His Majesty…

...The King’s Guards

We went to see His Majesty the King’s Guards perform their routine. They were in Stavanger a couple of days ago but we missed them, thankfully they were doing another exhibition of their talent in Sandnes, just a couple of miles south of us.



A little background:

Hans Majestet Kongens Garde (HMKG) (lit., His Majesty The King's Guard; the Royal Guards) is a battalion of the Norwegian Army. The battalion has two main roles; it serves as the Norwegian King's bodyguards, guarding the royal residences, and is also the main infantry unit responsible for the defense of Oslo. […].

The Royal Norwegian Company of Marksmen was established on 1 November 1856 to enhance security around King Oscar I in Stockholm. The company was renamed His Majesty The King’s Guard in 1866, and was transferred to Kristiania (now Oslo) toward the end of the union between Sweden and Norway. Since 1888 the King’s Guard has been on duty at the Royal Palace and other Royal residences 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The changing of the guard ceremony in front of The Palace takes place at 1330–1400 hours every day. The dark blue dress uniforms have remained virtually unchanged throughout the regiment's existence. One noteworthy detail of the uniform is the plumed bowler hat, which was copied from the hat of the Italian Bersaglieri troops—a regiment that so impressed the Swedish princess Louise (the great grandmother of HM King Harald V) that she insisted the Norwegian guards be similarly hatted in 1860. The regiment's cap badge is a rosette in the national colours of Norway, with the royal cypher of the current Norwegian monarch on top. In addition to performing guard duty, the Guards is also on parade whenever important state events take place in the capital. These include the annual opening of parliament by HM the King, visits by foreign heads of state, or anniversaries of major events in the history of the nation.

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Check out at the 2.45 mark and around 6.07 mark!