Ceremonial
Public ceremonial occasions reinforce the links between the Army and the Sovereign. During Elizabeth II’s reign, there were hundreds of such events. The Army provides guards for royal palaces, and escorts for coronations, royal weddings, and other state occasions.
The Army escorted the carriage at the weddings of Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer (1981), and Prince William and Kate Middleton (2011). In the past, the Army also took part in the great spectacles of Empire, such as the State Durbars in India.
Herald's tabard worn at the 1877 Delhi imperial assemblage at which Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India
Soldiers escorting the funeral procession of Queen Victoria, London, 1901
The Delhi Durbars
When the British ruled India, mass assemblies were held at Coronation Park in Delhi to celebrate the succession of the British monarch as Emperor or Empress of India. These events took place in 1877, 1903 and 1911.
At all three Delhi Durbars, the monarch - or their representative, the Viceroy of India - received homage from the officials of the Raj, and from the Indian ruling princes. Thousands of Indian and British soldiers also attended, taking part in parades and military reviews.
King George V at the head of Skinner’s Horse during his 1911 Durbar celebrations
Soldiers at the Delhi Durbar, 1911
Trooping the Colour
The Sovereign’s Birthday Parade (also known as Trooping the Colour) is a highlight of the British ceremonial calendar, normally held in London in June each year.
The parade dates back to the 18th century, when the Colours of a unit were 'trooped' - or carried - down the ranks so that they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers. It has marked the sovereign's official birthday since 1748.
The ceremony is carried out by troops from the Household Division - consisting of Foot Guards, The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery and the Household Cavalry - on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.
The hundreds of soldiers who participate provide not only an impressive public spectacle, but also a reminder of the important link between the Sovereign and the Army.
Queen Elizabeth II taking the salute at Trooping the Colour, 1960
Jubilees: Empire to Commonwealth
In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. She became only the second British monarch, after Queen Victoria, to reach this 60-year milestone.
At the time of Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, Britain was the world’s most powerful nation. Her extensive empire was protected by the world’s largest navy and an army of over 250,000 soldiers.When Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, Britain still ruled a large empire and the Army’s National Servicemen were deployed in nearly all corners of the world.
Elizabeth went on to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee in 2022. During the course of her 70-year reign, Britain’s empire became a Commonwealth of independent nations, and Britain itself a multicultural society.
But, in all this time, one thing has not changed: the personal connection between the British Army and its Sovereign. These are still the Sovereign’s soldiers.
