You have to bare in mind that these are all serving soldiers and have done more than their fair share of square bashing, and of course they are incredibly disciplined. We may not be pledging allegiance to the flag every day or hanging the union flag everywhere, but this always makes me proud. ✌️♥️🇬🇧
This is a classic mistake made towards all Royal Guards around Europe by strangers. They wear traditional uniforms, hence they must be display-puppies - until visitors realize that these are combat troops if someone transgresses their welcome. To be fair to our American friends - the guardians of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are no different if anyone is stupid enough to show the slightest sign of disrespect or misbehaviour. One can take a soldier out of his camo BDU but one can not take him out of the badassery that put him in the formal uniform of the mission.
What I always find slightly baffling is that some people don't believe the Royal Guard are actually Army, but don't tend to question that the Red Arrows pilots are RAF 🤔
The Septics that don't believe the Guards are real soldiers should look at the medals worn.Although the Septics get medals for going to the PX,so they may be confused
Yup every battalion of the guards must serve it’s tour on the front lines. When one is shifted to serving at the palace and other royal estates, another is shifted into combat readiness/deployment if a war is on - almost every battalion served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The battalion returning from deployment will be sent to barracks/leave to rest and recuperate and to retrain into the guard side of things (active combat drill vs non combat drill can take time to relearn).
@Gary Allen No. A shako is not like a bearskin, which were originally nicked from defeated French soldiers. Some are still made of bearskin while others are synthetic, the care is basically same.
@Gary Allen as L G has already said bearskins and shakos are two different things. A shako is more like a tophat but with a brim/peak just at the front. If you check out the tv show Sharpe starring Sean Bean you'll see most of the infantry in that wearing shakos 😊
Same here. I was born in the UK to immigrant parents and I'm british to the core. I am loyal to the Queen (now King) and my countrymen. My brother, who is a dark toned asian man, took my community surprise by flying the flag of St George from his bedroom window!
As a British Army veteran, 26 years service, thank you for taking the time and respecting just one of the many traditions of the British Army; that have been passed down through the centuries, some dating back to the 17th century. Love him or loathe him,the British Army, today, owes its existence to Oliver Cromwell, and his New Model Army. The majority of armies around world adopted Cromwell's template, including the US Army.
@@preppertv5506 I joined the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment then, on amalgamation, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. Then transferred to another cap badge.
Me to brother, i was in the Worcestershire and sherwood foresters reg however I wasn't in no where near 26 years I did about 6 years left because I wanted to be with the kids alot more , I do miss it though
The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been performed first during the reign of King Charles II (1660 - 1685). In 1748, it was decided that this parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign and it became an annual event after George III became King in 1760.
It's also because some of the Kings and Queens of the past had their birthdays in Autumn and Winter so in order for the public to celebrate they have two birthdays
The flag aka the colour with the on duty Commander for the Guards, they take the colour up with them and place it by the bedside cabinet along with a box below the painting of Victoria in the Officers Mess in St James's, the pendant being what Victoria's wearing and clasping in the portrait of her. Is one of only a handful of them where after Alberts death she's not been painted wearing black to symbolise mourning.
I am ex British soldier served in Afghanistan and Iraq.. I was a tank soldier I had so much respect for guards men.. what you got to rember is how professional these soldiers are at this role.. imagine this co ordination n battle.. I been seen it so proud of GB
Kinda refreshing that this military ceremony is a display of pageantry, discipline and color, rather than a parade of goosestepping soldiers escorting Nuclear missiles.
Too damned true,. they only want people to see how many of these weapons they have to impress on the world their ability to kill in order to gain more power.
One thing I have found many reviewers from other countries do not understand - we do not have a 'show army/navy/airforce' - when you see our ceremonials, whatever the military branch, every person is a serving member - including bandsmen/women! During basic training, in all branches, you learn precision marching - it is part of discipline and team building and once learnt never forgotten - I learnt back in the mid 1960s when I served in the Women's Royal Air Force and until I became disabled 10 years ago, I could still do it! All branches of British military include women, including the Marines and all areas are open to them. Also, you only get medals for active service which is why our military show fewer than US service personnel who get them for other things😎
My mother trained at Greenwich College in 1940 and she remembered the RM drill sergeant with loathing! She then became staff at Greenwich and they were the go-to unit for London parades - she dreamed of marching through London for decades after. It does become muscle memory; I'm dyspraxic so it was difficult to learn but after a while it becomes second nature, particularly in a squad. We had a lot of square bashing practice before a ship recommissioning in the presence of royalty but it was mostly all learned in New Entry and practiced on Remembrance Sunday etc. I do remember though that when my friend was killed in a road accident that our male messmates had to have a few hours of concentrated practice to carry her coffin.
The Royal Marines bands are not actual serving Royal Marine Commando's, they do go through some military training but nothing like the Marine Commando course, I watched a documentary on the candidate selection process last year.
@@RushfanUK They most certainly ARE serving Royal Marines! The main branches of the RM are the Commandos and the Band Service. The members of the Band Service are fully trained and operational military personnel and have served in WW1, WW2 (where 25% of band service personnel were killed in action), the Falklands War, Kosovo, the first Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. Their military role is as medical support such as casualty handlers and ambulance drivers, logistics, and chemical warfare decontamination. Similarly, army pipers and drummers are fully trained infantry soldiers; check Bill Millin's actions on D-Day - he was actually an army commando.
My little brother was in the Welsh guards and they drill this constantly before the big day. The guards are highly trained and are absolute legends. By the time they get there its pure muscle memory
There was a documentary series on TV not so long ago where they showed the guards training and at one point the officer in charge, while explaining the ceremony they were rehearsing for, said, "and 50 seconds later Her Majesty arrives". That's precision!
Growing up the chap that lived opposite my house was a retired Regimental Sargeant Major in the Grenadier Guards after his wife had died, I was invited to watch the Troop with him. Mr Bradley would bark orders at the TV and we would stand for the Queen and the National Anthem, they were happy days because he would explain what was going on. I always have an appreciation of watching today.
As impressive as this is, you should see the old ones after WW2 when our army was millions strong and there were four times as many of these hard bastards on the field. The Guards regiments are very old, very respected and they don't fuck around when it's time to fight.
Trooping the Colour was (I understand) originally performed to show the troops the Regimental Colours (the flag), so that they would recognise it, and gather round it, in the chaos of battle. It goes back a long way, when hand-to-hand fighting was the norm. I've been to see it a few times when I was young - don't remember any sneezes, but saw several soldiers faint on a particularly scorching hot day.
Yes, the roots probably go back at least to the Middle Ages when every lord would have his own retinue. Medieval hosts weren't formal armies, so the standard of that lord would have been vital as a rallying point for anyone who got separated. Even before then, you had the Roman Legions with their Eagles.
You have to bear in mind that the Guards (Household Division)are the elite of the armed forces infantry, they carry out ceremonies alongside their regular infantry duties and have served in conflicts all over the world.
I started marching age 17 when I joined up to the Royal Naval Reserves. We would sometimes tick tock ( left or arm and left leg together etc and have to skip to get back in time) when first learning. The Trooping the colour, honours each regiment one every year,shown by their colours..(flag). I have marched in front of the Queen and saluted her. It's such an amazing adrenaline rush when marching in perfect unison.
This year's ceremony ( 2022 ) is well worth watching. It was the Irish Guards "turn" to lead things and the music was particularly wonderful. I'm not sure if most British people understand why we Americans are so in awe of this kind of thing....they are so fortunate to have such amazing traditions and ceremonies and I hope they never lose them. It's always fun watching these things thru your eyes, JT. I really hope you get the 5k views on this one!
Having had the chance to work on this year's parade (albeit in the background staff, not the parade itself) I can agree that it was phenomenal, especially since it was a jubilee year.
Thanks mate.... We really do appreciate our British traditions, even when some poke fun... Especially like they do with regards to our barristers still wearing wigs! 😏 I'm definitely proud that we have a royal family that unite us even when our prime minister is either left or right, I think it helps us to not become quite as divided as America has of late but we both have some amazing traditions. 🤗
@@MsBabylove11 I, too, love your royal family. When the world thinks of royalty ---kings or queens, etc. ----it's not the Queen of Belgium or King of Spain that first comes to mind, it's automatically the British monarch! You cannot buy that kind of "brand" recognition for all the money in the world. You have an enviable culture.
@@tommy4176 Awwhhh thanks mate.... It definitely feels good knowing we have such a rich history and our queen has definitely given her all as she promised she would.... It's crazy to think that one day she won't be our queen though because she has been my whole life.... It'll definitely be a sad day when she passes! 😔🇬🇧❤
The Queen used to ride side saddle and in the same uniform as the Guards as she is their Colonel in Chief her horse was called Burmize but when it retired she stopped rideing,my Youngest Son was so disappointed as he had just joined the Coldstream Guard's and it was his first Trooping the Colour.
I have watched many parades of armies of different nationalities including my country Kenya, which is awesome, but truth be told, there is something so special with the British Royal Army parades. Those moves and drills are so original that nobody else does it as the Brits do 😊🤣. Even most commonwealth armies which are fashioned after the British army, can't beat their Brits in parades. Even US soldiers, who themselves have a special way of doing the parades, appreciate and admire British army parades. It is one of the few things I can watch for four hours non-stop without getting bored. God bless the King, God bless British people and its army.
