London’s Changing of The Guards

Today was a rough day for London, but please don’t be discouraged from traveling there. I have a trip planned to the great city at the end of the summer. Unfortunately, bad things can happen anywhere, but England is going to take every precaution to make sure that London is a safe place to live and travel to.

One of the coolest things to see in London is the Changing of the Guards in Buckingham.

On the London Walks website, in an article called, “The Changing of the Guard,” the author wrote, “…bearskin-hatted soldiers, dressed in scarlet tunics march to foot stomping tunes played by a live military band above which sergeant majors bark their orders. However, there is much more to the ceremony than that which unfolds in front of Buckingham Palace…

The best way to enjoy the ceremony is to make your way to the traffic lights at the junction of The Mall and Marlborough Road at 11:05am. At a little after 11:10am, the Regimental Banner, escorted by the Old Guard’s commanding officer and a detachment of the guards, will be marched straight past you en route for Buckingham Palace. The moment they’ve passed, cross over The Mall and make your way quickly through the gates of St. James’s Park opposite, cross the bridge over the lake, turn right, and cut left diagonally across the grass to arrive at the Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk. Position yourself on the corner opposite the main gates, and at 11:25am the New Guard will march straight past you from their barracks and make their way to Buckingham Palace…

Once there walk along Marlborough Road, turn left at the end and a little way along you will encounter either one or two guards standing proudly to attention and completely at your mercy. This is the main gate to St James’s Palace and this is just about the only spot where you can actually stand alongside the guards and have your photograph taken trying to make them laugh or attempting to get them to talk! But once more never, ever, touch one of them as the results might not be quite what you expected.

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