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Horse Guards Parade Review

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Horse Guards Parade

Address: Whitehall, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AX | Map It
Phone: 020/7930-4832

Category: Squares
Location: Westminster and Royal London

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.2/5

Fodor's Review:

Once the tiltyard of Whitehall Palace, where jousting tournaments were held, the Horse Guards Parade is now notable mainly for the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony, in which the Queen takes the salute, her official birthday tribute, on the second Saturday in June. (Like Paddington Bear, the Queen has two birthdays; her real one is on April 21.) There is pageantry galore, with marching bands and throngs of onlookers. Covering the vast expanse of the square that faces Horse Guards Road, opposite St. James's Park at one end and Whitehall at the other, the ceremony is televised. At the Whitehall facade of Horse Guards, the changing of two mounted sentries known as the Sovereign's Life Guards provides what may be London's most popular photo opportunity. The ceremony lasts about half an hour.

Open: Queen's mounted guard ceremony Mon.-Sat. 11AM and 4 PM, Sun. 10 AM and 4 PM
Tube: Westminster

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by ecambridge from Cambridge, MA on 6/23/08
My 16 year old niece and I visited Horse Guards early evening, not for the changing ceremony but just to see the two guards stationed near the parade area guarding the building. My niece walked up to one of the guards who was extremely handsome and began talking to him. He was able to reply to her without making it obvious to onlookers that he was talking. Within about 10 minutes, he had asked my niece on a date and given her his cell phone number. So for us, visiting Horse Guards was a real thrill!! (Aidan, we miss you!)

Member Rating: 5.0
Ratings details: Experience: 5.0 Ease: 5.0 Value: 5.0 Don't Miss: 5.0

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 4/2/08
Saw the Changing of the Guard here. There are several soldiers sitting motionless on horseback in what amounts to a big parking lot, then a short burst of activity while the changing ceremony happens and the soldiers ride off. One one side is a building with a gate. Not really a must-see, but one could do worse.