C’est l’histoire: French given Changing of the Guard role
BRITISH and French troops have swapped roles for Changing of the Guard ceremonies for the first time, celebrating 120 years since the Entente Cordiale.
Sixteen soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from 1er Regiment de la Garde Republicaine yesterday to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysée Palace in Paris.
It was the first time a foreign state has guarded the French presidential residence.
At 11am in London, 32 members of the Gendarmerie’s Garde Republicaine and 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards paraded together on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, and were inspected by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
It marked an historic moment: the first time a non-commonwealth country has been afforded the honour of participating in the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
Speaking before the Buckingham Palace ceremony, Lt Col James Shaw, who has been responsible for its planning, said: “This is a sign of the strength of our relations. The French are some of our closest friends. And who knows when we might need each other?”
The ceremony featured the group of soldiers being traditionally relieved by a new detachment of troops in front of an audience of 40 VIPS.
As well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, they were inspected by Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, the British Army Chief of General Staff; Gen Pierre Schill, the French Army Chief of the Army Staff; and Helene Duchene, the French ambassador to the UK.
Squadron Chief Guillaume Dewilde, who led the French detachment during the Changing of the Guard, said: “I am extremely proud to have been asked to share this moment with our British friends.
“We are like siblings, and to celebrate this moment together is a symbol of the strength of the relationship between our two countries.”