OW part of historic Changing of the Guard swap

Tom Bellinger StB'22 was honoured to be part of a group of Coldstream Guards chosen for a historic moment as UK and French troops swapped roles for the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Last month marked the 120th anniversary of a diplomat agreement, the Entente Cordiale, signed between Britain and France. To celebrate more than a century of fruitful alliance, and the ongoing close military, diplomatic and cultural ties between the two nations, history-making events were held in London and Paris.

While the British Army played host to 32 members of the Garde Républicaine at Buckingham Palace, 16 soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from the Garde Républicaine, outside the Élysée Palace in Paris, the official residence of the French President.

This was the first ever instance of soldiers of a foreign state guarding the presidential residence and Tom was privileged to be part of this occasion.

Also present at the UK part of the ceremony was another Old Worthian, General Sir Patrick Sanders R'84, the British Army's Chief of the General Staff.