If there is one thing about London that everyone seems to know about, or at least has heard of, it’s the changing of the guard. Back when we were planning our first trip to London in 2016, this is the one thing that popped up on every must-do list and appeared in every visitor’s guide.
During the changing of the guard, members of the Royal Body Guard stationed at Buckingham and St. James’s Palaces are replaced by fresh guard members in an elaborate ceremony accompanied by a military marching band. Basically, it’s a fancy shift change and it’s been done in roughly the same way since 1656.
With all that history and tradition, it was an easy decision to include the changing of the guard on our first London itinerary. Unfortunately, figuring out where, how and when to watch the ceremony was a bit more challenging. The changing of the guard is multi-faceted event which moves between several locations. That’s why you’ll see websites showing conflicting start times… it all depends on what portion they are describing. Also, days and times for the ceremony change according to the season.
When and Where to Watch the Changing of the Guard
Here’s a basic schedule breakdown for the changing of the guard:
10:30 AM – The Old Guard that has been stationed at St. James’s Palace is inspected and begins to march, with either a band or drum corps, down the mall toward Buckingham Palace. At around the same time, the Old Guard at Buckingham forms in the courtyard for inspection.
10:40 – The New Guard, and a band, forms up at Wellington Barracks. They are joined by a flag corps and then march toward Buckingham.
10:45 AM – The Old Guard from St. James’s arrives at Buckingham and enters through the south front gate.
11:00 AM – The main ceremony begins when the New Guard from Wellington Barracks arrives at Buckingham and enters through the north front gate. New sentries are placed and the military marching band and drum corps play a selection of traditional and pop music.
11:35ish – The Guard returns to formation and the Old Guard leaves through the center gate to march back to Wellington Barracks. The New Guard splits into two sections, with one portion remaining at Buckingham and entering the Guard Room. The portion of the New Guard that will be stationed at St. James’s exits and marches back down the mall. The time this occurs varies a bit depending on the selection of music the bands preform. The entire thing ends around 11:45 to noon.
During most of the year, the changing of the guard ceremony takes place every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). However, during the summer months of July and August the ceremony takes place every day.
For a full explanation of the ceremony and a complete schedule, check out The Household Division’s website here.
How to Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
There are two main spots for watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham.
The steps of the Victoria Memorial provides the best views. From here, you can see the guards marching to and from Buckingham and they will pass right in front of the memorial. You’ll also be able to see into the center gate to watch the main ceremony in the courtyard.
Directly in front of the Buckingham fence is another excellent spot to see the ceremony. This will give you a closer view of the courtyard, but it is harder to see the guards approaching. But, while you are waiting, you can see a slice of life going on at the palace. We saw the mail arrive, and many of the household staff and officials coming and going through the courtyard. This is also the best spot if you might want to leave early. The Victoria Memorial roundabout is blocked off during the ceremony, so it’s not possible to cross the street to leave from there until the guards have exited.
The changing of the guard draws huge crowds, so plan to arrive early. For the best spots, arrive around 9:30 AM. The area around the Victoria Monument fills up first and by 10AM there will already be crowded. I took the photo above at about 8:30 AM (we weren’t staying for the changing of the guard that day) but by the time the guard arrives, it looks more like the photo below. That’s a lot of people, and selfie sticks.
Pros & Cons for Changing of the Guard at Buckingham
I’ll be very honest and say that I was disappointed the first time we watched the changing of the guard. In fact, no one in our group of 6 adults enjoyed it much. Since this is a VERY popular activity, there is always a large crowd. Everyone is trying to get a good view, so there’s a bit of jostling and absolutely no personal space. During our first visit, the musical program seemed to stretch on, and most of our group found that portion boring. Also, the main part of the ceremony is inside the Buckingham gates, so it’s hard to see even in the best viewing spots.
All that negativity aside, this is an iconic London activity. It’s a neat piece of history to see, and this level of pomp and pageantry is one of the things that makes London so unique. The changing of the guard has a bit of everything… it’s a parade, a military ceremony and a concert all rolled into one with a big splash of British patriotism and tradition. Plus, the red uniforms are so elaborate and pretty. Oh, and it’s free, so it’s a great for the vacation budget.
I’m glad we included it in our first London itinerary, and I do recommend it to other visitors as long as they have realistic expectations, but there are also some excellent alternatives that will give you a similar experience.
Alternatives to Changing of the Guard at Buckingham
Though the main ceremony happens at Buckingham palace, it’s also possible to watch the start of the action at St. James’s Palace. Here, the old guard assembles and is inspected before leaving to march, with a military band, towards Buckingham. At St. James’s, the ceremony is much shorter, but the crowds are smaller and it is often possible to get a better view and photos. Also, since there are far fewer people attending, you won’t need to arrive as early.
I also recommend checking out the Changing of the Queen’s Life Guard. Though this ceremony happens at a similar time as the changing of the guard, it is a separate activity that occurs daily (as opposed to the every-other-day schedule of the Buckingham ceremony).
The Queen’s Life Guard is a Calvary mounted regiment. The main portion of the Changing of the Life Guard starts at 11AM on Monday – Saturday or 10AM on Sunday, at the Horse Guards Parade off Whitehall Street. Like the changing of the guard, this is a mobile ceremony with participants arriving from other locations. At 10:30 the fresh mounted Life Guard leaves Hyde Park Barracks, rides through Hyde Park Corner, along Constitution Hill and down the Mall to arrive at Horse Guards Parade at 11AM. There, the old mounted units and the new mounted units meet for a ceremony involving plenty of trumpets and marching horses.
The upside of the Changing of Queen’s Life Guard is that it occurs in an open space, so it’s easy to get a good view. It’s also shorter than the ceremony at Buckingham and the crowds are much smaller. Plus, the horses are just really cool.
If you are looking for an afternoon activity, check out the 4 o’clock parade. During this daily dismounting ceremony, in the courtyard in front of the Horse Guard Parade, the mounted guards are inspected and the horses are taken to the stables for the night. This ceremony is the quickest of all the changing-of-the-guard activities in London (it lasts about 10 minutes) and draws the smallest crowd. But, it’s also the least elaborate. We have been to this twice and enjoyed it, but there is much less pageantry than any of the other options.
Quick Tips for Watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham
- Arrive early, by 9:30AM for the best viewing spots
- Have your whole group arrive at the same time as it’s not possible to save spots
- If taking the subway, get off at Victoria Station for the shortest walk to Buckingham
- Use the toilet prior to arriving. There are no public toilets available in the area.
- Bring water. There is no food or beverages available in the area.
- Use a selfie stick or monopod to take photos over the crowd.
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