The Army in London - HQ London District

09/06/2026

New Colours. Centuries of service. One unbroken bond of loyalty.

Today, on the lawns of Buckingham Palace, Their Majesties The King and The Queen presented new Colours to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, the British Army’s most senior infantry regiment.
For most people, a Colour might look like an ornate flag. To a Guardsman, it is something far greater. Embroidered with battle honours earned across generations of service, a Colour represents the spirit, history and identity of a regiment. It carries the memory of those who served before and the responsibility of those who serve today.

Before the new Colours could be presented, the regiment's old Colours were marched off parade for the final time. A moment rich in symbolism, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

The ceremony itself blended military precision with traditions stretching back centuries. The new Colours were consecrated over an altar formed from regimental drums, recalling the improvised places of worship soldiers once created before battle. Only then were they formally presented by His Majesty The King.

The Grenadier Guards have served the Crown since 1656, fighting in conflicts from Tangier, Blenheim and Waterloo through the World Wars and more recently on operations in Afghanistan. Today, they continue to combine their world-famous ceremonial role with a modern operational capability, having deployed on demanding training exercises in Cyprus and Kenya within the last 18 months.

The King shares a particularly close connection with the regiment as Company Commander of The King's Company, whose soldiers act as his personal bodyguard and carry the Royal Standard.

As the ceremony drew to a close, the Guards knelt, laid down their rifles and gave three cheers for Their King before marching from the parade ground beneath their newly presented Colours.

The timing could hardly be more fitting.
In just a few days, the Grenadier Guards will troop their new King's Colour at Trooping the Colour, marking The King's Official Birthday. It will be the first time in 90 years that the Grenadiers have trooped a new Colour before a reigning King, and it comes during the regiment's 370th anniversary year.

From loyal gentlemen who followed an exiled King across Europe in 1656 to the Guardsmen standing on parade today, one thing has remained constant: duty, service and loyalty to Crown and country.
The Grenadiers have carried that legacy for 370 years. On Saturday, they will carry it once again.

06/06/2026

This morning, in the pouring rain, they were absolutely magnificent.
The Colonel's Review — the final public rehearsal before the King's Birthday Parade — took place today at Horse Guards Parade. Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall, Colonel of the Coldstream Guards and one of the Household Division's most senior colonels, undertook the inspection and the salute.
The rain didn't stop for a moment. It didn't matter.
Every guardsman, every horse, every musician on that parade ground had spent six weeks getting to this point — six weeks of early mornings, relentless rehearsals, and exacting standards that most people will never see. Behind them stood an unseen army of their own: signallers keeping communications running, logisticians ensuring everything and everyone was where they needed to be, and security teams whose professionalism made the whole event possible. None of it happens without all of them.
The 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards — Britain's most senior infantry regiment, founded in 1656 to protect a king in exile — stood straight and steady as the rain fell on their bearskins. Colour Sergeant Daniel Carter, performing in his 30th Birthday Parade after nearly 35 years of service, played on without missing a beat. Guardsman Morrissey, the youngest soldier on parade, who deployed to Cyprus just months ago, held his position as though the weather was the least of his concerns.
These are all operational soldiers. They have served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kenya and beyond. The precision you saw today on the parade square is the same precision they apply when the stakes are far higher.
In one week, they will do it all again — in front of their King. And it will be perfect.

03/06/2026

Yesterday London stood still to honour Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan.
A funeral with full military honours was held at the Guards Memorial Chapel, as her coffin was carried through the heart of the capital on a First World War era gun carriage, drawn by six horses from The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery — the regiment she loved and served with such dedication.
Ciara joined the Army in 2020 and found her home in The King's Troop. She had a natural gift with horses, qualifying as an Advanced Regimental Riding Instructor, and had taken part in some of the most significant ceremonial occasions in recent memory — the State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen, and the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen.
Her Commanding Officer, Major Luke Wadman, described her as "a bright light in any room she entered" — an exceptional soldier, a fearless horsewoman, and someone who made everyone around her better simply by being present.
At 4.40pm, a firing party at Wellington Barracks fired three rounds in unison — a final salute, rooted in centuries of military tradition, to mark the moment of her cremation.
The King's Troop will return to parade this weekend at The Colonel’s Review on Horse Guards Parade, and will fire a 41 Gun Salute in Green Park on 13th June for The King's Official Birthday. They will carry Ciara's memory with them.
Rest in peace, Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan. You are not forgotten.

