Viewing Ceremonial Cavalry in Modern-Day London
Walking in Whitehall in central London one day several months ago, we caught sight of a troop of Queen Elizabeth II’s Household Cavalry.
There in the midst of modern-day streets that were cordoned off and guarded by police officers, we saw lines of magnificent horses groomed to a T ridden by men who were resplendent in heavy coats crossed with sashes.
On their heads they wore high, polished helmets that reflected the cold winter sun, each one bearing thick plumes made from horse hair that cascaded to the bottom of their helmets.
From King Charles II to Today
According to the Household Cavalry Museum, the Household Cavalry was formed in 1661 under the direct order of King Charles II.
Today in 2009, it consists of the two senior regiments of the British Army – the Life Guards, and the Blues and Royals.
Each day they exchange duties and the regiment that is stationed at Buckingham Palace rides down the broad avenue called the Mall and ceremonially hands over its responsibilities to the other regiment which they rides back up the Mall to Buckingham Palace.
Gloved Hands and Shining Swords
That day we saw members of the Blues and Royals, dressed in their navy-blue capes with red collars and red plumes on their helmets. We also saw their fellow members from the Life Guards, and they were dressed in red capes with black collars and white plumes on their helmets.
All of these men of the cavalry also carried shining swords in their impeccably white-gloved hands.
You can see here in this photo when these two groups were ‘changing the Guard’, as it is called:
The Household Cavalry’s Two Roles
The cavalry has two roles: as a mounted regiment (on horseback), it guards Queen Elizabeth II on ceremonial occasions in London and across the United Kingdom. It’s also an essential element of the royal pageantry in England.
Its other role is as an operational regiment. There the regiment’s horses are replaced by armored fighting vehicles, and its men serve around the world, including units that are currently deployed on active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Along with its members being deployed in active service, the Household Cavalry also prides itself on its mission to further international peace keeping and humanitarian operations.
The Daily Ceremonial Procession To Buckingham Palace
The regiment holds its ceremonial Changing of the Queen’s Guard daily on the Horse Guards Parade which is adjacent to St. James’s Park.
After the ceremony, spectators like us on that cold winter day can watch the regiment proceed in all its pomp up the Mall to Buckingham Palace.
A linguistic footnote:
The Mall – the avenue that leads up to Buckingham Palace – has a special pronunciation in British English that rhymes with the word ‘pal’.
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