Changing of the Guard

Gathering in front of Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the royal family and it also serves as the

administrative headquarters of the Monarch.  Every day during most of the year, there is the Changing of the Guard ceremony where one regiment comes and replaces another as those who stand watch at the palace.  During the winter, this becomes an every other day event -- odd numbered days in December -- so we had to make sure we planned for the correct day.  We went on Monday and the weather was cold, but nice and sunny.

Right along the fence

Several thousand people crowd the front of the palace, the Queen Victoria memorial in front of the palace, and along both roads that pass by.  Other than the processional down the street and through the gates, most of the ceremony takes place inside the gates and is difficult to see unless you're right along the fence line.  We arrived at 10am for the 11:30am ceremony and were barely able to get Mom up front at the fence line.  She would have never seen anything otherwise.

Regimental Band

The regimental band plays a while and you see the soldiers parade through as one regiment relieves the other.  Since it's winter, the regiment was wearing their winter gray coats instead of the red coats we are accustomed to seeing.  It's definitely worth seeing at least one time when in London, but if you can't get up close and personal along the fence line, I'm not sure I'd bother with it.