The Coldstream Guards Changing Guard at St James, 1905 (c)

Oil on board by Henry Joseph 'Harry' Payne (1858-1927), 1905 (c).

The Coldstream Guards are the oldest regiment in the Army having been in continuous service since 1650 when they were established at Coldstream on the Scottish border. Despite this the regiment is ranked second in the order of precedence, behind the Grenadier Guards. This is because the Grenadier Guards have served the Crown for a longer period.

Changing the Guard takes place daily at the royal palaces in London, where soldiers have protected the monarch since the 1660s. Now a popular tourist attraction, it still has a real security function alongside its ceremonial splendour.

One of a series of 14 oil paintings depicting various units of the British Army.