The Changing of the Guard: A Visitor's Guide
Bearskins, brass bands and centuries of ceremony — when it happens, where to stand, and how to tell the regiments apart at this free London spectacle.
It is one of London’s great free spectacles: scarlet tunics, towering bearskin caps and a military band marching through the heart of the capital. The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is pure pageantry — and with a little planning, very easy to enjoy.
What it actually is
The ceremony — properly the Changing of the King’s Guard — is the formal handover of duty from the Old Guard to the New Guard at Buckingham Palace. It is carried out by the Household Division, accompanied by a regimental band, and the whole thing lasts around 45 minutes. Beneath the spectacle it is a genuine, working military routine, performed with extraordinary precision.
When it happens
The ceremony usually begins at 11am, traditionally on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, though the schedule varies by season and is typically confirmed only a few weeks in advance. It is completely free — no tickets, no booking. Because dates change (and can be cancelled at short notice for weather or state events), always check the official schedule before you set off.
Where to watch
The crowds gather thick at the Palace railings, so arrive at least 45 minutes early for a front-row spot. Often the best views are not at the Palace itself but along the route: the gates of St James’s Palace, along The Mall, or by the Victoria Memorial, where you can see the guards and band marching to and from the ceremony with fewer heads in the way.
Telling the regiments apart
Half the fun is identifying which of the five Foot Guards regiments is on duty. They look almost identical in red and bearskin, but the clues are in the details: the colour and position of the plume on the cap, and the spacing of the tunic buttons — singly for the Grenadiers, in pairs for the Coldstream, threes for the Scots, fours for the Irish and fives for the Welsh Guards.
It is a small, splendid lesson in tradition — and proof that in London, some of the best things really are free.
Schedules change seasonally and at short notice — always check the official Household Division / Royal Family websites on the day before you go.
