Troops from the British Army’s Household Division provided a socially distanced Guard of Honour for the Queen welcoming the President of the United States of America and First Lady Jill Biden to Windsor Castle yesterday afternoon.
The Guard of Honour, formed by the Army’s most senior regiment of Foot Guards, the Grenadier Guards, gave a Royal Salute and the Band of the Regiment played the US National Anthem.
President Biden was welcomed to Windsor by Her Majesty The Queen and invited to inspect the Guard of Honour, accompanied by Major General Christopher Ghika, the General Officer Commanding London District, and the Officer of the Guard, Major James Taylor.
The Band of the Grenadier Guards, conducted by Captain Ben Mason, played a programme of traditional British and American military marches, featuring the US Service Marches as well as popular tunes such as ‘Shenandoah’.
The Foot Guards are world famous for their excellence on State Ceremonial occasions such as the Queen’s Birthday Parade and on routine public duties, which includes the iconic Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace.
These dual role troops are equally admired for their operational prowess as Light Role Infantry. Since their formation in 1656 in Bruges, Belgium as a personal guard for the exiled king Charles II, the Regiment has fought in every major campaign involving the British Army. It has been awarded 78 battle honours and 14 Grenadiers have been awarded the Victoria Cross.
