Why you should visit Horse Guards Parade on your next trip to London
When visiting London, historic sites, palaces and Royal Parks are usually high up on most visitors’ list of “must sees”. But don’t overlook Horse Guards Parade. Located smack dab in the middle of the “action”, Horse Guards is an easy hit and a short walk from Buckingham Palace.
It offers an interesting bit of history, a good alternative Changing of the Guard experience, a museum, and horses! It’s just something a little different and easy to incorporate into your central London sightseeing.
What is Horse Guards Parade?
The name “Horse Guards Parade” refers to the large, ceremonial parade ground in St James's Park. It’s literally an open space for ceremonial troop activities, at the site of one of London’s most historic buildings and headquarters of the Household Division.
It is most familiar as the scene of Trooping the Colour, an important part of the sovereign’s official birthday celebrations in June.
Horse Guards Parade is also the location of the floodlit musical spectacular of “Beating Retreat” by the massed bands of the Household Division, which takes place over two successive evenings in June.
The prominent 18th-century building that dominates the scene is referred to as Horse Guards, and serves as the official entrance to St. James's and Buckingham Palace. You can recognize it by its clock tower over a grand archway.
During the Trooping the Colour ceremony, the central windows of the Horse Guards building are opened so members of the Royal Family can watch the King reviewing his troops on the parade ground below.
The other buildings you will see while facing Horse Guards building are the Old Admiralty building on your left and Dover House and Cabinet buildings on your right. Also on your very right are the gardens behind 10 Downing Street.
The Horse Guards building is guarded daily by two mounted cavalry troopers of The King's Life Guard who are posted outside on the Whitehall side of the building, from 10am to 4pm daily. This is technically the front of the building and can be accessed from the Parade through the archway.
Since they are quite accessible to tourists on the street, and look very grand in the shiny, high-helmeted Life Guard uniforms on their beautiful horses, they are quite popular for photo taking. But be careful - if you get too close or impede their view you will get the official reprimand, a very loud rebuke of “Make way for the King’s Guard!” That’ll get your attention!
There are also dismounted sentries (members of the Life Guard but not on horseback) posted in the courtyard in the front of the building and they make their rounds at regular intervals. Be aware that they absolutely won’t stop for you if you get in their way and will walk right through you. (I learned this the hard way! I don’t know if it was just that tall imposing helmet, but the guard who pushed past me gave the impression of being eight feet tall!) There are white lines marking where onlookers should stand so as to not get in the sentries’ way and it’s best to make sure you are behind them! And we actually did see one of the soldiers draw his sword out in front, on the sidewalk when onlookers didn’t get the message that they were too close to him.
The Changing of the Guard at Horse Guards Parade
The King’s Life Guard are the guards on horseback that have the personal charge of guarding the sovereign. Just as the foot soldiers have a changing of the guard ceremony at the Palaces, so do the mounted guard.
The Life Guard change takes place at Horse Guards Parade at 11:00 am daily and 10:00 am on Sundays.
This is a different kind of guard change than the one at Buckingham Palace. It is a smaller and shorter ceremony. But that also makes it easier to get closer to the action without having to arrive an hour ahead of time. Horse Guards Parade is a large area so there is ample room for onlookers. And for anyone who likes horses, this is a fun event to witness.
We got to Horse Guards Parade only 15 minutes early at about 10:45 and got right in front next to the ropes.
The New Guard arrive on their horses, having ridden up the Mall from their barracks at Hyde Park Corner, to line up facing the Old Guard.
After a short inspection, some of the relieved guards will leave for the Guard Room, while the remainder will join other soldiers in the courtyard. The New Guard will follow through the archway to the front of Horse Guards to take their positions. The rest of the ceremony takes place out front, so you can walk through to see it.
The Old Guard will head back toward Buckingham Palace, up Constitution Hill, and into the Hyde Park Barracks.
If you are lucky enough to be there when the king is in residence, there will also be a trumpeter playing a Royal Salute at the beginning and end of the ceremony.
Even if you aren’t at the scene for the Life Guard change, it is easy to catch the Household Cavalry traveling to and from Horse Guards Parade, processing from their barracks near Hyde Park Corner, down Constitution Hill, and then onto the Mall. The New Guard will pass around 10:40 and the Old Guard will pass at around 11:30.
There are also a few other small guard ceremonies that take place frequently at this location, so if you are in the area and Big Ben strikes the hour, you can check them out anytime without much planning ahead and without much worry about a crowd. A little knowledge goes a long way!
Hourly ceremony - While the entire cavalry unit is on-duty, the two individual mounted sentries change every hour, so this is also a small ceremony you can see from the front of the building on Whitehall Street. It’s fun because it involves the horses exchanging places through the black sentry boxes and then you can watch the soldiers going off duty performing a showy dismount and walking their horses into the stables. This takes place every hour on the hour until 4 pm so there is plenty of opportunity to see it without a crowd if you are in the area and remember to check it out on the hour.
Standing sentry change - Another opportunity to see a little changing ceremony takes place every 2 hours when the dismounted sentries standing under the arches change. (These are the dudes who will walk over you or yell at you if you get in their way! So stay back and respect their space!) A NCO comes out with the new guards and there is a short exchange that takes place mostly under the archway and lots of heel clicking.
