Horse Guards (building)
Horse Guards | |
---|---|
Architectural style | Palladian |
Location | London, SW1 |
Construction started | 1750 |
Completed | 1759 |
Technical details | |
Floor count | four |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | William Kent, John Vardy and William Robinson |
Horse Guards is a historic building in the
Although still in military use, part of the building houses the Household Cavalry Museum which is open to the public. It also functions as a gateway between Whitehall and St James's Park.
History
The first Horse Guards building was commissioned by
In the following decades, Horse Guards was increasingly used as administrative offices for the growing regular army and soon became overcrowded. The fabric of the building was also allowed to deteriorate; pieces of falling masonry were said to be a danger to the sentries. In 1745,
The building also served as the offices for the various administrative departments responsible to the
At the annual
Horse Guards Clock
The clock is sited in the turret above the main archway; it has two faces, one facing Whitehall and the other, Horse Guards Parade, each dial being 7 feet 5 inches (2.26 metres) in diameter. It strikes the quarter-hours on two bells. Originally made by
Household Cavalry Museum
The Household Cavalry Museum is the official museum of the Household Cavalry and is located in the Horse Guards. Visitors can view the horses in the 18th-century working stables through a glazed partition. Exhibits explain the training and history of the regiment and include ceremonial uniforms, regalia, royal standards, awards, musical instruments, horse furniture and silverware by
Ceremonial
Every morning, the mounted King's Life Guard rides from
When the monarch is in London, the guard consists of one officer and twelve other ranks including a trumpeter and standard bearer; known as a Long Guard. When the monarch is not in London, the guard is reduced to two non-commissioned officers and ten troopers; known as a Short Guard.
The ceremony of Changing The King's Life Guard takes place on Horse Guards Parade adjacent to the Horse Guards building. Two mounted sentries guard the entrance to Horse Guards on Whitehall from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm and are changed every hour. There is a dismounted parade at 4:00 pm (described above) and two dismounted sentries remain on duty until 8:00 pm.[12]
Gallery
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Aerial view of Horse Guards from Whitehall
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A mounted trooper of the Life Guards on duty at Horse Guards
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A mounted trooper of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery on duty at Horse Guards
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Queen Elizabeth II approaches Horse Guards following the State Opening of Parliament in 2008.
References
- ^ a b Tabor (2010), p. 18
- ^ a b c d HQ London District. "Visitor's Guide to Horse Guards". www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
- ^ "Horse Guards: A Grade I Listed Building in St James's, London". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Stocqueler (1873), p. 8
- ^ a b Tabor (2010), p. 19
- ^ Gleig, George Robert (1865). The Life of Arthur, Duke of Wellington. London: Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer. p. 459.
- ISBN 0-7190-3358-6.
- ^ Timbs, John (1855). Curiosities of London: Exhibiting the Most Rare and Remarkable Objects of Interest in the Metropolis. Fleet Street, London: David Bogue. p. 378-380.
- ISBN 978-1-84537-305-4.
- ISBN 978-0718118051.
- ^ "The Household Cavalry Museum". www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ "The Queen's Life Guard". www.householddivision.org.uk. The Household Division. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
Bibliography
- Stocqueler, Joachim Hayward (1873). A Personal History of the Horse-Guards from 1750 to 1872. London: Hurst and Blackett.
- Tabor, Paddy (2010). The Household Cavalry Museum. Ajanta Book Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84820-882-7.
External links
- Household Cavalry Museum – official site