A Day of Ceremonies

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CHANGING OF THE GUARD

This morning we are watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It’s a beautiful building with so much history. We get there at 10ish and even though it starts just after 11 and people are already getting there.

Met Michael who is 60 plus years old, he gave us lots of tips on where to stand as he comes to watch the ceremony at least once a fortnight. He is a proud member of the monarchy association and loves all things to do with the queen. He has met the queen and also the queen mother.

While we were waiting we were lucky enough to see the horse guards go passed while they were doing there change over as well. The beautiful horses were huge and in superb condition, especially with Egypt’s horses still fresh in my mind.

There are the guards and also the army bands in the parade. It was longer than what Tim expected but he had a good time as it was so well done and thanks to Michael we had great spots. We were next to the centre gate so when the incoming and outgoing guards left along with the band they all marched passed us. It’s impossible to see every part of the ceremony from any one spot, so to see everything you would need to go on two days, once to see the march past and once to see what goes on behind the gates.

There were loads of people at ceremony, well over 2,000. Big police presence including community police and mounted police.

The whole thing was absolutely spectacular. They all looked amazing. It doesn’t look that great when we have a shift change at work, must be the big furry bear hats they wear…

After ceremony Michael showed us to one of the oldest pubs in London (now we know why we couldn’t find a pub last night, they are all tucked down little side streets) and also a memorial to the queen mother and the shop that makes all the hats for the royal family. The building it is in was built in the 1600’s!

Walked past Prince Charles, Williams and Harry’s residence which was close by. It’s a large white building and because there wasn’t a large number of guards it meant that they weren’t in. If we knew we could’ve stayed there, don’t want all those rooms and staff going to waste…

After saying farewell to Michael we went back and had a drink in the old pub then caught the tube to London Tower.

LONDON TOWER

We did the audio tour of the tower, pretty good, descriptive and easy to follow. There is so much to see and do though that two and half hours is not enough.

It was built as a fortress centuries ago (started in 1066) and was so secure that the King and Queen would always retreat here when threatened as it was so safe. It was also used as a prison for some of the worst prisoners, some were tortured and some even executed, makes for plenty of scary stories for the staff to tell the kids when they are being naughty. It has been attacked several times and even bombed during World War 2.

Even though time was short we made sure we saw the crown jewels (how could a girl turn that down!), so beautiful and so much bling in one room. There was a big safe with a huge heavy door, nobody would be getting in (or out) of there after closing. The queue was long but moved reasonably quick, there was a conveyor belt moving everyone past the crown jewels so you couldn’t stand there for too long and no photo’s were allowed.

The White Tower (which used to be the King and Queens residence) is now a museum for the different armories’ and artifacts from all through the times. They even had the exact clothing and weapons of the different Kings, some centuries old which was pretty interesting and amazing to see, especially as some were made for them when they were still small children.

Got kicked out at 5:30pm for closing, saw most but not all - another reason to come back!

Then we had 4 hours to kill before the keys ceremony. So we had a wander, had Subway for tea and Tim is happy as he sees an A380 plane fly overhead which was much bigger than all the others. Not bad for someone who doesn’t like planes!

Walked across the London Bridge and now have the London Bridge song stuck in my head and not the Fergie version, the London Bridge is falling down version! Everything is closed, so unlike every other city we’ve been to. So we sit alongside the river for a while and watch the world go by and the sun set.

It’s freezing cold and it takes forever for 9:30 to come. It’s the first time we’ve really had English weather so I suppose can’t really complain.

CEREMONY OF THE KEYS

There are about one hundred people here for the ceremony, people from Poland, America, Australia and England. We are all told what the process will be beforehand, again no photo’s.

Michael told us earlier where to stand, so as soon as we get inside we make sure we are at the front when we stand with our backs to Traitors Gate.

Just before it is due to start another large group comes from the other side and joins us. They are all well dressed and most are quite elderly. We think as this weekend was the anniversary for the start of Battle of Britain, they may have something to do with that.

Ceremony starts just before 10pm and is all done by 10:20.

It’s a very traditional ceremony and has been done for hundreds of years. It’s basically when the keys are brought to the Tower, the guard on duty receives them, goes with the keys holder and the other guards and locks all the doors. It’s also where the famed line ‘Halt, who goes there’ comes from, although they actually ask who comes!

After the ceremony we are allowed to ask any questions and he answers them all. We learn that to be a ‘beef-eater’ (Yeaman, pronounced yow-man, Warden) have to have done 22 years in the military, reached the rank of sergeant major and have an unblemished record. There are 20 here in all, only one woman and they all live in the grounds of the Tower with their families, along with a vicar, a doctor and a publican. There are 35 Grenadier Guards here at all times to protect the area and conduct 24hr shifts.

We all get ushered out of London Tower through a small door, literally, Tim has to duck, and then it’s over.

We are freezing cold so it’s good to get back to the subway as it’s nice and warm in there.

 

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