The historic Changing of the Guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle have been axed for the rest of the week amid the ongoing UK heatwave. The ceremonies, which take place most days outside the royal residences, were cancelled for Wednesday, June 24, and Thursday, June 25, with temperatures forecast to reach the high 30s. It is understood the ceremonies also did not take place on Tuesday, June 23.
Protecting Soldiers, Horses, and Spectators
The Army In London, which puts on the ceremonies, said they had to be cancelled in order to protect soldiers, horses and spectators. In a statement, it said: "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."
Changes to Other Ceremonial Duties
The heatwave has also brought 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."
Historical Context
The Household Troops - or Guards - have protected the Sovereign since 1660. They have been patrolling outside Buckingham Palace since Queen Victoria made it her official residence in 1837. The Changing of the Guard ceremony, also known as Guard Mounting, sees the Old Guard - the soldiers currently on duty - line up in front of the Palace. They are replaced by the New Guard, which arrives from Wellington Barracks, accompanied by a Band or Corps of Drums.
Heatwave Warnings
It comes as forecasters have warned of a 'heat dome' settling over western Europe which could bring temperatures of almost 40C by Wednesday. The heatwave is expected to surpass the record for June of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976. A red weather warning for extreme heat has been issued by the Met Office, covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham, in place from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.
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."