A veteran’s daughter and wife here. My father served 28 years and my husband 23. They are always moving you just can’t see it. They’re wiggling their toes and slightly rocking backwards and forwards to keep their circulation going. Also in hot weather they also put an ice pack underneath their Bearskin (the big hat they’re wearing)
@@Goady1000 when you have around a kilo and a half on your head, for over 3 hours, the last thing you need is adding more weight. It's just a stupid idea
In 1991 my regiment the Royal Hampshire Regiment did a parade in Portsmouth, Hampshire in the presence of Princess Diana, our Colonel in Chief at the time. It went off to perfection. Two months of solid drill in readiness. Not bad for a line infantry regiment that had recently returned from 2 years of operations in Northern Ireland. One of my proudest moments of 9 years of service.
Had the chance to work on the support staff for the 2022 parade, it was an absolutely phenomenal experience, especially as it was a jubilee year, which meant everyone put in even more effort than usual. Usually the rehersals for this will start about 6-7 months before the actual day and steadily ramp up in intensify, even right up till the day before to ensure everything is, in a word, perfect.
Imagine wanting to serve and pay tribute to an evil colonial Empire and genocidal murder of hundreds of millions of people, a Regiment that butchered tens of thousands of unarmed Indians during the occupation (thats you Guards Regiment) and a despotic Queen, who feigned nobility and innocence whilst being aware of a shopping list of warcrimes. Things from a sanctioned hit on Diana, to the current evil farce in Ukraine. Embarrassed for you really. Find better loyalty and a brain.
I’m ex Army myself, I wasn’t in the guards but I have done big parades before (as most people in the Army will do at some point). Drill is something you learn from very early on in training and do throughout your time serving no matter which part of the Army you’re joining because it teaches discipline, uniformity and teamwork. For a parade of this size 6 weeks does sound like a reasonable time for rehearsals, everyone who completes phase one training does what’s called a “passing out parade” and depending where you do your training it can be from 100-800+ people doing the parade. For me personally there was around 800 people on mine whereas my brother only had around 100 people. I’ve probably just waffled a load of shit there but I hope it helps give you some reference for how they’re so in sync and disciplined Edit: forgot to add that practice for my passing out parade of around 800 people was only around a week
I absolutely love how much you like learning about my country. The fact that you take so much interest in our traditions & culture is really wonderful. It is so evident in your videos how much you enjoy learning about the UK. You’re well on your way to 100k, & I cannot wait to see what you’ll get as your tattoo!
I absolutely loved your reaction! I laughed at all the times you were totally bemused, that this is our ceremony, huge, elaborate, wonderful, and you loved it - good for you! Really enjoyed this visit with you. Thanks for coming!
I went to Staunton Military Academy for three years until i was disinvited to return in 1965. Anyway, at SMA (Staunton, Virginia) we drilled every day, after noon when academic classes were finished. Big parade on Sundays. We were pretty good at dress-right-dress. There was no physical abuse, ever. If you got in trouble, you might get swatted by a teenage xxxxx, but I never was violated, or even thought about it. But in the drilling me and my classmates became soldiers. I was 17. I'm a 'Nam vet,. !96th Inf., 3rd,82nd Artillery, Americal Division, in country June 1970 to May, 1971. Proud to be what I am.
This is great but no one ever seems to react to the mounted troops who are right there in the background waiting their turn. The Kings Troop pulling working WW1 artillery and the Household Cavalry with their mounted band lead by 2 heavy horses carrying a drummer playing solid silver kettle drums while controlling a huge horse with his/her feet. Worth watching!
I remember the first time I watched this on the TV and it was the time someone fired 5 rounds of blanks at the Queen. My mum didn't believe me until she saw it on the news. She was amazing how she kept control and carried on. Legend.
Every soldier in the British Army learns foot drill as part of their basic 28 week training, for all branches apart from the Guards drill isnt a major preoccupation, but for the Guard Brigade for those that are on ceremonial duties in London Drill is a daily training session You might enjot the seriers BBC did a few years ago called "Guarding the Queen"
@@NEGV01 7 years as a Regular Officer and I can assure you that if I had ordered drill sessions every day, my CR would have had black marks on it. So what special drill unit were you in?
Discipline and drill are the keys to precision. It is a point of honour to perform this duty flawlessly. If there is an itch, forget it. They are trained to deal with a sneeze or a cough and their discipline gets them through it.
My grandfather was invited to tea parties at Buck Palace because he was an old soldier from WW2 he also marched on the Lords Mayor Parade, he looked like an old film star, so proud of him long since passed
While this has become ceremonial, and symbolic of being honoured by the ruler to carry one of their own flags, the 'Trooping' of the colour is literally to show to all soldiers in the regiment the flag that they should seek out and rally to that 'colour' in a battle. Once a colour, literally red, green, blue, white, etc. would be a distinction between regiments (you can see among the bandsmen that they wear a plume or 'hackle' on their hats to show which regiment they are), more recently it became a regimental colour, which carries the Royal Sigil on it, as well as a number of 'battle honours' won by the regiment in the past (the horizontal gold patches around the flag). If a regiment is disbanded, a 'colour' may be 'put up', which means it is placed in a local church until it is needed again. Many small churches have one or more colours in them. This tradition is ancient: watch a film like 'Gladiator' and you will see a 'signifer' carrying a gold animal carving on a pole with the name 'FELIX' (lucky) below it.
@@joshuagarnham9703 Wrong. It's ceremonial now but it originates from when the only method of knowing who was on your side on a battlefield was by recognising their flag or insignia. Especially when many of the troops would have been illiterate. The flag, or colour, was parade up and down the ranks so all the troops could get a damn good look at it.
I was on this parade, riding with the Household Cavalry, Lifeguards Squadron. We rehearse that speciifc parade for about 6-7 weeks but we continuously drilled all year in other ways, other parades and day to day guard duties.
It was an important ceremony. The regimental flag, or Colour, was paraded in front of the men so they would recognize it on the battlefield. 18th and 19th century battles could he a confused melee and recognising your flag out of the many flying could be the difference between life and death for you, and victory and defeat for your side.
Appreciate your respect and curiosity JT. I’m an Australian and joined the Scots Guards when I was 18, back in 1979/1980. I never Trooped the Colour, but 3months of square bashing at the Guard’s Depot in Pirbright, west of London is etched in my memory. The imposed discipline was pretty severe through an 18 year olds eyes but as I’ve got older I can see it’s purpose, how it is imposed, and it’s benefit. The attention to detail in drill, applied also on the battlefield gives you a better chance of staying alive. A number of the officers I trained with served in the Battle of Mt Tumbledown during the Falklands conflict. I remember Alistair Mitchell well. RUclips him for an account of the Battle of Mt Tumbledown … fascinating. War … very ugly.
My uncle was a Grenadier guard from 1953--1956 (national service) ..He did a trooping and he said , the pride he felt, Not only in himself, but also his mates, and the regiment.....A great honour.....Bring back national service
I remember one year when the guard on horseback was shouting at the troops and his horse's mouth was opening and closing and it was so funny cause it looked like it was the horse shouting.
One of my nephews is a Queens Guard. The many hours, weeks and weeks, of practice that goes on before this beautiful, disciplined display is amazing! Makes you proud to be a Brit when you see this. Love watching your genuine, inquisitive and heart felt reactions in all of your posts JT! Hope you smash that 100K subs soon!
The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being 'kept' by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accession of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.
Hi JT if you haven’t already watched it have a look at Prince Philips funeral and all of the bands lining up at Windsor.. it’s truly amazing to watch and listen to. It’s those occasions that hit me deep in the patriotic feels.
I’m an ex grenadier guard from 1970, and the basic training for a 16yr old was 6 months, but what you’re seeing to get to that standard takes a good few years, basic marching can be learned in a few weeks, but that formation stuff a hell of a lot longer!
It always makes me laugh when a American criticises how we spell words these said words were being spelt this way long before America was discovered 😂😂😂👍👍
Actually it was the British that changed the spelling. Look at Kitchener’s “Mobilization” poster in WWI. We now use an ‘s’. In most cases we have changed, not the Americans. Our accents actually sounded more American 150 years ago.
I remember a US contributor to another social media forum discussing Trooping the Colour in which he was most admiring of the precision, presentation and skill of the troops involved, and then ruined the whole damned thing by saying something along the lines of “of course, these are soldiers who are injured or who have retired“. I will try to be fair so I will assume that some ignorant buffoon had told him that and he had no reason to disbelieve it. These uniforms are for ceremonial duties only, and the distinctive headgear was awarded for prowess in battle over two hundred years ago. I have mentioned before on RUclips that if I were to see a video of the USMC and explained to a British audience that they were merely a tribute act to those pretend military people who supported John Wayne in fictional war films then the US audience would be mightily insulted!
It’s unbelievable how quiet it is in the background, when you consider the fact that they are right in the centre of London! This makes me so proud to be British. 🇬🇧❤️
I am 80 now and I grew up with this. My Father joined the Scots Guards in 1926. Every year I still enjoy this ceremony of trooping the colour with its battle honours and history of the regiment.
