Horse Guards Parade

Here is Horse Guards Parade an area where in the 16th Century Henry VIII held jousting tournaments since when it has been used for a variety of ceremonies and today is a ceremonial parade ground, the site of the Trooping the Colours when it is the Queen's official birthday. Her love of horses is well know so I imagine she enjoys this part of here official calendar.  The building shown, with the top of the London Eye behind it, contains the Household Cavalry Museum

and was once the headquarters of the British Army.

My own favourite building of the quadrangle is the Old Admiralty Building (at the moment occupied by part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) and was the place Admiral Lord Nelson lay before his funeral in 1806. The building has undergone many alternations but the screen wall was designed in the 18th Century by Robert Adams and later restored in 1923.

The space is large so it is difficult without to fit everything in but luckily Wikipedia provides a panorama

Farwestern Photo by Gregg M. Erickson - CC

Of course what draws the tourist crowds are the actual Horse Guards themselves who Change the Guard every morning and stand guard to the official entrances and are not supposed to move, a skill in itself. 

Did I say the Horse Guards were the attraction, well of course we mustn't forget the horses.  The notice just out of picture on the right says "Beware. Horses may Kick or Bite. Thank You".  If the horses are getting upset the Horse Guard will warn to get back.  The mounted guards

 are at an advantage high above the crowds but those standing still on foot 

are right in the middle of an every changing melee.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at H here