Ceremonial Events in London
Ceremonial duties are an important part of Army history and tradition, and all soldiers undertaking these duties are highly trained soldiers who also play an important part in military operations worldwide.
Regular ceremonies in London
11.00am Changing the King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards Parade
The mounted Regiments change The King’s Life Guard at the entrance to Horse Guards, daily at 11.00am (10.00am on Sundays only). There are two types of King’s Life Guard. A Long Guard consisting of 17 men is mounted when The King is resident in London, otherwise a Short Guard made up of 12 men is mounted.
11.00am Changing the Guard at Windsor Castle
Very similar to The Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Battalion of Foot Guards stationed at Windsor provide the daily Guard.
4.00pm - 'The 4 o’clock Parade Horse Guards'
Horseguards is the official entrance to Buckingham Palace. The King’s Life Guard is mounted here and is inspected daily at 4 o’clock.
10.00pm - The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
For over 700 years, the Tower has been locked every night and no one allowed in or out without the password.
The ceremony of 'The Keys' still takes place at 7 minutes to ten each night, when the Chief Yeoman Warder, escorted by the military Guard, marches from the Byward Tower to lock the heavy wooden gates to the fortress.
Annual ceremonies in London
Beating Retreat
The Household Division Massed Bands undertake Beating Retreat, usually in June . There are only 2 performances these take place at 6.30pm on Horse Guards Parade.
Trooping the Colour
To mark the Sovereign’s official birthday the Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place at Horse Guards Parade each year.
Trooping the Colour is one of the greatest spectacles in the British calendar of ceremonial events, it is also known as 'The King's Birthday Parade'. The King's official birthday is June 12th but the Parade is not always held on this day.
There are usually two 'rehearsals' for Trooping the Colour and the official event, all are worth seeing:
Major General's Review
Colonel's Review (usually one week before the King's Birthday Parade).
More information can be found on the Household Division website and official tickets can be purchased here.
The State Opening of Parliament
His Majesty The King officially opens Parliament, usually November or December.
The Lords Mayor’s Procession
A very colourful and musical spectacle, comprising of floats, bands and ceremonial parades.
FAQ About Ceremonial Events
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The General's Review and The Colonel's Review are available to the public.
Due to demand tickets for The King’s Birthday Parade are allocated by ballot which you can enter between January and February.
Tickets to the Major General's Review and The Colonel's Review can be purchased online between January and February.
You can also see the parades from The Mall and from the edge of St James's Park facing Horse Guards Parade without tickets.
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Sorry to say the answer is no!
The only way is to get tickets to The Kings's Birthday Parade is to apply online between January and February.
The reason for this is that the demand for tickets normally exceeds the number of places available in the seated stands.
We understand it can be frustrating, but the Household Division adopted this policy as a way to give every applicant an equal chance.
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Gun salutes are fired on the following Royal anniversaries:
Accession Day – 8 September
The King's Birthday – 14 November
The King's official birthday - a Saturday in June
Coronation Day - 6 May 2023
The State Opening of Parliament - usually November or December
Prorogation of Parliament
Meeting of a visiting Head of State and the Sovereign in London, Windsor or Edinburgh
Gun salutes are also fired to mark Royal births and when a visiting Head of State meets the King in London.
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Tickets for Beating Retreat are sold online from The Household Division.
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For the State Opening of Parliament, the King travels by horse drawn carriage along the Royal Route from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.
