LONDON

This is the view from Sebastian's office. While we were there we were lucky enough to watch the changing of the "The King's Troop - Royal Horse Artillery" from Wellington's office. The daily parade takes place in what is known as the Tilt Yard; on the site of Henry VIII's tournament ground or 'tiltyard'. The Tilt Yard is the nearest bit to the Horse Guards building, designed by William Kent, of the bigger space known as Horse Guards Parade - see above - on which the annual Queen's Birthday Parade (colloquially known as Trooping the Colour) takes place. The whole building is known as Horse Guards, because the original function was, and remains - the barracks for the The Household Cavalry guarding the monarch and the principal palace. It used to guard the mediaeval royal Palace of Whitehall, originally next to the even older royal Palace of Westminster, which became the palace of the Houses of Parliament in the early Middle Ages - - it still is today. After watching this grand parade it is time to dash to the airport!

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