Changing the Guard

Changing the Guard

Changing the Guard will take place at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle on the following days between August and October 2012:

Buckingham Palace 
August - odd days (1, 3, 5, etc) EXCEPT 7 and 11 August, PLUS 2, 6, 8, 10 and 12 August)
September - even days (2, 4, 6, etc.)
October - even days (2, 4, 6, etc.)

Windsor Castle
NB - Changing the Guard does not take place on Sundays
August - even days (2, 4, 6, etc.)
September - odd days (1, 3, 5, etc.)
October - odd days (1, 3, 5, etc.)
Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting is the process involving a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard.

The Guard which mounts at Buckingham Palace is called The Queen’s Guard and is divided into two Detachments: the Buckingham Palace Detachment (which is responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace), and the St. James’s Palace Detachment, (which guards St. James’s Palace). These guard duties are normally provided by a battalion of the Household Division and occasionally by other infantry battalions or other units.

When Guardsmen are on duty, the soldiers are drawn from one of the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army: the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards.