The Household Cavalry and the Coronation

These soldiers who participate in parades on horseback are on active duty, and also drive tanks in war zones

- Dr Mac

The Household Cavalry are the personal guardians of the British monarch. The soldiers on duty at Buckingham Palace in London are formally replaced in a daily ceremony more than 350 years old: the famous ‘Changing of the Guard’. It is a spectacle enjoyed by generations of tourists.

When in London, the cavalry fall under the direct control of the monarch or a duly constituted representative. These mounted soldiers not only protect the Royal Family when they are in London or participating in royal processions such as the coronation of Charles III, but are also deployed in front-line service during times of conflict or on international peacekeeping or humanitarian missions.

HISTORY

The Household Cavalry Museum, in the Horse Guards building in Whitehall, is well worth a visit. Whitehall was built in 1750 and still houses a large stable for the Household Cavalry horses.