Every soldier in The British army begins to learn these drill maneuvers on day one of basic training. I have commanded a parade very similar to this for a course passing out parade, very scary stuff. You have to remember every command, every movement while not having a single clue what is happening behind you. The only info you get is from the sergeants behind you and that is mostly keeping you heading straight...soiled underwear inducing.
Sweat running down your face, itchy nose, need the bathroom.. tough, keep going.. Feel faint and going to fall, never put out your hands, stay to attention as you fall! Was married to a Grenadier, the work behind scenes is mind blowing. So proud to be British and of our Troops... Thank you JT.
I went to the Army Apprentices College at Arborfield in 1975, all of our CSM's, the RSM and a good percentage of the squad Sergeants were Brigade of Guards. We were 16 when we joined and after 2 years of service our drill was as good as any unit anywhere and better than most.
I was in the Irish Guards for a number of years and I can remember being in the Escort to the Colour on the 11th of June 1988, and we started rehearsing from the end of March/beginning of April and we done a mini Trooping the Colour on the Parade square in Chelsea Barracks (before Tony Blair sold it to his currupt mates). The ceremony itself was to make sure that all troops in battle will recognise what their Regimental Colour, especially in the times like the Nepolanic Wars.
I come fm a family of Irish guardsmen, my dad uncle's & brother & I am extremely proud of them all, Irish guards are a massive part of my childhood, one of my uncle's was also dog handler of the gorgeous Fionn bk in the 70s. QS
I served in the Coldstream Guards from 1964 until 1971. I was on operations in South Arabia & South Yemen & Mauritius. Then postings to Germany (West) & Northern Ireland. I took part in 2 Trooping's of the Colour, I was stationed in London during 1967/1968. The Guards Regiments are stationed there for Public Duties which consist of Guarding the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James's Palace also the Tower of London guarding the Crown Jewels & the Guard at the Bank of England. On top of that there were various ceremonial duties to attend like the State Opening Of Parliament.The Lord Mayor's Ceremony in the City of London. Combined with all that we were constantly training for operations anywhere in the world. In London the Guards Regiments prepare for the ceremonial season in April & this consists of drill. drill. drill & drill. This drill helps to maintain fitness level as the ceremonial duties are extremely tough to do & you must be very fit to do them. The actual preparation for Trooping the Colour is around 5 weeks. You do a rehearsal & than a Full dress rehearsal a week before. Then you hope that it doesn't rain on the day. On the morning of Trooping the Colour you're up at 5am to prepare. The Guardsmen who actually Troop the Colour go onto a 48 hour Guard Duty at the places mentioned before. Hope this clarifies the background for you & that you enjoy the ceremonies. The hats that you referred to are called Bearskins.
The turn is called form, the order is given “Left form!”, the guy on the left turns and “Marks time” (stationary march), as you come beside the guy to your left you also mark time. Recruit training typically lasts 6-10 weeks, which includes drill (marching). Drill movements are done to a count - “one, tup three, one”, movement is only carried out on the “one”.
@@hawker1262 I’m ex Irish guards mate, it’s 28 weeks with 2 of those dedicated to reversing the pass out parade, which is essentially a mini birthday parade, in terms of drill. Reversing public duties was done in perpetration for company commanders inspection.
Have been part of a drill group in the RAF, we practised regularly, with extra just before a major 'turn-out', as we were there to honour the arrival at an airfield friendly foreign military officers and politicos. During the time of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding, we did this several times a day for a couple of weeks, as RAF Northolt was suddenly the place everyone came to, from the US president to the King of Tonga.
I was in the air force for 12 years and never could march 😕😕and they changed how to march 😯 but OK could not march but was well trained in the trade I did.. Most of the time I was in training for my trade😳
The people in gold you pointed to are the Drum Majors. They coordinate the band; they use the big stick, called a mace, to give signals. This is because if you're playing a drum or a tuba or whatever, you might not hear a word of command, like "HALT!". So the drum major gives signals with the mace so the band can see them. Normally a military band would have only one Drum Major, but an enormous massed band such as this one has multiple.
The turning of the band in sync is called 'The Pinwheel' and is the only maneuver in the British Army which is not written down anywhere - the instructions how to do it are handed down by word of mouth only.
In her younger days, the Queen would do the entire review on horseback! Leaving the Palace, riding to the review, standing still for an hour or so, and back to the palace - all on horseback, and sidesaddle!
@@jamielonsdale3018 No she wasn't! The Queen stopped riding at Trooping the Colour when her horse Burmese retired. That was in 1986, when the Queen was 60 years old.
I have attended every Trooping of the Colour sinced 2000 in London and proir to that seen every one of them on BBC TV. These young men and women train very hard in order to achieve this perfection. I missed this years in London because of ill-health but watched it on the TV but hopefully back in London next year.
It always lasts a couple of hours, and the regiments might only get around 6 weeks rehearsal, depending on what else is going on and it'll end with the Queen and family going back to the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the flypast, we also have Remembrance Sunday the nearest Sunday to 11th November when the guns fell silent and peace declared, for that weekend we have something at The Royal Albert Hall and then at Whitehall on the Sunday
Those hats r made from Canadian black bear fur. I’m retired from the Canadian military. I know what they r doing cause I have done all that before. Lots of love from canada
I would like to say to all the personal that has served or still in the military Tysvm on ur service and god bless all. If everyone would just take a min to say ty to any military personnel retired or not it would make that persons day.
The Guards are drilling to a higher standard from the moment they join. Their esprit de corps is also very high and their is general pride in being closely associated with the monarch. The Queen also takes a particular interest in the Guards and this all contributes to keeping morale high. The flip side is that, in times of war, the Guards are also at the tip of the spear and their discipline (traditionally) has helped to keep the rest of the army in check.
@@danielwood9332 if you know ANYTHING about the British army you would know. A lot traditions are passed down bit the Guards have always been held as THE standard since the restoration of Charles II. At Corunna when the British army was retreating from the French, General Sir John Moore noted a regiments orderly withdraw with band playing and flags flying playing and remarked "That must be the Guards". There are many examples like this that could fill a book of its own. If you're a British serviceman you should already know this stuff. Sorry folks for poor poor grammar, I have disabilities and am not so hot writing especially on mobile. Uncle Jim was in the Welsh Guards so have family experiences that I've drawn from too
I watch now and can't believe i served in the scots guards 2003 until 2008,trooped the colours in 2004 and it was hard,the amount off practice was ridiculous,the blisters on my feet were horrific lol....also it was an honor and im very proud to off served.
Sticking something on a pole does go way back into ancient times. Even the Romans did it. It was so you could see where your comrades were gathering in the middle of a battle. If the standard bearer was killed the person next to them would pick it up. The battle was not lost until all the standards were down, either through death or lowered in defeat.
In medieval battle and earlier the troops would look to the king or noble that lead them…Later the Colour was used as every regiment has its own colours as a rallying point
@@Durgesuth Yes. The king and his knights would be on horse and often the king would wear a crown on his helmet to they knew who he was. He'd stick up and out to the foot soldiers. Very brave when you consider that s/he (queens went to war too!) were also making themselves a target as well as a rallying point for the troops. (Sorry - inappropriate here but I just had an image of Trumpery trying to get on a horse! 🤣)
Ad a former soldier I can tell you that these guys have all done plenty of drill (this kind of matching). The movements and timings become second nature. I attended a military college for a year before joining my regiment and we spent around 3-6 weeks training for our big parade at the end of our year. The hardest parts to master were rotating while marching and the slow march. Mynplatoon was the only one to master the rotating and as such no others did it. We were blessed in that we had two drill instructors in the platoon; a WO1 from the Scots Guards and a Sgt from the Coldstream Guards.
At 11:38, you pointed out the people in gold in front of the Band. These are what are called "Drum Majors". They are pretty much in charge of keeping the band in time and leading them. They use a stick which is called a Drum Major's Mace which you might have seen. The reason they are wearing gold is because whenever it is a Royal birthday (amongst other things), they are to wear that golden uniform which is called the "state dress".
This is not one band but 5, one for each of the regiments, the guys in gold at the front is for each of the bands with one of them taking the lead. At the back their are bagpipers from the Scots Guards and Irish Guards, some of the band have elaborate gold decoration on their uniform, they are not part of the band but the pipes and drums, they are part of the Regiment and have active rolls in the regiment. Band members come from the Royal corps of Army music and are assigned to regiments and can be moved to other regiments in their career.
Used to watch the gun run as a kid in the 70's down at whale island in portsmouth. Just about all the sailors who participated had missing fingers, was a great night out.
The people in yellow are the drum majors. They lead the band. The gold uniforms they wear are State dress and are only worn on special occasions (i.e: Trooping the Colour, a birthday within the Royal Family, etc).
I'm a Canadian veteran and I always enjoy watching these Guardsmen march. They're very sharp. I like the British Grenadiers march music as well. I've marched to it myself.
I remember my drill sessions on the square when I first joined and how bad we were, even being marched off to the guard house(jail)occasionally.We ended up practicing at night in our spare time with broom handles Eventually it just clicks and falls into place.
the marching is interesting as it dates back to the time that the army had to fire in blocks and they had to act as one to get into postion , it was not just for parades .......
