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TRADITIONS By Land, Sea and Air
Mounted officers and men of The Life Guards & The Blues and Royals
Introducing a roundup of current activities, traditions and innovations in today’s Armed Forces, including an insight into four military centres of excellence.
BY LAND... On Parade Ceremonial duties are an important part of Army history and tradition, and all soldiers undertaking this role are highly trained soldiers who also play an important part in military operations worldwide. Ceremonial events take place throughout the country, and indeed the world, but few are as high profile as those that draw millions of tourists to London year after year. High on the list for tourists areChanging
of the Guard ceremonies in Whitehall, London, and at Windsor Castle; Beating Retreat which takes place on two suc- cessive evenings in June, when London’s Horse Guards Parade resounds to the stirring sounds of the Massed Bands of the Household Division; Trooping the Colour, marking the official birthday of the Sovereign with a military parade and march-past which takes place each June on
Horse Guards Parade, London. The Queen’s Guard and Queen’s Life Guard are the names given to contingents of soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in London. The British Army had regiments of both
Horse Guards and Foot Guards predating the English Restoration (1660), and, since the reign of King Charles II, these have been responsible for guarding the Sovereign Palaces. The Queen has a number of homes, both
official (Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Windsor Castle and Holyroodhouse in Scotland) and private (Sandringham and Balmoral), but it is only at the London, Windsor and Holyroodhouse palaces that a guard is mounted. Buckingham Palace: The Queen’s Guard in London changes in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11:30am every day in the summer and every other day
in the winter. The Guard comprises two detachments, one each for Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace, under the command of the Captain of The Queen’s Guard.
The Men in Scarlet There are few institutions in the United Kingdom with an unbroken three centuries of service and none of them is so close to the heart of the nation as ‘The Men in Scarlet’, the Chelsea Pensioners, and their home, the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Founded in 1682 by King Charles II and intended for the ‘succour and relief of veterans broken by age and war’, the Royal Hospital, with its Grade 1 listed buildings, still serves its original purpose and intends to continue to further its role well into the 21st century. The mission of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is ‘to provide a fitting home and
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