The armed forces played a major role in the pomp and ceremony that is part of the State Opening of Parliament, which took place today. In all, 1384 members of the Armed Forces and 229 horses were on public show in a variety of ceremonial roles.
The State Opening of Parliament is one of the highlights of the London Ceremonial calendar when all elements of the Army’s Household Division, and other elements of the Armed Forces, line the streets and escort Her Majesty The Queen’s procession from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords.The State Opening marks the formal start of the next parliamentary session. The primary purpose of this colourful tradition is to set out the government’s legislative agenda to both Houses of Parliament in the Queen’s Speech.
The Processional Route was by way of The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards, Whitehall and Parliament Street.
The Queen’s Procession left Buckingham Palace for the House of Lords at 11am. Her Majesty The Queen was escorted by The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, with their mounted Troopers resplendent in silver helmets and cuirasses, and Cavalry black horses groomed to a mirror shine. At Horse Guards, The Queen’s Life Guard turned out the Guard as Her Majesty was escorted through the Front Yard.
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With less than a month to go before the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Household Division is busy rehearsing for this highlight in the ceremonial calendar. This year the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who are celebrating their centenary this year, will Troop their Colour in front of Her Majesty on Saturday 13th June on Horse Guards Parade.
EARLY MORNING REHEARSAL FOR STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT
While London slept, the Armed Forces were rehearsing their movements for next week’s State Opening of Parliament event in the streets around Westminster. The Royal Horse Artillery and Cavalrymen were up just after one o’clock this morning preparing their horses but the effort is worth it because it meant that the Household Division was able to put the finishing touches to their precision procession on empty roads and with the minimum disruption to the capital’s normal routine.
The State Opening of Parliament is one of the most colourful events in the London Ceremonial calendar when all elements of the Army’s Household Division, and other elements of the Armed Forces, line the streets and escort Her Majesty The Queen from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords. The State Opening marks the formal start of the new parliamentary session. The primary purpose of this colourful tradition is to set out the government’s legislative agenda to both Houses of Parliament in the Queen’s Speech.
Military units taking part this year are the Royal Navy, The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards, Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, F Company Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, the Honourable Artillery Company, the Royal Air Force, The Royal Artillery Band, Band of the Grenadier Guards, Band of the Coldstream Guards, Band of the Scots Guards, Band of the Irish Guards, Band of the Welsh Guards, with 10 Signal Regiment in support.
Prince Harry concludes his military attachment.
© Australian Defence Force (ADF)
Queen Elizabeth II attended the amalgamation parade of The Queen’s Royal Lancers and 9th/12th lancers (Prince of Wales’s) at Richmond Castle on May 2, 2015 in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
The Queen took the Royal Salute in the historic castle grounds before inspecting and addressing the parade of the newly formed The Royal Lancers before the Regiment marched past the saluting dias.
© Ian Forsyth/Getty Images UK
The New Princess of Cambridge
It’s a girl!
From all of us at the British Embassy in U.S., congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their daughter! #WelcomeToTheFamily
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a daughter at 8.34 a.m. HRH and her child are both doing well.
Pictured: The easel at Buckingham Palace giving details of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s daughter today via The British Monarchy
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his son Prince George return to the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital on May 2, 2015 in London, England.
© Press Association
The Queen, Colonel-in-Chief, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, and The Prince of Wales, accompanied by The Duchess of Cornwall, presented the new Colours to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at today, before joining the regiment and their guests at a Regimental Garden Party in the castle grounds.
This is the eighth set of Colours that have been presented to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards in their 100 year history. Colours are the Regimental Flags of the British Army. They were originally used as rallying points on the battlefield as long ago as the Kings of Babylon. They were vital because before modern communications, it was all too easy for troops to become disorientated by the fog of war. From the reign of Queen Anne every regiment has been awarded two colours: the Queen’s Colour and the Regimental Colour. In the Guards Regiments the Queen’s Colour is crimson silk and the Regimental Colour is the Union Flag.
The Queen’s Colour of the Welsh Guards carries a red dragon above the motto “Cymru Am Byth” in the centre, while the Regimental Colour carries a Company badge. Both carry the most notable of the Regiment’s Battle Honours.
The New Colours for the Welsh Guards carry 21 out of their 47 Battle Honours, the last being Falkland Islands 1982. Since then the Welsh Guards has served operationally in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012.
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Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia and New Zealand accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, attend a commemorative ceremony marking the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign on April 25, 2015 in London, United Kingdom.
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