The Queen’s Birthday Parade
Trooping the Colour
This book was published in 2015. I photographed the ceremony over 30 years but the material for this book took four years to complete. the ceremony itself lasts for two hours on the second Saturday in June but there are many weeks of preparations and rehearsals beforehand. There is so much military history and many details that make the ceremony a good subject for a book and I loved doing it. Going behind the scenes of any event is enlightening, presenting you with exciting, creative challenges. As a photographic project this allowed me to employ the full arsenal of equipment, lenses from 15mm to 800mm - taken pictures and made pictures. On the day of the Birthday Parade there are 1200 people doing their best to make it perfect and I wanted photograph the people not just the spectacle.
Major Cross, the Commanding Officer, inspects the tack of the King's Troop horses
The Major General inspects Grenadier Guardsmen at their barracks
Kit inspection for a Blues and Royal Trooper
4.30 am inspection before the cavalry ride around the London streets
Grenadier Guards slow march around the square
Scots Guards Drill Sergeants giving commands
The Ensign flourishing the Colour, rehearsing the march pasting slow-time
The Scots Guards drummer beats time at 116 beats a minute
In full dress uniform for 5.00 am ride in Hyde Park
The Kings Troop undergo their galloping routine for the Major General's inspection
The Major General reviews the Household Cavalry in Hyde Park, a few weeks prior to the Birthday Parade
First rehearsal on Horseguards. The Life Guards rank past the dias.
Shining boots, cleaning and pressing kit prior to going on parade Shining boots, cleaning and pressing kit prior to going on parade
The Royal Standard is prepared for Her Majesty's arrival on the dias on Horseguards. It is unfurled at 11.00
The Colonel's Review. The Head Coachman salutes the dias. Timings have been written on his gloves
The coachman and grooms salute as they pass the Colour
The Ensign receives the Queen's Colour from the Regimental Sergeant Major
Presenting Arms to the Queen's Colour. The Guardsmen on the flanks hold their rifles at the high point to protect the Colour
'Eyes right' F Company of the Scots Guards salute Her Majesty
The Guardsmen on parade come to the halt having marched round the square in slow and quick time
The six companies on parade march past Her Majesty the Queen and senior officers and then have to turn left. Known as 'Chaos Corner', ranks of guardsmen proceed to march around the square. One of the many precise drill movements of the day
The Ensign comes to the halt having trooped the Colour through the ranks
The Ensign lowers the Colour as the National Anthem is played
1986: the last Parade H.M the Queen rode Burmese. The 1st Battalion Scots Guards trooped their Colour. The Queen wears the Thistle sash
H.M. The Queen reviews the troops from her landau
The Grenadier Officer gives the order 'Eyes right'
During the rank past at the walk, the Life Guards officer gives a full 'round arm' salute to her Majesty as he leads his squadron past her
Major Erica Bridge, Commanding Officer of the King's Troop, gives the command 'Eyes Right!' as the troop file past Her Majesty
Troopers give 'Eyes Right!' salute to Her Majesty
Blues & Royals prepare to salute the King in trot order.
The five Drum Majors lead the massed bands to the centre of the square
The Senior Drum Major awaits a signal from the Garrison Sergeant Major for the bandit stop playing
The Corps of Drums
The brass section of the massed bands
One of the State Trumpeters salutes Her Majesty as the mounted band leave the square
The kettle drummers give the crossed sticks salute as they leave the parade
The traditional group photograph of Officers of the Household Cavalry with their Colonels.
The Household Cavalry escort Her Majesty down the Mall back to Buckingham Palace
Coldstream Guards officers' dinner on the Thursday evening before the Troop
