We kind of accidentally stumbled across the Horse Guards (technically, the Queen’s Life Guards), and of course I annoyed the kids by insisting that they take the obligatory photo in front of the oh-so-serious guard and his handsome horse. I wish we had timed our stop better so that we could have seen the Changing of the Guards, but it was neat to see a guard “up-close” and away from the enormous crowds at Buckingham. If we’d been just a little later, we could have seen the Four o’Clock Parade, which dates back to 1894 when Queen Victoria found the entire guard drinking and gambling while on duty. As punishment, she ordered that they be inspected by an officer for the next 100 years! Although the 100 years were up in 1994, Queen Elizabeth II wanted the tradition to continue. | The present Horse Guard building dates back to 1745. On the large clock in the center of the building, there is a black mark for 2 p.m. to mark the moment of the execution of King Charles I in 1649. April 1, 2017.
That is SO cool! I love the title here and the story behind it! I think I would be one of those kids who grew up wanting to be a guard for the Queen if I had grown up in England!
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