The drum majors wear the red uniforms identical to everyone else UNLESS the queen is present, in which case they wear the gold ?stat”uniforms - which is what you mistake for “women”, as they have a skirt like appearance
'Wheeling' the inside Marcher (L or R)essentially marks time, the Far end of the line marches faster, every one else normal pace and start marking time in conjuction wiht the inside Marker when the reach the correct position until the Far Marker rolls into thier position and then everyone is off again
Just so that you know, a genuine guardsman's bearskin costs about $1500.00, and is made from pelts obtained from the annual cull of Canadian black bears.
@@fatsam2564 Sorry (T.A.K.)! You're quite right. They did try fakes but they didn't work. The Hussars use the fake ones apart from the leader who has a real one.
@@margaretnicol3423 They tried fake fur and it just didn't work. Much heavier and couldn't keep their shape in all weathers. The bear skins are a byproduct from the necessary cull, and at least shows respect to the animals, not just put in the bin. Canada has a very good and well resourced conservation policy, and some of the revenue from the bear skins goes to pay for that.
I have three uncles who served in the Coldstream guards. These soldiers are advance infantry in the modern army. They are not merely ceremonial. Those “hats” are called bearskins. It takes one bear to make one “hat.” They cost thousands of pounds. Each footguards regiment has distinctive button groupings, and bearskin plumes (or not) in differing colours to denote the regiment. The plume may be on the right or left depending on regiment. The “guys in yellow” are actually wearing scarlet, but adorned with a lot of gold. They are drum majors.
It was very important that the soldiery knew the 'colours' so they would know where their regiment was located on the battlefield. The Queen bestows the colours and so the soldiery needs to have it shown to them. In fairness, your US regiments do a nice parade too. Re the bearskin, my brother who was one of those guards said the bearskins are individual and destroyed after the wearer has done with it - end of service usually. There are not supposed to be any ex-Army bearskins available for sale. They are made from Canadian bear skin and are very heavy and warm. Stupid really as uniform goes. Back in the day monarchs liked their soldiers to be as tall as possible.
It’s always impressive to watch well disciplined soldiers who are well trained do their thing. I’ve always loved watching the Trooping if the Colours for the queens official birthday celebration each year. Very proud to be British. I remember when Queen Elizabeth would actually take the salute while riding sidesaddle on her horse for the entire Trooping ceremony. As an aside the Bearskins as they are called have been worn by troops since the Napoleonic Wars. You should look up their history, it’s quite interesting and a little amusing.
The ones in yellow at the front of the band are the drum majors, in the state dress which is only worn in the presence of the Queen. Five drum majors, one for each of the five regiments of the guards.
Hey JT It's all about the timing , the first movement is carried out.... 1 (say in your head 2, 3 ) second movement.... 1.......... The time never changes from your first Drill lesson to your last it is always 1, 2,3, 1. In training you are taught to call out the time as you carry out the movement, every time you are given a command .... Left turn, 1 you pivot your body on the heel and toe to the left,(this means your right foot is slightly behind the left) pauseof 2,3, the right knee is raised so the thigh is at a 90 degree angle to you body,then on the count of 1 the heel is driven down into place beside the left 1 2,3 1 all drill movements are carried out to this timing, after a while it just becomes second nature. re watch a couple of the movements and say along with the movement 1 2,3 1 and you will soon pick it up LOL!!!!!
When the queen was younger, she sat through all this on horseback. Of course the horse was very well trained, but it's still not easy to keep a horse still for several hours.
The colours was a rallying point in battle. Defended to the death at all costs. All who served should know that. Wars have changed and Trooping the Colour is now ceremonial tradition. A sight to behold
Love that our attention was drawn to the medals of bravery that we otherwise would not notice 👍🏻💖 Didn't you remove the u in "colour" not us add it!?🤔☺️🇬🇧
Apparently it was Noah Webster (of the dictionary) who decided that American spelling should be differentiated from standard English (as laid down in Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary), so when he published his 'Compendious Dictionary of the English Language' in 1806 those letters he dismissed as pedantry were got rid of, so colour became color, programme became program, and catalogue became catalog, etc
My father was a Coldsteam Guardsman and you start learing drill during your sixteen weeks of basic training and never really stop practosing. I never saw my dad slouch or not stand up stait or keep his house in order. His shirts etc were all hanging up facing to the right properly pressed. Its the mentality of an elite soldier and bodyguard to the monarch.
Colour is pronounced exactly the same as color. The reason the US didn’t keep the u is because in the early days of the US, printing/writing services would charge by the letter and that led to some letters being deemed unnecessary and then dropped.
What a load of bull. What of words like Dramatised (UK) vs Dramatized (US) for example, of which, there are many many many other examples like radicalised (UK) vs radicalized (US) etc... "charging by the letter" indeed, absolute bollocks. Dont believe me? What of words like Centre (UK) vs Center (US) or Theatre (UK) vs Theater (US) They all have the same number of letters! It just so happens that the UK dictionary was influenced by the French language and Samuel Johnsons US dictionary often removed silent letters to words that he knew, but with exceptions of course to help in writing to differentiate between context/objects, an example would be Knight vs Night. Hence why US English is often called "Simplified English" rather than "English"
Some of the most disciplined, battle hardened and finest soldiers on the planet. Makes me proud!
It makes me proud to be british ❤
You have to bare in mind that these are all serving soldiers and have done more than their fair share of square bashing, and of course they are incredibly disciplined. We may not be pledging allegiance to the flag every day or hanging the union flag everywhere, but this always makes me proud. ✌️♥️🇬🇧
This is a classic mistake made towards all Royal Guards around Europe by strangers. They wear traditional uniforms, hence they must be display-puppies - until visitors realize that these are combat troops if someone transgresses their welcome.
To be fair to our American friends - the guardians of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are no different if anyone is stupid enough to show the slightest sign of disrespect or misbehaviour. One can take a soldier out of his camo BDU but one can not take him out of the badassery that put him in the formal uniform of the mission.
@@glacieractivity Well Said!
What I always find slightly baffling is that some people don't believe the Royal Guard are actually Army, but don't tend to question that the Red Arrows pilots are RAF 🤔
The Septics that don't believe the Guards are real soldiers should look at the medals worn.Although the Septics get medals for going to the PX,so they may be confused
Yup every battalion of the guards must serve it’s tour on the front lines.
When one is shifted to serving at the palace and other royal estates, another is shifted into combat readiness/deployment if a war is on - almost every battalion served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The battalion returning from deployment will be sent to barracks/leave to rest and recuperate and to retrain into the guard side of things (active combat drill vs non combat drill can take time to relearn).
This makes me increfibly proud to be British they're just immaculate 🇬🇧👑🇬🇧
RIP Your Majesty 💙
Boring!
@@williamwilkes9873 Why are you watching it then? Very strange 😮
@@iriscollins7583 lunacy?
@@iriscollins7583 lunacy? Tides, moons.& werewolves? Who knows?
God bless the king
The correct name for the headwear is a Bearskin. Thanks for your interest and respect,JT! From a proud British Army Veteran.🇬🇧
@Gary Allen they are still made from bear fur
@Gary Allen No. A shako is not like a bearskin, which were originally nicked from defeated French soldiers.
Some are still made of bearskin while others are synthetic, the care is basically same.
Sometimes called a 'busby' in error. The busby is half the size and rather squat.
@@terencejay8845 yep the Royal Horse Artillery and the two Hussar regiments wear busbies 😊
@Gary Allen as L G has already said bearskins and shakos are two different things. A shako is more like a tophat but with a brim/peak just at the front. If you check out the tv show Sharpe starring Sean Bean you'll see most of the infantry in that wearing shakos 😊
This makes my heart swell with pride and so proud to be British
Me too. No one does this sort of thing better than the British
Same here. I was born in the UK to immigrant parents and I'm british to the core. I am loyal to the Queen (now King) and my countrymen. My brother, who is a dark toned asian man, took my community surprise by flying the flag of St George from his bedroom window!
@@pain-killeryates5448 that's a shame that it took your community by surprise, because it shouldn't. This IS England ! Good on you👍🏴
@@GBURGE55 He really didnt care! I was super proud of him. In fact, I'd do the same again just to get the stares! 🤣🤣
Nobody but nobody beats the British for pomp and ceremony........
As a British Army veteran, 26 years service, thank you for taking the time and respecting just one of the many traditions of the British Army; that have been passed down through the centuries, some dating back to the 17th century. Love him or loathe him,the British Army, today, owes its existence to Oliver Cromwell, and his New Model Army. The majority of armies around world adopted Cromwell's template, including the US Army.
John Coleman..THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE SIR..👏🇬🇧
Absolutely, I had the privilage of serving for 8 1/2 years (not as long as yourself) but I honestly enjoyed every second
@@wendypannhausen7367 Thank you.
@@preppertv5506 I joined the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment then, on amalgamation, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. Then transferred to another cap badge.
Me to brother, i was in the Worcestershire and sherwood foresters reg however I wasn't in no where near 26 years I did about 6 years left because I wanted to be with the kids alot more , I do miss it though
The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been performed first during the reign of King Charles II (1660 - 1685). In 1748, it was decided that this parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign and it became an annual event after George III became King in 1760.
It's also because some of the Kings and Queens of the past had their birthdays in Autumn and Winter so in order for the public to celebrate they have two birthdays
The Colour is trooped through the ranks so that the soldiers could recognise their flag which was the mustering point on the battle field.
