King's Guard
The King's Guard are sentry postings at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace, organised by the British Army's Household Division. The Household Division also mounts sentry postings at Horse Guards, known as the King's Life Guard.
An infantry contingent, typically one of the Household Division's five regiments of foot guards, mounts the King's Guard, while the King's Life Guard is usually provided for by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Since the 20th century, several other British Army units, Royal Air Force units, Royal Navy units, and military units from other Commonwealth countries have been invited to form the King's Guard.
In addition to the King's Guard, the Household Division also provide for several other sentry postings including the Tower of London Guard and the Windsor Castle Guard. Several sentry postings are also occasionally mounted at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the sovereign's residence in Edinburgh. Although the Household Division considers these other sentry posts as distinct postings from the King's Guard, colloquially, these postings have also been called the "King's Guard”.
Operating area
The King's Guard and King's Life Guard are sentry postings that come under the operating area of the British Army's London District, which is responsible for the administration of the Household Division.The Household Division typically has one infantry battalion posted for public duties; rotating between the first battalion of all five Foot Guards Regiments except the Scots Guards. In addition, there are five incremental companies based at Victoria Barracks, Windsor and Wellington Barracks - one each of the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards plus two from whichever Guards battalion is posted to 11 Brigade. All of these units come under the administrative authority of the London District – as public duties units, they not only take part in ceremonial but are also committed to providing military aid to the civilian authorities.
File:Band in a Circle - geograph.org.uk - 4253643.jpg|thumb|The band of the Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, 2002. The barracks is used by foot guard battalions on public duties in London.
Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace
The King's Guard is the name given to the contingent of infantry responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace in London. The guard is made up of a company of soldiers from a single regiment, which is split in two, providing a detachment for Buckingham Palace and a detachment for St James's Palace. Because the Sovereign's official residence is still St James's, the guard commander is based there, as are the regiment's colours. When the Sovereign is in residence, the King's Guard numbers three officers and forty other ranks, with four sentries each posted at Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace. This reduces to three officers and 31 ORs, with two sentries each, when the Sovereign is not in residence. The King's Guard is not purely ceremonial. They provide sentries during the day and night, and during the later hours, they patrol the grounds of the Palace. Until 1959, the sentries at Buckingham Palace were stationed outside the fence. This stopped following an incident involving a female tourist and a Coldstream Guardsman – due to the continued pestering by tourists and sightseers, the guardsman kicked the tourist on the ankle as he marched. The tourist made a complaint to the police and the sentry was confined to barracks for ten days. Not long after, the sentries were moved inside the fence.Detachments
The King's Guard in London changes in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11:00 am every day in early summer and four times per week otherwise.File:Stjamessentry.jpg|thumb|A sentry of the Grenadier Guards at St James Palace, 2007
The St James's Palace detachment of the King's Guard, led usually by the corps of drums, and bearing the colour, marches along the Mall to Buckingham Palace, where the Buckingham Palace detachment has formed up to await their arrival. These two detachments are the old guard. Meanwhile, the new guard is forming and is awaiting inspection by the adjutant on the parade square at Wellington Barracks. The band, having been inspected by the adjutant, forms a circle to play music whilst the new guard is inspected. The guard provides a full military band consisting of no fewer than 35 musicians led by their director of music. When the new guard is formed up and led by the band, it marches across into the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Once there, the new Guard advances toward the old guard in slow time and halts. The old guard presents arms, followed by the new guard presenting arms. The captains of the guards march towards each other for the handing over of the palace keys. The new reliefs are marched to the guardrooms of Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace where new sentries are posted.
During this time the band has taken its place by the centre gate, formed up in a half-circle, where it plays music to entertain the new and old guard as well as the watching crowds. During this period, the two regimental colours are paraded up and down by the ensigns. With the old and new guards formed once again, the old guard and the band march out through the centre gates in slow time to their regimental slow march played by the band. At the end of the slow march, the captain of the old guard gives the word of command to 'break into quick time' and with a brisk five-pace roll from the drums, the band leads the way back to Wellington Barracks.
Horse Guards
The King's Life Guard is the mounted guard at the entrance to Horse Guards. Horse Guards is the official main entrance to both St James's Palace and Buckingham Palace ; however, sentries have been posted there since the Stuart Restoration, when the Palace of Whitehall was the main royal residence.The guard is on horseback from 10 am until 4 pm, with the two sentries changing every hour. From 4 pm until 8 pm a pair of dismounted sentries remain. At 8 pm, the gates of Horse Guards are locked, and a single sentry remains until 7 am. When the King is in London, the Guard consists of one officer, one corporal major, two non-commissioned officers, one trumpeter and eleven troopers. This is known as a "long guard". When the King is not resident in London, the Guard is reduced to two non-commissioned officers and ten troopers. This is known as a "short guard".
At the time of guard changing, the old guard forms up on the north side of the enclosure on Horse Guards Parade and the new guard on the south side. As the new guard arrives, each guard carries the standard and the trumpeters of both old and new guards sound the royal salute on the arrival of the new guard and the departure of the old guard. When both guards have formed up in the enclosure, the corporal major, senior NCO and sentries of the first relief of the new guard leave for the guard room, which is then handed over. The sentries of the old guard, after being relieved, rejoin the remainder of the old guard on the north side of the enclosure. The standard and trumpeters are only on parade with a long guard.
Procedure while at post
A sentry will be on duty "at their post" for two hours. Every 10 minutes, he comes to attention, slopes arms and does a march of 15 paces across the area of the post. Each sentry does this four to five times before halting. He then shoulders arms and stands at ease. "Standing easy" is not permitted whilst a sentry is at their post. Orders for sentry duty read out before each two-hour "tour of duty", make it clear that sentries "may not eat, sleep, smoke, stand easy, sit or lie down during tour of duty".Sentries receive instruction on how to eliminate nuisance or any suggestion of threat from members of the public. There is a protocol they follow which begins with "stamping". He will also shout: "Stand back from the King's Guard" or similar. If this does not eliminate the nuisance or threat he will repeat the stamp and shout again. If the nuisance or threat still does not cease the sentry will assume the position of "port arms" whereby he points his rifle at the source of the interference. If these warnings are not heeded the sentry then has the choice of detaining the person himself or pressing the button in his sentry box to summon assistance.
If a person steps in front of a sentry while he/she is marching, the latter will shout: "Make way for the King's Guard!".
Arms plot
Battalions on public duties were part of the regular arms plot, a system where infantry battalions were periodically rotated to various locations and different roles. Following the restructuring of the army announced in 2006, the arms plot system ceased – infantry battalions have now been given fixed roles and locations. In theory, this includes public duties in London, which will retain its two guards and one-line infantry battalion. However, for some postings, including public duties, light role infantry battalions will continue to rotate. In the case of public duties in London, the four Guards battalions will rotate every two years, with two being posted as part of the Field Army in 4th Light Brigade Combat Team, one with 11 Brigade, and one Light Role public duties battalion. The shift from two to one public duties battalion has been offset by the addition of two more incremental companies, and the addition of four Guards reserve companies - who take supporting roles such as street lining in important occasions as well as on combat operations.Personnel
King's Guards
Postings for the King's Guard are usually formed from one of the five regiments of foot guards:- Grenadier Guards
- Coldstream Guards
- Scots Guards
- Irish Guards
- Welsh Guards
On occasion, other units from the British Army and Royal Navy have provided the guard. Additionally, other units from the armed forces of several Commonwealth countries have formed the guard.