Traditional Events In London


by PaulZ - Date: 2008-05-24 - Word Count: 1100 Share This!

Picture the scene, you have arrived in London, checked into your 4 star hotel, been shopping on Oxford Street, visited the Tate Modern and now are looking for something more traditional and that says more about the capital and its long and varied history. You want to experience or witness an event or ceremony that in many cases has taken place for centuries, and witnessed perhaps by your ancestors. Well London is certainly the place to experience these ceremonies.

London is an historic city steeped in cultural history and traditions. Many of these traditional events have been taking place in London for centuries and still take place daily today with most taking place in or around the royal palaces and parks. Visitors staying in hotel accommodation at the heart of the city are within easy reach of many of these long-standing ceremonies and should definitely pay them a visit. Some of the most popular traditional ceremonies taking place in central London regularly include:

Changing of the Guard

This ceremony is perhaps the most familiar and popular events at Buckingham Palace and dates back as far as 1660. Usually referred to as the 'Changing of the Guard' the correct, but less used, name of the ceremony is 'Guard Mounting'. During the ceremony the Queen's Brigade of Guards march from their barracks in Chelsea or Wellington and change places with the guards on duty. Dressed in traditional uniforms consisting of red tunics and bearskins the ceremony takes around 45 minutes and is a must see if you have the time when visiting London. This traditional ceremony takes place at 11.30am daily in the summer months but only every other day during the winter months.

Mounting the Guard

Similar to the changing of the guard this ceremony involves the new household cavalry detachment relieving the old guard but this time the guards are on horseback. This event takes place at 11.00am during the week and 10.00am on Sundays and takes place as the Horse Guards Arch to the east of St. James Park in Whitehall.

Ceremony of the Keys

This ceremony has been taking place for over 700 years and only lasts a total of 10 minutes. The daily ceremony happens at 21.53pm every night and involves the Chief Warder of the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London locking the outer gates of the tower and delivering the keys to the resident governor at Queen's House. This ceremony is very popular and tickets are free but due to limited availability if you really want to see it take place you should apply in writing to the resident governor well in advance.

The State Opening of Parliament
The dates for this ceremony vary but usually take place between October and November. In this event the Queen addresses both houses of parliament from the throne in the House of Lords on the first day of a new parliamentary session. The Yeomen of the Guard inspect the cellars of the Houses of Parliament before the Queen arrives, an event that has taken place ever since the gunpowder plot of 1605. Upon the arrival of the Queen the union flag is lowered and replaced with the royal standard.
The monarch has opened parliament traditionally for many years and always attends wearing ceremonial robes and the royal crown. Only certain aspects of this ceremony are actually visible to the public including the Queen's arrival from Buckingham Palace in the State Coach, which is well worth seeing. Proceedings inside the Houses of Parliament begin with Black Rod, the Queen's messenger, summoning the 250 members of the House of Commons to the House of Lords. Traditionally the door is slammed in his face before being re-opened. This process signifies the fact that the Common's can exclude everyone but the Queen's messengers. A gun salute is fired at around 11.15am from Hyde Park upon the Queen's return to Buckingham Palace.
Lord Mayors Show

The Lord Mayors show dates back as far as the 15th century and is held every year on the second Saturday of November. A very colourful and bright even that involves the newly elected Lord Mayor being transported in a gilded coach from Guildhall, past St. Paul's Cathedral to the Royal Courts of Justice where he must take the oath of office in the presence of the Lord Chief Justice. During the procession the Lord Mayor is accompanied by members of the company of Pikemen and Musketeers dressed in traditional uniform. Different themes are chosen for the procession every year and parade through the streets of central London, making it a spectacular scene to witness. For those of you who enjoy fireworks, a huge display is released near the River Thames if you can not make it to the actual ceremony.

Trooping the Colour

This elaborate and hugely popular ceremony marks the 'official' birthday of the Queen and usually takes place on the Saturday nearest June 6th at the Horse Guards Parade. Although the Queen's actual birthday is the 21st April traditionally it has always been celebrated on a summer day. The ceremony is very popular with military bands and spectacular marching displays from the Queen's troops. The ceremony stems back as early as 1748 when soldiers would be marched or trooped past one another in full uniform to reinforce the colours of each regiment. This event takes place on the same day as the royal gun salute but at a different location. The Queen inspects the troops at Horse Guards Parade before marching them to Buckingham Palace, where the RAF also provides an impressive display over the top of London. For a good view it is essential to arrive early.
Queen's Birthday Gun Salute
Although this event does not take place on the Queen's official birthday it is still worth listening out for or viewing if you are near Hyde Park or the Tower of London. The 41 gun salute fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the 62 gun royal salute by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London takes place on the 21st April every year. The official Queen's birthday salute actually takes place on June 6th and is again a gun salute fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, this time in Green Park ay 12.52pm precisely and by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London at 13.00pm.
In order to experience these events and to see all the other amazing attractions London has to offer it is essential that you find hotel accommodation in the central London area. To view a number of 4 star central London hotels please visit Quality Crown Hotels.

Related Tags: hotel accommodation, 4 star hotel london, central london hotel

Quality Crown Hotels are a luxury 4 star hotel group in London with hotels situated in Kensington, Hyde Park and Paddington. www.qualitycrown.com

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