The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) emblem

The Queen’s Life Guard
The Queen’s Life Guard is provided by soldiers of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment stationed at Hyde Park Barracks. They stand guard at the site of the original gateway to the Royal Palaces. The Guard has been mounted here for over 300 years.

The Guard is found from soldiers of The Life Guards, who wear red tunics and white helmet plumes, and soldiers from The Blues and Royals, who wear dark blue tunics and red helmet plumes. They alternate daily at a formal guard change which takes place each morning at 1lam, Monday to Saturday and 10am on Sunday.

At 4pm everyday an Officer inspects the Guard on what is called The ’Four O’Clock Parade’.

The Queen’s Life Guard consists of either a Long or Short Guard. The Long Guard is commanded by an Officer, accompanied by a Warrant Officer or Staff Corporal, carrying the Standard, a Corporal of Horse, a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer, ten Troopers and a Trumpeter. The strength of a Short Guard is a Corporal of Horse, a Lance Corporal of Horse or Lance Corporal, and ten Troopers. A Long Guard occurs only when Her Majesty The Queen is in London.

To find out more about The Queen’s Life Guard visit The Household Cavalry Museum. Walk through the arch and turn right.

The Queen’s Life Guard. A cavalry guard at the entrance to the Horse Guards building.

The building was photographed that day Click for a larger image