@@denisemeredith2436 That's interesting, I didn't know that. I do like a good fact 😊
respect as your clearly of eastern European descent
The flag aka the colour with the on duty Commander for the Guards, they take the colour up with them and place it by the bedside cabinet along with a box below the painting of Victoria in the Officers Mess in St James's, the pendant being what Victoria's wearing and clasping in the portrait of her. Is one of only a handful of them where after Alberts death she's not been painted wearing black to symbolise mourning.
I am ex British soldier served in Afghanistan and Iraq..
I was a tank soldier I had so much respect for guards men.. what you got to rember is how professional these soldiers are at this role.. imagine this co ordination n battle.. I been seen it so proud of GB
Thank you for your service many respects from 🇬🇧
Kinda refreshing that this military ceremony is a display of pageantry, discipline and color, rather than a parade of goosestepping soldiers escorting Nuclear missiles.
Too damned true,. they only want people to see how many of these weapons they have to impress on the world their ability to kill in order to gain more power.
It's a professional army
I'm so pleased these boys are on our side. If there's a job to be done they don't mess about. All us brits should be so proud of them. Thank you.
One thing I have found many reviewers from other countries do not understand - we do not have a 'show army/navy/airforce' - when you see our ceremonials, whatever the military branch, every person is a serving member - including bandsmen/women! During basic training, in all branches, you learn precision marching - it is part of discipline and team building and once learnt never forgotten - I learnt back in the mid 1960s when I served in the Women's Royal Air Force and until I became disabled 10 years ago, I could still do it! All branches of British military include women, including the Marines and all areas are open to them. Also, you only get medals for active service which is why our military show fewer than US service personnel who get them for other things😎
I can still remember the drill and I was a army cadet many yrs ago lol
My mother trained at Greenwich College in 1940 and she remembered the RM drill sergeant with loathing! She then became staff at Greenwich and they were the go-to unit for London parades - she dreamed of marching through London for decades after. It does become muscle memory; I'm dyspraxic so it was difficult to learn but after a while it becomes second nature, particularly in a squad. We had a lot of square bashing practice before a ship recommissioning in the presence of royalty but it was mostly all learned in New Entry and practiced on Remembrance Sunday etc. I do remember though that when my friend was killed in a road accident that our male messmates had to have a few hours of concentrated practice to carry her coffin.
The Royal Marines bands are not actual serving Royal Marine Commando's, they do go through some military training but nothing like the Marine Commando course, I watched a documentary on the candidate selection process last year.
@@RushfanUK They are serving Royal Marines though! Just not commando trained! They can volunteer for support roles in operations too!
@@RushfanUK They most certainly ARE serving Royal Marines! The main branches of the RM are the Commandos and the Band Service. The members of the Band Service are fully trained and operational military personnel and have served in WW1, WW2 (where 25% of band service personnel were killed in action), the Falklands War, Kosovo, the first Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. Their military role is as medical support such as casualty handlers and ambulance drivers, logistics, and chemical warfare decontamination. Similarly, army pipers and drummers are fully trained infantry soldiers; check Bill Millin's actions on D-Day - he was actually an army commando.
My little brother was in the Welsh guards and they drill this constantly before the big day. The guards are highly trained and are absolute legends. By the time they get there its pure muscle memory
There was a documentary series on TV not so long ago where they showed the guards training and at one point the officer in charge, while explaining the ceremony they were rehearsing for, said, "and 50 seconds later Her Majesty arrives". That's precision!
@@peterc.1618 Yes, every pace, every second.
Had to look twice, thought to myself I don't remember commenting then realised it wasn't me 😂
Growing up the chap that lived opposite my house was a retired Regimental Sargeant Major in the Grenadier Guards after his wife had died, I was invited to watch the Troop with him. Mr Bradley would bark orders at the TV and we would stand for the Queen and the National Anthem, they were happy days because he would explain what was going on. I always have an appreciation of watching today.
As impressive as this is, you should see the old ones after WW2 when our army was millions strong and there were four times as many of these hard bastards on the field.
The Guards regiments are very old, very respected and they don't fuck around when it's time to fight.
My Dad was in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. He never messed around - not with anything (or anyone)!
@Gaelbunny stands with Ukraine
I never seen the WW2 one but i can imagine how amazing they must of been, respect to all them guys and RIP Elizabeth II.
@@demonliquidator
We've been training for decades now to kill the British Army. I hope you don't disappoint China, when the time comes.
Trooping the Colour was (I understand) originally performed to show the troops the Regimental Colours (the flag), so that they would recognise it, and gather round it, in the chaos of battle. It goes back a long way, when hand-to-hand fighting was the norm.
I've been to see it a few times when I was young - don't remember any sneezes, but saw several soldiers faint on a particularly scorching hot day.
Yes, the roots probably go back at least to the Middle Ages when every lord would have his own retinue. Medieval hosts weren't formal armies, so the standard of that lord would have been vital as a rallying point for anyone who got separated. Even before then, you had the Roman Legions with their Eagles.
Trooping the colour is to celebrate the sovereigns birthday and started with King Charles 2 in 1748
You have to bear in mind that the Guards (Household Division)are the elite of the armed forces infantry, they carry out ceremonies alongside their regular infantry duties and have served in conflicts all over the world.
The hat you refer to is called a bear skin and is made from Canadian brown bear.
I started marching age 17 when I joined up to the Royal Naval Reserves. We would sometimes tick tock ( left or arm and left leg together etc and have to skip to get back in time) when first learning. The Trooping the colour, honours each regiment one every year,shown by their colours..(flag). I have marched in front of the Queen and saluted her. It's such an amazing adrenaline rush when marching in perfect unison.
This year's ceremony ( 2022 ) is well worth watching. It was the Irish Guards "turn" to lead things and the music was particularly wonderful. I'm not sure if most British people understand why we Americans are so in awe of this kind of thing....they are so fortunate to have such amazing traditions and ceremonies and I hope they never lose them. It's always fun watching these things thru your eyes, JT. I really hope you get the 5k views on this one!
Having had the chance to work on this year's parade (albeit in the background staff, not the parade itself) I can agree that it was phenomenal, especially since it was a jubilee year.
Thanks mate.... We really do appreciate our British traditions, even when some poke fun... Especially like they do with regards to our barristers still wearing wigs! 😏 I'm definitely proud that we have a royal family that unite us even when our prime minister is either left or right, I think it helps us to not become quite as divided as America has of late but we both have some amazing traditions. 🤗
I am super proud of our traditions here, love all the pomp and circumstance, and its lovely to know other countries love it as much.
@@MsBabylove11 I, too, love your royal family. When the world thinks of royalty ---kings or queens, etc. ----it's not the Queen of Belgium or King of Spain that first comes to mind, it's automatically the British monarch! You cannot buy that kind of "brand" recognition for all the money in the world. You have an enviable culture.
@@tommy4176 Awwhhh thanks mate.... It definitely feels good knowing we have such a rich history and our queen has definitely given her all as she promised she would.... It's crazy to think that one day she won't be our queen though because she has been my whole life.... It'll definitely be a sad day when she passes! 😔🇬🇧❤
The Queen used to ride side saddle and in the same uniform as the Guards as she is their Colonel in Chief her horse was called Burmize but when it retired she stopped rideing,my Youngest Son was so disappointed as he had just joined the Coldstream Guard's and it was his first Trooping the Colour.
Always have goosebumps watching trooping the colour, my dad was a guard and stood outside Buckingham palace. So proud.
I have watched many parades of armies of different nationalities including my country Kenya, which is awesome, but truth be told, there is something so special with the British Royal Army parades. Those moves and drills are so original that nobody else does it as the Brits do 😊🤣.
Even most commonwealth armies which are fashioned after the British army, can't beat their Brits in parades.
Even US soldiers, who themselves have a special way of doing the parades, appreciate and admire British army parades.
It is one of the few things I can watch for four hours non-stop without getting bored.
God bless the King, God bless British people and its army.
A veteran’s daughter and wife here. My father served 28 years and my husband 23. They are always moving you just can’t see it. They’re wiggling their toes and slightly rocking backwards and forwards to keep their circulation going. Also in hot weather they also put an ice pack underneath their Bearskin (the big hat they’re wearing)
I was a Guardsman for 23 years.. .I've never heard or seen anyone put an ice pack inside their bearskin...
Nope! Icepacks under the bearskin does not happen.
@@bantononabike - don't know why not, it's a good idea.
@@graemeday4195 does not happen or not smart enough to do it
@@Goady1000 when you have around a kilo and a half on your head, for over 3 hours, the last thing you need is adding more weight. It's just a stupid idea
The trooping of the colour is also carried out in Ottawa, Canada by the Governor Generals Guard and is equally impressive.
Yeah as a Brit I find the C7s Jarring but they do look better lol.
Many respects 🇨🇦 from 🇬🇧
In 1991 my regiment the Royal Hampshire Regiment did a parade in Portsmouth, Hampshire in the presence of Princess Diana, our Colonel in Chief at the time.
It went off to perfection. Two months of solid drill in readiness. Not bad for a line infantry regiment that had recently returned from 2 years of operations in Northern Ireland. One of my proudest moments of 9 years of service.
