Trooping the Colour
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:ElizabethIItroopingcolour.jpg Trooping the Colour is a military pageant or ceremony commonly performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments for centuries and it was first performed during the reign of Charles II of England. The origin of this ceremony can be traced to a time when a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rally points for the regiment's soldiers in the midst of chaotic battles. For this reason, regiments would frequently have their junior officers (or Ensign) march with their colours between the soldiers' ranks in slow pace during military parades so that they would recognize what their regiments' colours looked like. As regiments no longer carry their colours to battles nowadays, Trooping the Colour has become a ceremony for regiments to display their past military achievements to the general public.
British Army regiments of Foot Guards and Horse Guards, collectively known as the Household Division, still Troop the Colour at Horse Guards Parade in London as part of the Queen's Birthday celebration. Known also as the King's or Queen's Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour by the Household Division has been performed annually since 1748 (except in bad weather, periods of mourning and other exceptional circumstances). While other regiments in the British Army and the Commonwealth still Troop the Colour, they do so much less frequently than the Household Division.
Contents |
List of regiments trooping the colour
2005: 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. The Welsh Guards did not appear in this Trooping.
2004: 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
2003: 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
2002: 1st Battalion, Scots Guards. The Welsh Guards and Irish Guards did not appear in this Trooping.
2001: 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (Nijmegen Company)
2000: 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards (No. 7 Company)
1999: 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
1998: 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
1997: 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (F Company). The Welsh Guards did not appear in this Trooping.
1996: 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
1995: 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
1994: 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
1993: 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
1992: 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
1991: 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
1990: 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
The sovereign's birthday parade
Image:Cavalrytrooping.jpg Trooping the Colour in London is an important national occasion as Britain does not have a national day as most countries with a less ancient historical continuity. Many do see the Queen's Official Birthday and the Trooping ceremony as equivalent to the country's annual national celebration. There are currently five regiments of Foot Guards and one regiment of Household Cavalry in the Household Division and each year a battalion of one of the Foot Guard regiments will be selected to troop its colours in the ceremony. Since the mid 1990s, the 2nd Battalions of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards have been in "suspended animation" - they are represented in the parade by the three incremental companies. It is extremely honoured for a young officer to be selected to carry the colour in this ceremony as historically only the most courageous Ensigns were assigned to carry the regiment's colours in battle. Nowadays the honour is normally given to Foot Guards lieutenants who are good at drill and ceremonies and are physically fit. In 2005, Second Lieutenant Ben Pennington was the Ensign.
The number of military personnel who participate in the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London has declined over the years due to defence budget cuts in Household Division battalions as well as the battalions' requirements to commit themselves to military and peacekeeping operations overseas. However, the format of the ceremony has remained the same over the centuries following routines of old battle formations used in the era of musket warfare, such as the Battle of Waterloo.
The ceremony
There are several parts to the ceremony:
- A detail of Guardsmen bearing marker flags marches onto the parade ground and mark the positions of the six Foot Guard companies.
- The six Foot Guard companies march on to the field, led by their regimental bands. The companies align in ranks of two on north side of the parade ground (next to the Guards Memorial), while the regimental band joins the Massed Bands. On the other side of the parade ground, the Escort for the Colour, three Guardsmen, forms. The King's Troop and the Household Cavalry squadrons form up in their position.
- Arrival of the Sovereign. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive in a carriage precisely at 11:00 a.m. The Household Division presents arms in the Royal Salute while the Massed Band plays "God Save the Queen."
- Inspection of the Line: The Queen's carriage is driven before and to the rear of each Company while the Massed Bands play a slow march, then a quick march.
- Massed Bands Parade: The senior drum major orders the Massed Bands to march and countermarch in slow and quick time. The slow march is always a waltz from Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera, "Les Huguenots." The band reaches the Escort for the Colour and countermarches. The drum major halts the Massed Bands and orders a quick march. During the quick march, a single drummer splits from the Massed Band formation and marches to two paces to the right of the No. 1. company.
- Drum Call: The single drummer plays eight bars of a drum call. Officers in Number 1 Guard company quick march to the formation they will use as Escort for the Colour.
- Escort for the Colour Forms: An orderly takes the pace stick from the Sergeant-Major of Number 1 Guard. He then draws his sword. The No. 1 Guard company, led by the Subaltern To The Escort (rank of Captain), quick marches to the tune of "The British Grenadiers," with the Sergeant Major marching behind the company. Twenty steps away from the Escort to the Colour, the music halts and four paces later, the Escort halts. The Sergeant Major marches forward, followed by the Ensign, to the Escort. He then salutes the Colour with his sword, and takes it from the Colour Sergeant, who then shoulders arms. The Sergeant Major about-faces, marches to the Ensign, and presents the Colour. The Ensign salutes the Colour with his sword, sheaths the sword, and accepts the Colour. The Escort now becomes the "Escort to the Colour."