Dismounting Ceremony - Mounted sentries are on duty at Horse Guards parade from 10 am until 4 pm daily, when they are relieved by dismounted sentries. These guys will stay on duty until 8pm when the gates are closed. Overnight, there is only one sentry until 7am. So at the end of the day, at 4pm, there is another small “changing” ceremony in the courtyard. This is officially known as the Dismounting Ceremony, but is sometimes referred to as “the Punishment Ceremony”, because legend has it that Queen Victoria ordered a late-in-the-day inspection of her guards because she found they were getting drunk on duty. She commanded that this inspection should take place for the next 100 years - a date that has since past, but the tradition carries on.
For an in-depth look at the entire Changing of the Guard ceremony, and our recommendations for how to best enjoy it, check out our blog post Experiencing the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, St. James’ Palace and Wellington Barracks.
The Household Cavalry Museum
I was very pleasantly surprised by how delightful the Household Cavalry Museum is! You’ll find the modest entryway on the left of the building as you are facing it from the parade ground, just past the Equestrian Statue of the Viscount Wolseley.
The low-key museum is situated in the working stable, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the ceremonial and operational roles of the Household Cavalry. It wasn’t crowded at all when we were there in the late morning on a Tuesday, and we bought tickets when we walked in; no planning ahead was necessary.
There are lots of interesting and rare artifacts displayed: uniforms, weapons, instruments, personal letters, royal standards, and lots of horse equipment. You can also learn a lot about the rigorous training the troopers go through and their personal stories.
Most interestingly, you can get a peek at the working horses in the stables through a smoked glass partition (so they don’t get spooked by the visitors). This was a delightful treat - when we first bought our tickets and the woman at the counter said something about “seeing horses today”, I didn’t get what she meant - we had just “seen horses” during the changing of the guard. But then I understood that she was telling us that horses were actively in the stable.
This is a great spot for kids. It’s not expensive and kids can spend a lot of time in the stable area, dressing up in real uniforms, trying their hand at tacking a wooden horse, or just enjoying looking at the real animals and their handlers through the glass.
Worth a visit for any age. If you come to see the Life Guard change, just meander in afterward.
The Household Cavalry Museum is open daily at 10am
April – October: closes at 6pm
November – March: closes at 5pm
Last Admission: 45 minutes before closing
Due to ceremonial and other activities on Horse Guards Parade, hours are subject to change.
Did you know? - You can identify the regiments of the Household by their uniforms:
The Life Guards wear scarlet tunics and metal helmets with white plumes.
The Blues and Royals wear blue tunics and metal helmets with red plumes.
They always ride black horses, except for the trumpeters, who ride Grays.
FAQs:
Is there a charge to visit Horse Guards Parade?
No, there is no charge to visit Horse Guards Parade. However, there is a fee to enter the Household Cavalry Museum, £6 for adults and £4 for children.
Some special events, like Beating Retreat, require a purchased ticket.
How do I get to Horse Guards Parade?
The easiest way to get to Horse Guards Parade is to walk up the Mall from Buckingham Palace and hang a right by the South African Artillery Memorial onto Horse Guards Road.
You can also enter the front of the building via the courtyard on Whitehall Street.
The official address is: The Household Division, Horse Guards, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX
Via Underground, the nearest stations are Westminster, Embankment, or Charing Cross
Via railway, the nearest station is Charing Cross.
By bus, you can use routes 3, 11, 12, 24, 53, 87, 88, 159, or 453
What exactly is the Trooping of the Colour?
The most important event of the year for Horse Guards Parade is the Trooping of the Colour, which takes place every June and is the sovereign’s official birthday parade. British monarchs have two birthdays - their “real” one on the day they were born is celebrated privately, and the “official" one which always takes place in June and is celebrated by the public.
During the ceremony, the King personally inspects the troops of the Household Division. The 'Colour' refers to the battalion flag that is ' trooped' or carried slowly up and down the ranks of the soldiers. Traditionally the reason this was done was so that each man could be familiar with his battalion's flag, used as a rallying point during battle.
After the main ceremony, the King leads the troops, traditionally on horseback, down the Mall to Buckingham Palace. He then takes the salute at the Palace (soldiers walk past him saluting the King salutes back). At the end of the ceremony, The King appears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Can I watch the Trooping of the Colour at Horse Guards Parade?
The procession can be viewed along The Mall or along the edge of St. James's Park facing Horse Guards Parade (across the street). Tickets for the seated stands around Horse Guards Parade are allocated by ballot in March. Applications must be made in January and February.
What else is there to see in the area of Horse Guards Parade?
Horse Guards Parade is located in the heart of London, between the “royal” area of the Mall and the “government” area of Whitehall Street.
10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister, is right behind Horse Guards Parade.
Churchill War Rooms are located just a short walk from Horse Guards Parade, on King Charles Street. This great museum is the real-life secret secure bunker that served as the command center for the British government during the war. We highly recommend it! To read more about it, take a look at our previous blog post Visiting London in Winter and Christmas.
Many interesting statues and monuments highlight the walk down Parliament Street from Horse Guards into Westminster, where you can see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. There are also some great pubs in this area. We loved St. Stephen’s Tavern!
Horse Guards Parade is connected to scenic St. James’ Park, and is about a 15-minute walk to Buckingham Palace.
And finally, I personally recommend you take a quick walk to the Mall and visit the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Memorial, my favorite monument in London. It’s only 5 minutes away and worth it!
Now get on your horse and visit Horse Guards Parade! ;)
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