My granddad joined the Hampshires in 1911. He was a machine gunner, MM and bar. He and both his brothers survived, we were blessed. X
Had the chance to work on the support staff for the 2022 parade, it was an absolutely phenomenal experience, especially as it was a jubilee year, which meant everyone put in even more effort than usual.
Usually the rehersals for this will start about 6-7 months before the actual day and steadily ramp up in intensify, even right up till the day before to ensure everything is, in a word, perfect.
That must have been wonderful Sam Congratulations!
Imagine wanting to serve and pay tribute to an evil colonial Empire and genocidal murder of hundreds of millions of people, a Regiment that butchered tens of thousands of unarmed Indians during the occupation (thats you Guards Regiment) and a despotic Queen, who feigned nobility and innocence whilst being aware of a shopping list of warcrimes. Things from a sanctioned hit on Diana, to the current evil farce in Ukraine. Embarrassed for you really. Find better loyalty and a brain.
I’m ex Army myself, I wasn’t in the guards but I have done big parades before (as most people in the Army will do at some point). Drill is something you learn from very early on in training and do throughout your time serving no matter which part of the Army you’re joining because it teaches discipline, uniformity and teamwork.
For a parade of this size 6 weeks does sound like a reasonable time for rehearsals, everyone who completes phase one training does what’s called a “passing out parade” and depending where you do your training it can be from 100-800+ people doing the parade. For me personally there was around 800 people on mine whereas my brother only had around 100 people.
I’ve probably just waffled a load of shit there but I hope it helps give you some reference for how they’re so in sync and disciplined
Edit: forgot to add that practice for my passing out parade of around 800 people was only around a week
As a cadet we had a saying .. if you don't like drill you haven't done enough of it ...
Drill is a Pill and should be taken Twice daily
@@siwatts1284 only twice .... I think I may have had too much 🤣🤣
Marching in a parade was one of my favourite moments in army training. Just being together proud to be British.
@@NA-gf1zy it was at my passing out parade from phase one, we had 3 company’s made up of 17 platoons all on the same parade
I absolutely love how much you like learning about my country. The fact that you take so much interest in our traditions & culture is really wonderful. It is so evident in your videos how much you enjoy learning about the UK. You’re well on your way to 100k, & I cannot wait to see what you’ll get as your tattoo!
So glad you enjoyed our fantastic trooping of the colour🇬🇧👍❤
Makes me proud to be British the time and effort they put to be the best proud of you all our forces keep the amazing work 💪💪
I absolutely loved your reaction! I laughed at all the times you were totally bemused, that this is our ceremony, huge, elaborate, wonderful, and you loved it - good for you! Really enjoyed this visit with you. Thanks for coming!
I went to Staunton Military Academy for three years until i was disinvited to return in 1965. Anyway, at SMA (Staunton, Virginia) we drilled every day, after noon when academic classes were finished. Big parade on Sundays. We were pretty good at dress-right-dress. There was no physical abuse, ever. If you got in trouble, you might get swatted by a teenage xxxxx, but I never was violated, or even thought about it. But in the drilling me and my classmates became soldiers. I was 17. I'm a 'Nam vet,. !96th Inf., 3rd,82nd Artillery, Americal Division, in country June 1970 to May, 1971. Proud to be what I am.
This is great but no one ever seems to react to the mounted troops who are right there in the background waiting their turn. The Kings Troop pulling working WW1 artillery and the Household Cavalry with their mounted band lead by 2 heavy horses carrying a drummer playing solid silver kettle drums while controlling a huge horse with his/her feet. Worth watching!
I have massive respect for the mounted bandsmen.
It's hard enough to march and play... to play Riding a horse is mental
@@chrystpick7741 and the drummers do it with stirrup reins! Double mental.
As a child it’s was the mounted troops that impressed me most and that has not changed
I remember the first time I watched this on the TV and it was the time someone fired 5 rounds of blanks at the Queen. My mum didn't believe me until she saw it on the news. She was amazing how she kept control and carried on. Legend.
The guns are fired over the Queen . Not at her.
Every soldier in the British Army learns foot drill as part of their basic 28 week training, for all branches apart from the Guards drill isnt a major preoccupation, but for the Guard Brigade for those that are on ceremonial duties in London Drill is a daily training session
You might enjot the seriers BBC did a few years ago called "Guarding the Queen"
The others that regularly do drill are the Queens colour squadron or the RAF Regiment, they are also active service personnel.
I wasn't guards yet always did drill
@@NEGV01 Really, you "Always did drill"- so that was 8 hours a day 5 days a week was it?
@@davehopkin9502 how long did you serve?
@@NEGV01 7 years as a Regular Officer and I can assure you that if I had ordered drill sessions every day, my CR would have had black marks on it.
So what special drill unit were you in?
Discipline and drill are the keys to precision. It is a point of honour to perform this duty flawlessly. If there is an itch, forget it. They are trained to deal with a sneeze or a cough and their discipline gets them through it.
My grandfather was invited to tea parties at Buck Palace because he was an old soldier from WW2 he also marched on the Lords Mayor Parade, he looked like an old film star, so proud of him long since passed
While this has become ceremonial, and symbolic of being honoured by the ruler to carry one of their own flags, the 'Trooping' of the colour is literally to show to all soldiers in the regiment the flag that they should seek out and rally to that 'colour' in a battle.
Once a colour, literally red, green, blue, white, etc. would be a distinction between regiments (you can see among the bandsmen that they wear a plume or 'hackle' on their hats to show which regiment they are), more recently it became a regimental colour, which carries the Royal Sigil on it, as well as a number of 'battle honours' won by the regiment in the past (the horizontal gold patches around the flag).
If a regiment is disbanded, a 'colour' may be 'put up', which means it is placed in a local church until it is needed again.
Many small churches have one or more colours in them.
This tradition is ancient: watch a film like 'Gladiator' and you will see a 'signifer' carrying a gold animal carving on a pole with the name 'FELIX' (lucky) below it.
The trooping of the colour has always been ceremonial, it serves no functional purpose other than morale.
@@joshuagarnham9703 Wrong. It's ceremonial now but it originates from when the only method of knowing who was on your side on a battlefield was by recognising their flag or insignia. Especially when many of the troops would have been illiterate. The flag, or colour, was parade up and down the ranks so all the troops could get a damn good look at it.
@@decodolly1535 i am well aware of the function of a colour. I am saying the actual state event of Trooping the Colour is ceremonial.
I was on this parade, riding with the Household Cavalry, Lifeguards Squadron. We rehearse that speciifc parade for about 6-7 weeks but we continuously drilled all year in other ways, other parades and day to day guard duties.
It was an important ceremony. The regimental flag, or Colour, was paraded in front of the men so they would recognize it on the battlefield. 18th and 19th century battles could he a confused melee and recognising your flag out of the many flying could be the difference between life and death for you, and victory and defeat for your side.
Appreciate your respect and curiosity JT. I’m an Australian and joined the Scots Guards when I was 18, back in 1979/1980. I never Trooped the Colour, but 3months of square bashing at the Guard’s Depot in Pirbright, west of London is etched in my memory. The imposed discipline was pretty severe through an 18 year olds eyes but as I’ve got older I can see it’s purpose, how it is imposed, and it’s benefit. The attention to detail in drill, applied also on the battlefield gives you a better chance of staying alive. A number of the officers I trained with served in the Battle of Mt Tumbledown during the Falklands conflict. I remember Alistair Mitchell well. RUclips him for an account of the Battle of Mt Tumbledown … fascinating. War … very ugly.
My uncle was a Grenadier guard from 1953--1956 (national service) ..He did a trooping and he said , the pride he felt, Not only in himself, but also his mates, and the regiment.....A great honour.....Bring back national service
I remember one year when the guard on horseback was shouting at the troops and his horse's mouth was opening and closing and it was so funny cause it looked like it was the horse shouting.
One of my nephews is a Queens Guard. The many hours, weeks and weeks, of practice that goes on before this beautiful, disciplined display is amazing! Makes you proud to be a Brit when you see this. Love watching your genuine, inquisitive and heart felt reactions in all of your posts JT! Hope you smash that 100K subs soon!
The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being 'kept' by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accession of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.
Thank you Bill, great explanation 🇬🇧
Hi JT if you haven’t already watched it have a look at Prince Philips funeral and all of the bands lining up at Windsor.. it’s truly amazing to watch and listen to. It’s those occasions that hit me deep in the patriotic feels.
I’m an ex grenadier guard from 1970, and the basic training for a 16yr old was 6 months, but what you’re seeing to get to that standard takes a good few years, basic marching can be learned in a few weeks, but that formation stuff a hell of a lot longer!
Drill is a pill to be taken twice daily,ex 2nd Battalion myself 1984 till 1989 💂♂️
This Canadian has thoroughly enjoyed watching your reactions. I equally enjoy watching American military performances! Thank you for posting this.
It always makes me laugh when a American criticises how we spell words these said words were being spelt this way long before America was discovered 😂😂😂👍👍
amen
Erm, no. Some were, and some had multiple spellings for the same word. I believe that the standardisation of English spellings was in about 1775.
Actually it was the British that changed the spelling. Look at Kitchener’s “Mobilization” poster in WWI. We now use an ‘s’. In most cases we have changed, not the Americans. Our accents actually sounded more American 150 years ago.