- Trooping the Colour: The Subaltern To The Escort gives No.1 Guard the order to present arms, No.2 to No.6 guards remain at attention with sloped arms. Four NCOs at either end of Number 1 Guard turn outward as symbolic maximum protection for the Colour. The Massed Band now plays the first eight bars of "God save the Queen". After this, the Escort will slope arms and so will the Colour Party (that includes the Colour Sergeant and his two guardsmen). The Colour Sergeant takes position to the right and to the rear of the Escort. The Colour Party, the Ensign, and the RSM march back to the Escort; the RSM takes position to the left and to the rear of the Escort. The Escort to the Colour slow-marches to the position for starting the Trooping while the Massed Bands perform a "spinwheel" manuver to reorient themselves in restricted space, while playing "Escort To the Colour". Once the Escort is in place for the Trooping, the Field Officer in Brigade-Waiting orders the entire parade (except the Escort) to present arms. The Escort to the Colour then, in slow time, troops the Colour in front of the other five companies on the parade ground while the Massed Bands play "The Grenadiers' Slow March" The lines of the Escort and the other five companies interweave. For Numbers 2 through 6 Guard, a former commander described this as "a long Present Arms." Members of the armed services and the military attaches of the Diplomatic Corps also render a hand salute as the Colour passes. Once the Escort passes No.2 Guard, the Captain of the Escort resumes the lead of No.1 Guard. and the Escort aligns with the other five companies. The Escort now has arrived back at the position where it marched off in quick-time. The Captain now resumes the command over the Escort by ordering a present arms, thus bringing the Escort back in line with the other 5 guards. The entire parade is now ordered by the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting to slope arms, thus bringing an end to the Trooping itself.
- Form Divisions: The Field Officer in Brigade Waiting (rank Lt-Col.) orders "Officers, take post!" Officers take their post and the Numbers 1 through 5 Guard companies of the Foot Guard make a column right quick march into review formation, and then about-face while the Pipes and Drum Corps plays "Dashing White Sergeant" or "Hazelmere," as was played in 2005. (Number 6 is at right angles to the other five companies and does not need to do this). Once intervals are established, the Field Officer in Brigade Waiting salutes the Queen and informs her that the Foot Guard is ready to slow-march, then commands, "Guards will march past in slow and quick time!"Image:Guardsmentrooping.jpg
- March Past in Slow Time: The Massed Bands play a "neutral" slow march (that is, a march that is not peculiar to one of the Guards regiments) while the six companies of the Foot Guards march around the parade ground. In 2005, this was O'Carolan's "Concerto." When each company reaches the saluting stand, the Massed Bands play the appropriate Regimental Slow March. The leading guard is the Escort, the three officers including the Ensign march in front. The foot guards are preceded by the Field Officer and his 2ic. Both salute the Queen with their swords and eyes right. When the Escort passes the dais, the whole guard shift to eyes right and the officers salute with their swords. The Ensign lowers the Colour in respect to the Queen, known as the "flourishing". After passing the dais, the Colour is raised again, known as the 'recovery', and the whole company turns eyes front again. A double beat from the bass drum indicates a change of march music four bars later as the next regiment passes the saluting base. Once the last company has passed the reviewing stand, the Massed Bands play another neutral slow march. In 2005 this was "Dover Castle".
- March Past in Quick Time: The companies halt. The Field Officer salutes the Queen and informs her her Guards are ready to quick march. In much the same manner as the slow march, the six companies march past again. In 2005, the neutral marches were "Sons of the Brave" and "Slathery's Mounted Fut" by Percy French.
- Marching Away from the Saluting Base: The Massed Band, led by the Pipes and Drums of the Irish and Scots Guards, march away. In 2005 they marched to the tunes of "Al Basra".
- The Household Cavalry Massed Bands take the field and play a march for the walk past. The King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery leads the walk. The lead guns of the Troop are considered the equivalent of its Colours. Following the King's Troop are the Lifeguards and the Blues and Royals.
- The King's Troop and the Household Cavalry pass by at the sitting trot, to the tune of "The Keel Row," which is common to both regiments.
- The Massed Bands play the Royal Salute and the Queen leaves the parade ground following the Massed Bands. The Foot Guard forms up in company formations of six ranks each and follows the Queen up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. The Household Cavalry follows the Foot Guard.
- The Markers march off.
Marches
Slow Marches
Grenadier Guards: "Scipio" by Handel
Scots Guards: "The Garb of Old Gaul"
Irish Guards: "Let Erin Remember"
Welsh Guards: "Men of Harlech"
Coldstream Guards: "Non piu andrai farfallone amoroso" from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro
Quick Marches
Grenadier Guards: "The British Grenadiers"
Scots Guards: "Hieland Laddie"
Irish Guards: "St. Patrick's Day"
Welsh Guards: "The Rising of the Lark"
Coldstream Guards: "Milanollo"
Incidents During the Ceremony
At the 1981 Trooping the Colour ceremony on 13 June, a teenager fired six blank shots in the direction of Queen Elizabeth II . Marcus Sarjeant, a seventeen-year old former air cadet from Capel Le Ferne, Folkestone, Kent, had previously wished to assassinate the monarch, but could not obtain a suitable firearm. For the offence, Serjeant became the first person since 1966 to be prosecuted under the Treason Act 1842, under which he was sentenced for five years, serving three. He was released in 1984. However, as his mental condition deteriorated he was subsequently transferred to an insane asylum.
The Queen was attacked 15 minutes after she left Buckingham Palace as she rode down The Mall on horseback in the midst of royal colonels. As soon as the assault was apparent the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry was ordered by the Gold Stick in Waiting to "close up" around Her Majesty. Sarjeant was seized by Lance-Corporal Alexander Galloway of the Scots Guards (who drew his sword against the assailant), and several policemen. The Queen managed to regain control of her mount, 19-year old "Burmese", after a moment's uncertainty.