The traditional Changing of the Guard ceremonies at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, which sees marching soldiers in bearskin hats and heavy uniforms and horses take part, has been halted
The traditional Changing of the Guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle have been axed for the rest of the week amid sweltering temperatures.
The ceremonies, which take place most days outside the royal residences, see visitors gather to see soldiers in their heavy bearskin hats and red tunic process to and from buildings to the sound of a military band, with horses taking part.
However, with temperatures in London and the Windsor area set to reach up to 39 °C in the coming days, leading the Met Office to issue a risk to life red weather warning, Changing of the Guard ceremonies tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday have been cancelled. It also did not go ahead today.
The Army In London, which puts on the ceremonies, said they had to be cancelled in order to protect soldiers, horses and spectators, who watch the spectacle.
It explained in a statement: “Due to forecasted excessive temperatures this week, including a red heat alert mid-week, there will be some important changes to Ceremonial Operations across London and Windsor.
“The well-being of our soldiers, military working horses, and the public who gather in large numbers to watch these events is always our priority. In line with advice from the Met Office and other Government agencies, who are recommending a reduction in travel and outdoor activities, the following changes are in place this week: There will be no ceremonial Guard Changes in Windsor or London on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.”
Meanwhile, the heatwave has also meant changes to the usual guarding of royal buildings and at other locations, such as Horse Guards Parade.
The statement added: “On Wednesday, the King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards will change without ceremony at 0800 to avoid heat stress to the horses.
“While soldiers are on Guard, you may notice they have been moved to shaded positions and are changed more frequently — this is normal practice in hot weather.
“We know this is a busy and popular time of year to visit, and we’re sorry if this is disappointing. Thank you for your understanding, and please do follow the Met Office advice to stay safe in the heat.”
The Household Troops – or Guards – have protected the Sovereign since 1660 and have been patrolling outside Buckingham Palace since Queen Victoria made it her official residence in 1837.
During the Changing of the Guard ceremony, also known as Guard Mounting, the Old Guard – the soldiers currently on duty – line up in front of the Palace and are replaced by the New Guard, which arrives from Wellington Barracks. The New Guard is accompanied by a Band or Corps of Drums.
It comes as a ‘heat-dome’ is settling over western Europe and could bring temperatures of nearly 40C by Wednesday, with this latest heatwave expected to surpass the record for June of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976.
A red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday. The temperature could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3 °C, which was measured in July 2022.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “The Met Office is flagging 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East.
“It is possible we could see temperatures higher than 39 °C if the final values are at the upper end of our narrow range.”
