Blues and Royals - Four O'Clock Parade - 20 April 2015

The Queen's Life Guard is found on alternate days by each of the Household Cavalry Regiments, The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals, at Horse Guards (the building) on Whitehall. The Queen's Life Guard is on this day found by The Blues and Royals. A Short Guard comprising two Non-Commissioned Officers, usually and on this day a Corporal of Horse (equivalent to Sergeant) and a Lance Corporal, plus ten Troopers, is mounted when The Queen is not resident in London. A Long Guard comprising an Officer, Corporal Major (equivalent to Sergeant Major), two Non-Commissioned Officers, a Trumpeter and ten Troopers is mounted when The Queen is resident in London.
With a Short Guard, the Orderly (Duty) Officer inspects the Guard at 16:00, known as the Four O'Clock Parade. With a Long Guard, the Captain of The Queen's Life Guard undertakes the inspection.

The first Royal Court in London was on the site of the current Houses of Parliament, still known as the "Palace" of Westminster. At that time the area was rural with the walled City of London ending near where St Paul's Cathedral stands today, almost two miles away. As the Westminster site grew more as a place of government, King Henry VIII re-established the Royal Court at the Palace of Whitehall in 1530. Across the road (the road itself was also known as "Whitehall" as still is) from the Palace, a guards barracks was built to guard the Palace opposite. That barracks site is today the building known as Horse Guards. When the Palace of Whitehall was destroyed by fire in 1698, the Royal Court moved to St James's Palace, excepting that King William preferred Kensington Palace during his reign. The Gateway at Horse Guards (the building) became the official entry through which dignitaries passed on their way through St James's Park to St James's Palace. When Queen Victoria established Buckingham Palace as her residence, Horse Guards remained the official entry and that is why the Household Cavalry mount guard there today. All Royal weddings, funerals, coronations and Heads of State still pass through Horse Guards Arch.

To see The Life Guards perform the Four O'Clock Parade the next day, see here;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbsIcmUkbFQ

Видео Blues and Royals - Four O'Clock Parade - 20 April 2015 канала GrenadierGuardsDmr