are also options of four- and six-year active terms. The exact program you choose will depend on several conditions, all of which you'll discuss with your recruiter. Find out more about the enlistment options for students.
At Arlington National Cemetery, there are individual Civil War unknown burials as well as the remains of 2,111 Union and Confederate soldiers buried beneath the Tomb of the Civil War Unknowns.
Can I join the Army if I'm older than the maximum age requirement? The maximum age to join the Army as an enlisted Soldier is 35, while Officers must accept their commission before age 31.
When not deployed, servicemembers and their units undergo traditional training to prepare for the conduct of military duties. During this phase, servicemembers go through normal training and medical evaluations that maintain their personal and unit readiness level.
Does 6 years in the National Guard make you a veteran? Yes, if you spent at least 180 days of that 6 years deployed on federal active duty orders. A 2016 change to federal law expanded the definition of “veteran” for many National Guard members.
Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.
Viewing the Changing of the Guard is free. In fact, it's #1 on our top 10 list of free things to do in London. For even more ways to save, read our guide to London on a Budget. Since you will be in the area, be sure to read our posts on tours of Buckingham Palace and things to do nearby to best plan your time here.
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