French soldiers take part in Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace for first time
French soldiers have guarded Buckingham Palace for the first time marking a historic moment in cross-Channel relations.
France became the first non-commonwealth country to take part in the Changing the Guard ceremony on Monday in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.
Crowds looked on as 32 members of the Gendarmerie’s Garde Républicaine and 40 Guardsmen from the F Company Scots Guards marched together on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace, where they were inspected by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the French Ambassador.
The French Gendarmerie were marched on and off the palace forecourt by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, who performed both countries’ national anthems as a “symbol of the strength of the relationship between” the two countries.
Meanwhile, sixteen soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from 1er Regiment de la Garde Republicaine to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysée Palace in Paris.
The landmark procession was organised to mark the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars.
Royals Edward and Sophie joined the keen onlookers as they inspected the event. The royals stood alongside the UK Chief of General Staff (CGS), General Sir Patrick Sanders, the French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill, and the French ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene.
Lt Col James Shaw, who has been responsible for designing the ceremony 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 procession followed a similar guard change attended by President Macron in Paris earlier on Monday.
While the French troops will participate in the ancient ceremony in London, they will not take the place of their British counterparts in guarding the King as this responsibility is only afforded to members of the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth troops.
The Ministry of Defence said the appearance by French personnel at Buckingham Palace forms part of a longer-term programme of joint UK-French activity that celebrates the two nations’ historic military and diplomatic ties in 2024.
This will include military sporting events, participation in each other’s air shows, and major events in Normandy this June to commemorate the heroic service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation.
Garrison Sgt Maj Andrew Stokes, who has been responsible for delivering all ceremonial training, added: “It is crucial for everyone in Nato to have a strong relationship.
“And this is an opportunity to both celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale and also demonstrate our close relations with the French.
“Our first rehearsal went really well so we’re not nervous at all.
“It will be a wonderful celebration and an opportunity for the public to witness such a spectacle.”
