OK, here's something where I'm a bit of an expert as an officer in International Military Music Society.
People get somewhat confused about this event. The Trooping The Colour or Queen's Birthday Parade is an event in early June to celebrate the "official" birthday of the monarch which was set for this Saturday in June as parades on the real birthdays tended to be in winter weather, depending on the monarch.
The true event takes place on Horse Guards Parade, a large parade ground behind government offices at Whitehall and where the changing of the mounted guard takes place daily. It is a pretty spectacular event where the Household Division including the massed bands, mounted bands and horse artilliary perform for the queen.There are large grandstands set up on three sides and large projection screens and lighting are set up. The event is broadcast on BBC . Tickets are sold for three performances. The first two, the Major General's Review and Colonel's Review are the two preceding Saturdays and not hard to buy tickets and are, in effect, dress rehearsals. Tickets for the real deal are sold by lottery and have a dress code and may, depending on where you sit, may require anything from a business suite to a top hat and tales. This is a magnificent show and, if you are in London at the right time, well worth a ticket for one of the two earlier shows.
The parade is of the troops marching to and from the Trooping. You have to line up way early to get a good spot. The bands march (or ride) from Wellington Barracks to Horse Guards individually so it is quite a parade. At the end, the Queen and members of the Royal Family ride down in carriages. You will then stand around for the two hours or so until they return. The bands come back as massed bands and the Royal Family, again, in carriages. The crowd then moves into the square in from of the Palace (if you want to do so, watch from close to Horse Guards because those near the palace will get blocked in by the fences). After a brief lull, the Royal Family comes out on the balcony to greet the crowd. This is followed by a magnificent fly-by of the RAF.
While Horse Guards is set up for the Trooping, other events take advantage of the once-a-year facility. The Wednesday and Thursday evenings before the Trooping (8th & 9th this year) has the Household Division Beating Retreat. This is another massive show featuring the five bands of the Guards Division, the Mounted Band and usually a foreign guest band or two. This huge concert and drill ends with cannon and fireworks. If you don't go to the show, you can see the bands marching (and usually playing) from Wellington Barracks (diagonally across from the palace) down Birdcage Walk to Horse Guards. It is worth seeing these massed bands marching down the street. They don't tend to play going back as the show ends rather late at night.
This being an even numbered year, the Royal Marines hold their Beating Retreat the week before the Guards (May 25th & 26th) If you have never seen these bands, it should be another thing on your bucket list. These bands also march down playing from Wellington Barracks. The sight and sound of the 250 piece massed band on the street is stunning. This show also usually has one or two foreign guest bands. The second night celebrates the birthday of Prince Phillip so he and the Queen would typically attend. As this takes place early in the evening, the massed bands leave Horse Guards and perform a spectacular march home up The Mall.
Tickets for both Beating Retreats start at 15 GBP so it is not even as expensive as most theaters. If you don't have tickets, watching the bands march to and from the show is free and not crowded. You can also watch the show from St. James Park, near the Soldiers Monument. It's not the best view, you'll see the show from the back, but hear the music.
For info:
http://www.householddivision.org.uk/trooping-the-colour
http://www.householddivision.org.uk/beating-retreat-overview
https://www.rnrmc.org.uk/Event/beat... [url]https://youtu.be/CXPowY2tnew
One of the popular attractions is the "changing of the Guard", technically the Guard Mounting. A band marches the short distance from Wellington Barracks to the Palace, enters the gate and has a short ceremony after which they play a concert before marching back. This is often a hassle to watch as they are marching a short distance through a huge crowd which then charges the fence making it difficult for all but the youngest and fastest to really see. Here's the secret" a second band leaves the barracks before that band and marches down The Mall to St. James Palace, where there are also Guards on duty. After the other band marches to the palace, they leave St. James and march down The Mall to join the other Guards at the palace. They march much farther in each direction playing several marches each way and to very small crowds. Most people don't know to watch for this parade. Also, if you're outside Wellington Barracks before the Guard Posting, one or both of these bands may come into the yard and play a concert before they leave, again to small crowds.
I know this doesn't answer jme's particular question, but the post will probably come up in searches from other folks looking for info on these events.
