Change in The Royal Life Guard’s ceremony at Amalienborg Palace Square
Since 1972, a King’s Guard has been established at 12:00 at Christian IX’s Palace when HM The Queen has been in residence. As a result of the succession of the throne, the King’s Guard ceremony changes.
The King’s Guard is the largest of The Life Guard’s duties at Amalienborg and the only watch duty for which a ceremony with flags is carried out. The guard coming on duty marches to the residence palace and carries out a march to the front, after which the incoming watch’s flag is collected.
During the King’s Guard ceremony, the personnel involved always go to the monarch’s palace, and, therefore, from now on, the parade will go to Frederik VIII’s Palace, where HM The King resides. The flags were transferred to The King’s palace after the proclamation yesterday.
The special feature of the new King’s Guard is that it now marches up with the front march before Frederik VIII’s Palace, from where the sentry command’s flag must be collected. Afterwards, the command marches across the square to the departing sentry command standing in front of Christian VII’s Palace, where the relief of the watch itself begins. The new sentries relieve the sentries who have been on duty the past 24 hours.
When the departing sentry command has to march away, the ceremony concludes with a march to the front of Frederik VIII’s Palace, where the flag is delivered. Afterwards, the King’s Guard returns to The Life Guard Barracks in Copenhagen, where the personnel stay between the changes of the watches.
On the occasion of the first King’s Guard for The King on 15 January 2024, The Royal Life Guard will be in the red full-dress uniform.
The King’s Guard
The duty of the King’s Guard is to keep watch at Amalienborg. Every day of the year, the guards stand watch for 24 hours at a time from 12:00 to 12:00 the next day. A King’s Guard parade consists of The Band of The Royal Life Guard followed by The Royal Life Guard’s Drum Corps.
Following after them is the sentry command itself, which consists of the Commander of the Sentry Command, who has control over the entire parade, then 36 guards and, finally, the Second-in-Command of the watch.