🎖️ The circumstances of LBdr Sullivan's death are not suspicious but are subject to Coronial Inquest.

30/05/2026

Today we delivered the Major General's Review - the first of two major public ticketed ceremonial rehearsals for the sovereign's official birthday parade (Trooping the Colour), and the moment the Household Division is declared fit for ceremonial duties. It is virtually identical to the main King's Birthday Parade which will take place on 13 June, but this rehearsal has fewer mounted officers and no street-lining. Troops are inspected by the Major General Commanding the Household Division, Major General James Bowder, to ensure drill, discipline, and presentation meet the required royal standards. Today, just before the inspection, in remembrance of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery gunner, Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan who was killed at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, a minute’s silence was observed and musicians from the Bands of the Household Division played the Last Post and Reveille.

There are still some tickets remaining for next week’s Colonel’s Review. Get them quick. This is a spectacle you won’t want to miss!

Www.KBP.army.mod.uk

28/05/2026

The Brigade Major’s Review is the first major dress rehearsal for Trooping the Colour (the King’s Birthday Parade). Taking place this morning at Horse Guards Parade in London, it featured roughly 1,000 soldiers and 200 horses from the Household Division and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Specially invited guests filled a portion of the stands to gently accustom the horses to the noises and movements of crowds during the precise ceremonial.

The event allowed the Brigade Major to inspect the troops, ensuring all timings, precision, and standards were met before the formal, ticketed public reviews begin. It was the first time the major components of the parade were brought together and was the "acid test" for the soldiers and horses before further evaluations. It will be followed over the next ten days by two larger, official public rehearsals:
- The Major General’s Review this Saturday
- The Colonel’s Review on June 6th

Today, as a mark of respect to their comrade Lance Bombardier Sullivan who was killed in an incident at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, the officers of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery wore black mourning bands on parade.

A minute’s silence will be observed during the first public review this Saturday.

It’s not too late to join us for the Reviews. Catch the final tickets at:
https://kbp.army.mod.uk/majorgeneralsreview/

28/05/2026

'Looking for an exciting way to round off Half Term? Why not inspire your children this weekend by bringing them to the first rehearsal of this year's Trooping the Colour? Iconic red tunics, bearskins, and hundreds of horses are sure to delight. Get your tickets now at

Join The Major General as he reviews The Kings Birthday Parade. Inspected this year by Major General James Bowder OBE, Commanding the Household Division.

24/05/2026

The final few tickets remain for this year's Trooping the Colour Review parades. This is your chance to see these exclusive events before the King's Birthday Parade is broadcast across the world.
The King's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Troop their Colour this year in what promises to be a spectacular performance of military excellence, musical prowess and national pride. They will be supported by 5 other parading companies as well as The Household Cavalry and The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Tickets are available now. Don’t miss it!

https://kbp.army.mod.uk/

22/05/2026

Did you know!?

We've been conducting a major military warfighting exercise in the heart of London this week - and no one above ground suspected a thing…

Hundreds of soldiers have been demonstrating how they would run a NATO command post, managing a major international conflict, all while hidden deep beneath one of the busiest cities on earth.

As the exercise's message makes clear, deterrence is not passive. It has to be demonstrated, exercised, and believed by allies and adversaries alike.

When the soldiers finish and head back up to the surface, no one will ever know they were there. But the message they've sent will have been heard loud and clear.

Read all about it here ⬇️ https://www.army.mod.uk/news/deep-underground-inside-the-armys-secret-exercise-beneath-london/

18/05/2026

13/05/2026

What a memorably British day! All four seasons weather wise: hail stones, dust storms, torrential rain, blisteringly hot sun, thunder and lightning, freezing gales… we had them all, but nothing could stop the armed forces from delivering a spectacular ceremonial State Opening of Parliament!

Nearly 1,200 soldiers, sailors and airmen – plus almost 200 horses – filled the streets of London for one of the most impressive events in the British calendar.

Read all about it here: https://www.army.mod.uk/news/armed-forces-take-centre-stage-at-state-opening-of-parliament/