Options for watching Buckingham Palace Changing Guards

Jen,

First off, visit changing-guard.com/provisional-dates-buckingham-palace.html.

The last time I went to the COTG, the crowd was 5 deep at the gates by 9:30 and this was in the middle of September. So, good luck...

We went to the Guards Museum to see the history and artifacts of the foot guards and then observed the 'guard mount' ceremony at Wellington Barracks before following the troop on the march to Buckingham Palace. To be perfectly honest, the guard-mount and the march to Buckingham Palace were much more entertaining than the actual changing of each post's guard inside the fence. A nice follow-up is a visit to the Royal Mews (just around the corner from Buckingham Palace).

Other less visited guard ceremonies include the afternoon guard retreat at the Horse Guards Parade and the changing of the guards march at Windsor Castle. Each of these ceremonies either offer much more room for spectators or are much less visited by tourists.

Hi Work2Travel

Thanks for your insight. I think it really depends on the day, month and weather too for the crowds. Though it's really surprising during September it's still very much crowded like that. I watch a video of the COTG recently in April and quite surprised it's not as much crowd, even the person recording at one time could go backward and forward of the sideways and by the gates between the marching and ceremony. It was a shiny day though I could see ppl still wearing their jackets.

I guess my plan, I don't want to wait for 2 hours as I wouldn't enjoy it too, I still arrive at 10.30am and if it's too crowded already, i'd proceed to my 3rd plan above.

BTW, if we are in the location of by the gates and the monument roundabout, is it correct that we could not leave the area due to crowd control fencing and police guarding until the ceremony is completely over?

If you really want to see "A" changing of the guard ceremony, go to Windsor and watch the changing of the guard there. You can get much closer, the crowds are not as large, and Windsor and Windsor castle are GREAT! Easy to do- take the train from Paddington (one easy change at Slough)- about a 25 min. ride. Trains run to/from about every half hour, so you can head back to London whenever you wish. We would often do a trip out to Windsor on the day we had theatre tickets. We'd head out about 9ish, and be back in London in time to wash up, eat an early supper then go to the theatre.

Jen,

You asked: "BTW, if we are in the location of by the gates and the monument roundabout, is it correct that we could not leave the area due to crowd control fencing and police guarding until the ceremony is completely over?"

It's been several years since we attending the COTG at Buckingham Palace but there were no barricades keeping people in or out between the Palace gates at the Victoria Memorial. People were free to move about and come & go as they wished during the duration of the ceremony. The only acceptation was when the guard troop was marching down Birdcage Walk - the police kept the route clear so the troop was unencumbered. (However, that was SEVERAL years ago and things change all the time.)

2 years ago, we arrived at the area only an hour or so AFTER the ceremony and I don't remember seeing any police barricades anywhere either. The only crowd control I remember seeing was associated with the Palace Tour queues.

Good luck and have fun.

We went in March. It was COLD although clear. Arriving at 10:00 we went up on the steps of the Victoria monument because the fence/gate area was already 3 deep. All-in-all I would skip it. We saw little, heard little, and my feet were sore. (I can walk all day, but standing on concrete is a killer.) Would not have gone but for the insistence of our son who afterward said he wished we hadn't bothered. In hindsight we might have gone to the more accessible Horse Guards Parade for that part of the show.

Jen,

If you want to actually see anything (and especially since you're "vertically challenged"), a spot near the gate will probably be best, where you can take pictures through the fence bars. Unfortunately, you will have to get there early to secure a good spot as there will be lots of other people with the same idea, and the fence line starts to get packed an hour or more before the actual ceremony.

The official website provides a short list of "best spots". Although the Victoria Monument will get you above the crowds to some extent, it's not an ideal spot as it's some distance from the ceremony so difficult to hear or see much.

Good luck!

I would recommend that you skip the actual Changing of the Guard because it is really a non event. Instead, arrive about 1100 and go to Wellington Barracks and watch the guard preparing for the change. They march out at 1130 and you can try to follow them but the rest is pretty dull until the relieved guard marches back to Wellington.

I was in London two weeks ago and did a walking tour for the Changing of the Guard, which was fantastic! I took a tour because I didn't want to waste my morning standing by the gate waiting for the event. We ended up standing by the Queen Victoria Monument which has a slight hill. Here, you can see the whole process unfold, although you aren't that close to the actual ceremony. It depends on what you want to do with your morning.

Hi jennakalkwarf,

Is it the free walking tour one? Did you move spots between the junction of Marlborough Road and the Mall with Wellington Barracks as well or you just stand on the Victoria Monument?

Thanks
Jen

We decided to do the changing of the horse guard instead and it was great- had front row centre seats and we only got there 10 minutes early