Royal Navy sailors performed the Changing of the Guard ceremony for the first time in its 357-year history.
Onlookers gathered in their thousands to watch on as 86 sailors performed the routine – in which one team of guards takes over from another in a colourful spectacle – to mark 2017 as the Year of the Navy.
Eddie Wearing, the warrant officer 1st Class, said: "It’s daunting, but I’m very excited. To be the conducting warrant officer for the first mount ever in the Royal Navy is a massive privilege and an honour to do. I’m really looking forward to it."
During the routine, the sailors marched through the famous Buckingham Palace gates while the ‘Game of Thrones’ tune played out.
The ceremony is usually carried out by Foot Guards from the Army’s Household Division regiments, but the sailors underwent training for a month at the navy’s headquarters in Portsmouth, southern England, to ensure they had the routine spot on.
As well as celebrating the Year of the Navy, the sailors were also paying tribute to a number of additional ships in its fleet, including the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The Changing of the Guard has been taking place since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660.
The traditional Guards consist of five infantry regiments – the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards – and two regiments of the Household Cavalry – the Life Guards and Blues and Royals.
Changing of the Guard performed by sailors for 1st time
