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Horse Guards Parade is a large parade ground
Parade (military)

A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted. The American usage is "formation or military review". The military parade is now mostly ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the late 19th century fought in formation....
 off Whitehall
Whitehall

Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional Charing Cross, now at the southern end of Trafalgar Square and marked by the statue of Charles I of England, which is often regarded as the heart of London....
 in central London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, at grid reference
British national grid reference system

The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude....
 . It was formerly the site of the Palace of Whitehall's tiltyard
Tiltyard

A tiltyard was an enclosed courtyard for jousting . Tiltyards were a common feature of late medieval castles and palaces. The Horse Guards Parade in London was formerly the tiltyard constructed by Henry VIII of England as an entertainment venue adjacent to Whitehall Palace; it was the site of the Accession Day tilts in the reigns of Elizab...
, where tournament
Tournament (medieval)

A Tournament, or tourney is the name popularly given to chivalry competitions or mock fights of the Middle Ages and Renaissance . It is one of various types of hastiludes....
s were held in the time of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
.






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Stow, John the Prospect of Whitehall From the Park of St James, 1755
Horse Guards Parade is a large parade ground
Parade (military)

A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted. The American usage is "formation or military review". The military parade is now mostly ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the late 19th century fought in formation....
 off Whitehall
Whitehall

Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional Charing Cross, now at the southern end of Trafalgar Square and marked by the statue of Charles I of England, which is often regarded as the heart of London....
 in central London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, at grid reference
British national grid reference system

The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude....
 . It was formerly the site of the Palace of Whitehall's tiltyard
Tiltyard

A tiltyard was an enclosed courtyard for jousting . Tiltyards were a common feature of late medieval castles and palaces. The Horse Guards Parade in London was formerly the tiltyard constructed by Henry VIII of England as an entertainment venue adjacent to Whitehall Palace; it was the site of the Accession Day tilts in the reigns of Elizab...
, where tournament
Tournament (medieval)

A Tournament, or tourney is the name popularly given to chivalry competitions or mock fights of the Middle Ages and Renaissance . It is one of various types of hastiludes....
s were held in the time of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
. It was also the scene of the annual celebrations of the birthday of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
.

The area has been used for a variety of reviews, parades and other ceremonies since the 17th century. It is the site of the annual ceremonies of Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments for centuries and it was first performed during the reign of Charles II of England....
, which commemorates the monarch's official birthday
Queen's Official Birthday

The Queen's Official Birthday is celebrated as a public holiday in 53 Commonwealth of Nations countries?usually Commonwealth Realms, although it is also celebrated in Fiji, now a republic....
, and Beating Retreat
Beating Retreat

Beating Retreat or Beating the Retreat is a military ceremony dating back to 16th century England and was first used in order to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle....
. For much of the late 20th century it was put to a rather less dignified purpose — as a car park for senior civil servants — but this use was ended in the 1990s.

The catalyst for the clearing of the parade ground was the Provisional IRA's mortar
Mortar (weapon)

A mortar is a Muzzleloader indirect fire weapon that fires shell at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing Ballistics trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
 attack on 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street

Number 10 Downing Street is the residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The headquarters of Her Majesty's Government, it is situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England....
 on 7 February 1991, which was carried out from a vehicle parked near to Horse Guards Parade in Horse Guards Avenue. Not surprisingly, vehicles are now not allowed to park anywhere in the area.

Layout

The parade ground is open on the west side, where it faces Horse Guards Road
Horse Guards (road)

Horse Guards' Road is a road in the City of Westminster, London. It runs south from The Mall , down to Birdcage Walk.To the west of the road is St....
 and St. James's Park
St. James's Park

St. James's Park is a 58 acre park in City of Westminster, central London, the oldest of the Royal Parks of London. The park lies at the southernmost tip of the St....
. It is flanked on the north by the Old Admiralty and the Admiralty Citadel
Military citadels under London

A number of military citadels are known to have been constructed underground in central London, dating mostly from the Second World War and the Cold War....
, on the east by Horse Guards
Horse Guards (building)

Horse Guards is a large grade I listed building in the Palladian style between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade in London, England. It was built between 1751-1753 by John Vardy to a design by William Kent....
 — formerly the headquarters of the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 — and on the south by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the rear garden wall of 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street

Number 10 Downing Street is the residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The headquarters of Her Majesty's Government, it is situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England....
, the official residence of the British Prime Minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
. Access to this side of Horse Guards Parade is now restricted for security reasons.

Monuments


A number of military monuments and trophies ring the outside of the parade ground, including:
  • statues of Field Marshals Kitchener, Roberts
    Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts

    Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Victoria Cross, Order of the Garter, Order of St Patrick, Order of the Bath, Order of Merit , Order of the Star of India, Order of the Indian Empire, Privy Council of the United Kingdom was a distinguished Anglo-Irish soldier and one of the most successful commanders of the Victorian...
     and Wolseley
  • a Turkish
    Turkey

    Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and Thrace in the Balkans region of Southern Europe....
     cannon made in 1524 "by Murad son of Abdullah, chief gunner" which was captured in Egypt
    Egypt

    Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
     in 1801
  • the Cádiz Memorial, a French mortar mounted on a cast-iron Chinese dragon
    Chinese dragon

    The China dragon or Oriental dragon is a mythical creature in East Asian culture with a China origin. It is visualized these days as a long, scaled, snake-like creature with four legs and five claws on each ....
     which commemorates the lifting of the siege of Cádiz
    Cádiz

    C?diz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of C?diz, one of eight which make up the Autonomous communities of Spain of Andalusia....
     in Spain
    Spain

    Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
     in 1812
  • the Guards Memorial, designed by the sculptor Gilbert Ledward in 1923-26 and erected to commemorate the First Battle of Ypres
    First Battle of Ypres

    }|-||}The First Battle of Ypres, also called the Battle of Flanders, was the last major battle of the first year of World War I ; actually a series of battles, starting on 19 October and ending, according to the various histories, on 13 November , 22 November or 30 November ....
     and other battles of World War I
    World War I

    World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
    .


In 2003 the Royal Naval Division Memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, Order of Merit , Order of the Indian Empire, Royal Academy, Royal Institute of British Architects, LLD was a leading 20th century British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era....
 in 1925, was returned to its original site in Horse Guards Parade and rededicated on "Beaucourt Day" (13 November 2003).

An oddity is the black background to the number 2 of the double sided clock which overlooks the Parade Ground and the front entrance, it is popularly thought to commemorate the time the last absolute monarch of England, Charles I, was beheaded at the Banqueting House opposite.

The 2012 Olympics

Horse Guards Parade will host the beach volleyball competition of the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, are due to be celebrated in London in the United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012....
 held in London. Temporary courts and seating will be installed, much as seating is installed annually for Trooping the Colour. There will be two courts with capacities of 12,000 and 5,000.

London Polo Championships

Horse Guards Parade is set to host the 1st London Polo Champtionships on the 17th & 18th of June 2009, www.londonpolo.co.uk with a host of teams from around the world