Royal London

The palaces and the parades, and the places where the last hundred years of the story happened: where Elizabeth II was born, where Diana lived, where the balcony is. Filter by monarch or by kind.

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Horse Guards

The mounted sentries in the Whitehall arch, the changing of the Life Guard, and the parade ground where Trooping the Colour is held.

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Photo by Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Kent's Horse Guards of 1753 is the official entrance to the palaces, which is why the mounted troopers of the Life Guards and Blues and Royals sit their horses under the arch and the public may not drive through; the Life Guard changes in the forecourt with the horses, plumes and cuirasses, and at four each afternoon the dismounted inspection ordered by Victoria after she found the guard drinking in 1894 is still carried out. The parade ground behind is where the sovereign takes the salute at Trooping the Colour in June and where Beating Retreat is played; the museum next door lets you watch the stables through a glass wall.

Where
Whitehall, SW1A 2AX
Nearest station
Charing Cross · 4 min walk

King's Life Guard changes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00; inspection at 16:00 daily

The two mounted sentries on Whitehall change on the hour from 10:00 to 16:00; the Household Cavalry Museum is alongside.

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Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.

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