Held at the Palace of Whitehall from 1656 and at Buckingham Palace since 1837, the elaborate Changing of the Guard ceremony simply marks the passing of responsibility for guarding the Palace between regiments.

Dressed in red wool tunics or grey coats, with towering headwear known as ‘bearskins’, the soldiers are forbidden from laughing or talking during the hour-long ceremony, even when pestered by selfie-takers. They are accompanied by a military band, which has been known to play pop tunes.

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