I remember a US contributor to another social media forum discussing Trooping the Colour in which he was most admiring of the precision, presentation and skill of the troops involved, and then ruined the whole damned thing by saying something along the lines of “of course, these are soldiers who are injured or who have retired“. I will try to be fair so I will assume that some ignorant buffoon had told him that and he had no reason to disbelieve it. These uniforms are for ceremonial duties only, and the distinctive headgear was awarded for prowess in battle over two hundred years ago.
I have mentioned before on RUclips that if I were to see a video of the USMC and explained to a British audience that they were merely a tribute act to those pretend military people who supported John Wayne in fictional war films then the US audience would be mightily insulted!
It’s unbelievable how quiet it is in the background, when you consider the fact that they are right in the centre of London! This makes me so proud to be British. 🇬🇧❤️
Your right there
I am 80 now and I grew up with this. My Father joined the Scots Guards in 1926. Every year I still enjoy this ceremony of trooping the colour with its battle honours and history of the regiment.
Every soldier in The British army begins to learn these drill maneuvers on day one of basic training. I have commanded a parade very similar to this for a course passing out parade, very scary stuff. You have to remember every command, every movement while not having a single clue what is happening behind you. The only info you get is from the sergeants behind you and that is mostly keeping you heading straight...soiled underwear inducing.
Remember in basic training the RSM terrified me 😮
@@garryleeks4848 Did he threaten to rip your arms off and beat you with the soggy ends? Mine did! So funny
Sweat running down your face, itchy nose, need the bathroom.. tough, keep going.. Feel faint and going to fall, never put out your hands, stay to attention as you fall! Was married to a Grenadier, the work behind scenes is mind blowing. So proud to be British and of our Troops... Thank you JT.
I will never regret swearing allegiance to the Queen, even after my spine damage. I will all ways miss her
I went to the Army Apprentices College at Arborfield in 1975, all of our CSM's, the RSM and a good percentage of the squad Sergeants were Brigade of Guards. We were 16 when we joined and after 2 years of service our drill was as good as any unit anywhere and better than most.
I was in the Irish Guards for a number of years and I can remember being in the Escort to the Colour on the 11th of June 1988, and we started rehearsing from the end of March/beginning of April and we done a mini Trooping the Colour on the Parade square in Chelsea Barracks (before Tony Blair sold it to his currupt mates). The ceremony itself was to make sure that all troops in battle will recognise what their Regimental Colour, especially in the times like the Nepolanic Wars.
I come fm a family of Irish guardsmen, my dad uncle's & brother & I am extremely proud of them all, Irish guards are a massive part of my childhood, one of my uncle's was also dog handler of the gorgeous Fionn bk in the 70s. QS
Many respects 🇮🇪 from 🇬🇧/🇮🇪 thank you for your service bro
The band turning is called "The Pinwheel" and its closely guarded secret the Band of the Brigade of Guards keep to themselves!
And instructions for this extremely complex manoeuvre are not written down but passed on verbally
They make me so proud to be part of the Commonwealth.
I served in the Coldstream Guards from 1964 until 1971. I was on operations in South Arabia & South Yemen & Mauritius. Then postings to Germany (West) & Northern Ireland. I took part in 2 Trooping's of the Colour, I was stationed in London during 1967/1968. The Guards Regiments are stationed there for Public Duties which consist of Guarding the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James's Palace also the Tower of London guarding the Crown Jewels & the Guard at the Bank of England. On top of that there were various ceremonial duties to attend like the State Opening Of Parliament.The Lord Mayor's Ceremony in the City of London. Combined with all that we were constantly training for operations anywhere in the world. In London the Guards Regiments prepare for the ceremonial season in April & this consists of drill. drill. drill & drill. This drill helps to maintain fitness level as the ceremonial duties are extremely tough to do & you must be very fit to do them. The actual preparation for Trooping the Colour is around 5 weeks. You do a rehearsal & than a Full dress rehearsal a week before. Then you hope that it doesn't rain on the day. On the morning of Trooping the Colour you're up at 5am to prepare. The Guardsmen who actually Troop the Colour go onto a 48 hour Guard Duty at the places mentioned before. Hope this clarifies the background for you & that you enjoy the ceremonies. The hats that you referred to are called Bearskins.
Thank you for your service 🙏
Absolutely nobody does pomp and ceremony like us Brits. Long may it continue.
The turn is called form, the order is given “Left form!”, the guy on the left turns and “Marks time” (stationary march), as you come beside the guy to your left you also mark time.
Recruit training typically lasts 6-10 weeks, which includes drill (marching).
Drill movements are done to a count - “one, tup three, one”, movement is only carried out on the “one”.
28 weeks training at ITC catterick for the guards.
Recruit training is 26 weeks although they do have an added drill phase which prepares them for battalion duties.
@@hawker1262 I’m ex Irish guards mate, it’s 28 weeks with 2 of those dedicated to reversing the pass out parade, which is essentially a mini birthday parade, in terms of drill. Reversing public duties was done in perpetration for company commanders inspection.
Have been part of a drill group in the RAF, we practised regularly, with extra just before a major 'turn-out', as we were there to honour the arrival at an airfield friendly foreign military officers and politicos.
During the time of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding, we did this several times a day for a couple of weeks, as RAF Northolt was suddenly the place everyone came to, from the US president to the King of Tonga.
I was in the air force for 12 years and never could march 😕😕and they changed how to march 😯 but OK could not march but was well trained in the trade I did.. Most of the time I was in training for my trade😳
The people in gold you pointed to are the Drum Majors. They coordinate the band; they use the big stick, called a mace, to give signals. This is because if you're playing a drum or a tuba or whatever, you might not hear a word of command, like "HALT!". So the drum major gives signals with the mace so the band can see them.
Normally a military band would have only one Drum Major, but an enormous massed band such as this one has multiple.
The first trooping of the colour was performed for Charles II in 1670 something and then became a regular event at horse guards in 1805
The turning of the band in sync is called 'The Pinwheel' and is the only maneuver in the British Army which is not written down anywhere - the instructions how to do it are handed down by word of mouth only.
In her younger days, the Queen would do the entire review on horseback! Leaving the Palace, riding to the review, standing still for an hour or so, and back to the palace - all on horseback, and sidesaddle!
And by 'younger days' he doesnt mean in her 40s. She was leading the Trooping of the Colours at age 90 from horseback.
@@jamielonsdale3018 No she wasn't! The Queen stopped riding at Trooping the Colour when her horse Burmese retired. That was in 1986, when the Queen was 60 years old.
I have attended every Trooping of the Colour sinced 2000 in London and proir to that seen every one of them on BBC TV. These young men and women train very hard in order to achieve this perfection. I missed this years in London because of ill-health but watched it on the TV but hopefully back in London next year.
It always lasts a couple of hours, and the regiments might only get around 6 weeks rehearsal, depending on what else is going on and it'll end with the Queen and family going back to the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the flypast, we also have Remembrance Sunday the nearest Sunday to 11th November when the guns fell silent and peace declared, for that weekend we have something at The Royal Albert Hall and then at Whitehall on the Sunday
Those hats r made from Canadian black bear fur. I’m retired from the Canadian military. I know what they r doing cause I have done all that before. Lots of love from canada
I would like to say to all the personal that has served or still in the military Tysvm on ur service and god bless all. If everyone would just take a min to say ty to any military personnel retired or not it would make that persons day.
The Guards are drilling to a higher standard from the moment they join. Their esprit de corps is also very high and their is general pride in being closely associated with the monarch. The Queen also takes a particular interest in the Guards and this all contributes to keeping morale high. The flip side is that, in times of war, the Guards are also at the tip of the spear and their discipline (traditionally) has helped to keep the rest of the army in check.
Was this written 200 years ago????
@@danielwood9332 if you know ANYTHING about the British army you would know. A lot traditions are passed down bit the Guards have always been held as THE standard since the restoration of Charles II. At Corunna when the British army was retreating from the French, General Sir John Moore noted a regiments orderly withdraw with band playing and flags flying playing and remarked "That must be the Guards". There are many examples like this that could fill a book of its own. If you're a British serviceman you should already know this stuff.
Sorry folks for poor poor grammar, I have disabilities and am not so hot writing especially on mobile. Uncle Jim was in the Welsh Guards so have family experiences that I've drawn from too
I watch now and can't believe i served in the scots guards 2003 until 2008,trooped the colours in 2004 and it was hard,the amount off practice was ridiculous,the blisters on my feet were horrific lol....also it was an honor and im very proud to off served.
Sticking something on a pole does go way back into ancient times. Even the Romans did it. It was so you could see where your comrades were gathering in the middle of a battle. If the standard bearer was killed the person next to them would pick it up. The battle was not lost until all the standards were down, either through death or lowered in defeat.
In medieval battle and earlier the troops would look to the king or noble that lead them…Later the Colour was used as every regiment has its own colours as a rallying point
@@Durgesuth Yes. The king and his knights would be on horse and often the king would wear a crown on his helmet to they knew who he was. He'd stick up and out to the foot soldiers. Very brave when you consider that s/he (queens went to war too!) were also making themselves a target as well as a rallying point for the troops.
(Sorry - inappropriate here but I just had an image of Trumpery trying to get on a horse! 🤣)
@@margaretnicol3423 Boris wouldn’t exactly cut an elegant figure on horseback either, that’s if he could even manage it, which is very doubtful!
