Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace

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On Sunday morning while we were waiting for our tour of Buckingham Palace we were able to watch the Changing of the Guard, something I haven't seen for about 30 years.  Despite the rain the ceremony drew a very large crowd along Birdcage Walk and outside of Buckingham Palace.  


Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting is the process involving a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard.

The Guard which mounts at Buckingham Palace is called The Queen’s Guard and is divided into two Detachments: the Buckingham Palace Detachment (which is responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace), and the St. James’s Palace Detachment, (which guards St. James’s Palace). These guard duties are normally provided by a battalion of the Household Division and occasionally by other infantry battalions or other units.


When Guardsmen are on duty, 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.

Regiment
Grouping of buttons
on scarlet tunic
Collar badge
Plume on bearskin cap
Grenadier Guards
Singly
Grenade
White, worn on left side
Coldstream Guards
Twos
Garter Star
Red, worn on right side
Scots Guards
Threes
Thistle
No plume
Irish Guards
Fours
Shamrock
Blue, worn on right side
Welsh Guards
Fives
Leek
Green and white, worn on left side



The band in the pictures are from the Scots Guards while the Guardsmen are from the Coldstream Guards.  


We managed to get a good spot outside Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk to see the start of the parade.  A very large crowd had gathered outside Buckingham Palace with no room to be had around the Victoria Memorial.


For more information on the Changing of the Guard CLICK HERE

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