@@Essemm52 No, he certainly wouldn't. 🙂
Ad a former soldier I can tell you that these guys have all done plenty of drill (this kind of matching). The movements and timings become second nature.
I attended a military college for a year before joining my regiment and we spent around 3-6 weeks training for our big parade at the end of our year.
The hardest parts to master were rotating while marching and the slow march.
Mynplatoon was the only one to master the rotating and as such no others did it. We were blessed in that we had two drill instructors in the platoon; a WO1 from the Scots Guards and a Sgt from the Coldstream Guards.
You need to watch the Royal navy field gun race videos. Seeing that live is amazing
At 11:38, you pointed out the people in gold in front of the Band. These are what are called "Drum Majors". They are pretty much in charge of keeping the band in time and leading them. They use a stick which is called a Drum Major's Mace which you might have seen. The reason they are wearing gold is because whenever it is a Royal birthday (amongst other things), they are to wear that golden uniform which is called the "state dress".
This is not one band but 5, one for each of the regiments, the guys in gold at the front is for each of the bands with one of them taking the lead. At the back their are bagpipers from the Scots Guards and Irish Guards, some of the band have elaborate gold decoration on their uniform, they are not part of the band but the pipes and drums, they are part of the Regiment and have active rolls in the regiment. Band members come from the Royal corps of Army music and are assigned to regiments and can be moved to other regiments in their career.
Everything in order, just perfect. Practice, dedication, love of country. Wonderful music, too! Tremendous spectacle. Best wishes, and respect always!
you should check out the gun carriage race at the royal tournament, very exciting and brutal at the same time.
I was going to say the same. I've seen the race in person and it's amazing.
@@vezero317 yeah me too, i went there on a school trip, it was really good.
I use to see it every year as a kid at the royal tournament
@@tobytaylor2154 yeah shame they stopped it,
Used to watch the gun run as a kid in the 70's down at whale island in portsmouth. Just about all the sailors who participated had missing fingers, was a great night out.
The people in yellow are the drum majors. They lead the band. The gold uniforms they wear are State dress and are only worn on special occasions (i.e: Trooping the Colour, a birthday within the Royal Family, etc).
Thank you for your respect to our troops
I'm a Canadian veteran and I always enjoy watching these Guardsmen march. They're very sharp. I like the British Grenadiers march music as well. I've marched to it myself.
I remember my drill sessions on the square when I first joined and how bad we were, even being marched off to the guard house(jail)occasionally.We ended up practicing at night in our spare time with broom handles Eventually it just clicks and falls into place.
The Queen used to attend this event every year on a horse. She would watch whilst on the horse. Did it into her 70’s
the marching is interesting as it dates back to the time that the army had to fire in blocks and they had to act as one to get into postion , it was not just for parades .......
Yes definitely, the formidable thin red line.
Thank you for taking an interest in this it means a lot to us British people
The drum majors wear the red uniforms identical to everyone else UNLESS the queen is present, in which case they wear the gold ?stat”uniforms - which is what you mistake for “women”, as they have a skirt like appearance
They wear state dress when it is the birthday of a memeber of the royal family or on other state occasions.
There are woman in the bands of the Household division now and in the actual regiments too.
'Wheeling' the inside Marcher (L or R)essentially marks time, the Far end of the line marches faster, every one else normal pace and start marking time in conjuction wiht the inside Marker when the reach the correct position until the Far Marker rolls into thier position and then everyone is off again
Just so that you know, a genuine guardsman's bearskin costs about $1500.00, and is made from pelts obtained from the annual cull of Canadian black bears.
I believe they are no longer made of real bearskin so if you paid that much - you were done! 😀
@@margaretnicol3423 they are still made of bear skin, the bears are never hunted to order
@@fatsam2564 Sorry (T.A.K.)! You're quite right. They did try fakes but they didn't work. The Hussars use the fake ones apart from the leader who has a real one.
@@margaretnicol3423 They tried fake fur and it just didn't work. Much heavier and couldn't keep their shape in all weathers. The bear skins are a byproduct from the necessary cull, and at least shows respect to the animals, not just put in the bin. Canada has a very good and well resourced conservation policy, and some of the revenue from the bear skins goes to pay for that.
@@muskett4108 Yes, I kinda said that first bit.
I have three uncles who served in the Coldstream guards. These soldiers are advance infantry in the modern army. They are not merely ceremonial.
Those “hats” are called bearskins. It takes one bear to make one “hat.” They cost thousands of pounds.
Each footguards regiment has distinctive button groupings, and bearskin plumes (or not) in differing colours to denote the regiment. The plume may be on the right or left depending on regiment.
The “guys in yellow” are actually wearing scarlet, but adorned with a lot of gold. They are drum majors.
It was very important that the soldiery knew the 'colours' so they would know where their regiment was located on the battlefield. The Queen bestows the colours and so the soldiery needs to have it shown to them. In fairness, your US regiments do a nice parade too. Re the bearskin, my brother who was one of those guards said the bearskins are individual and destroyed after the wearer has done with it - end of service usually. There are not supposed to be any ex-Army bearskins available for sale. They are made from Canadian bear skin and are very heavy and warm. Stupid really as uniform goes. Back in the day monarchs liked their soldiers to be as tall as possible.
They are not destroyed, that's one reason why some are actual bearskin and some are synthetic.
It’s always impressive to watch well disciplined soldiers who are well trained do their thing. I’ve always loved watching the Trooping if the Colours for the queens official birthday celebration each year. Very proud to be British. I remember when Queen Elizabeth would actually take the salute while riding sidesaddle on her horse for the entire Trooping ceremony. As an aside the Bearskins as they are called have been worn by troops since the Napoleonic Wars. You should look up their history, it’s quite interesting and a little amusing.
Don't knock yourself JT. You'd be amazed at what you can do with the right training and practice.
The ones in yellow at the front of the band are the drum majors, in the state dress which is only worn in the presence of the Queen. Five drum majors, one for each of the five regiments of the guards.
Should check out the Queen's jubilee and the fly over ! You will love it , I could watch these all day long..
I was at her platinum Jubilee on tha mall this year it was amazing
10:00 - the Guard's Regiments's 'bearskin' is the skin stretched over a frame of canes so it's not so heavy as it might appear.
Hey JT It's all about the timing , the first movement is carried out.... 1 (say in your head 2, 3 ) second movement.... 1.......... The time never changes from your first Drill lesson to your last it is always 1, 2,3, 1. In training you are taught to call out the time as you carry out the movement, every time you are given a command .... Left turn, 1 you pivot your body on the heel and toe to the left,(this means your right foot is slightly behind the left) pauseof 2,3, the right knee is raised so the thigh is at a 90 degree angle to you body,then on the count of 1 the heel is driven down into place beside the left 1 2,3 1 all drill movements are carried out to this timing, after a while it just becomes second nature. re watch a couple of the movements and say along with the movement 1 2,3 1 and you will soon pick it up LOL!!!!!
Only exception is the light division
@@ianmills9266 cos they can't count to 3.........LOL!!!
@@Ayns.L14A nah, it's because we don't do things slowly
@@ianmills9266 That's what your lass said... LOL
The guys in front of the marching band JT are in uniforms that date back to the Tudor times
(around the late 1500's) - the ones you saw as yellow...
When the queen was younger, she sat through all this on horseback. Of course the horse was very well trained, but it's still not easy to keep a horse still for several hours.
The colours was a rallying point in battle. Defended to the death at all costs. All who served should know that. Wars have changed and Trooping the Colour is now ceremonial tradition. A sight to behold
Love that our attention was drawn to the medals of bravery that we otherwise would not notice 👍🏻💖
Didn't you remove the u in "colour" not us add it!?🤔☺️🇬🇧
Apparently it was Noah Webster (of the dictionary) who decided that American spelling should be differentiated from standard English (as laid down in Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary), so when he published his 'Compendious Dictionary of the English Language' in 1806 those letters he dismissed as pedantry were got rid of, so colour became color, programme became program, and catalogue became catalog, etc
@@ShanghaiRooster Oh! Interesting bit of info!🙂👍🏻
My father was a Coldsteam Guardsman and you start learing drill during your sixteen weeks of basic training and never really stop practosing. I never saw my dad slouch or not stand up stait or keep his house in order. His shirts etc were all hanging up facing to the right properly pressed. Its the mentality of an elite soldier and bodyguard to the monarch.
Colour is pronounced exactly the same as color. The reason the US didn’t keep the u is because in the early days of the US, printing/writing services would charge by the letter and that led to some letters being deemed unnecessary and then dropped.
whilst this is true, the etymology of colour is from the latin COLOR through old French Colourer then to english COLOUR
What a load of bull. What of words like Dramatised (UK) vs Dramatized (US) for example, of which, there are many many many other examples like radicalised (UK) vs radicalized (US) etc... "charging by the letter" indeed, absolute bollocks. Dont believe me? What of words like Centre (UK) vs Center (US) or Theatre (UK) vs Theater (US) They all have the same number of letters!
It just so happens that the UK dictionary was influenced by the French language and Samuel Johnsons US dictionary often removed silent letters to words that he knew, but with exceptions of course to help in writing to differentiate between context/objects, an example would be Knight vs Night. Hence why US English is often called "Simplified English" rather than "English"