They are the most recognisable soldiers in the UK, if not the world. The public face of royal ceremony, resplendent in bearskins and scarlet tunics, they stand guard outside Britain’s royal residences, most famously Buckingham Palace. But the Grenadier Guards are also the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army and they are also one of the oldest, celebrating their 350th anniversary last year.
To mark this milestone, Guarding the Queen will provide a rare behind the scenes insight into their journey from rookie recruits to carrying out important duties outside Buckingham Palace and on the front line.
Between December 2006 to June 2007 ITV cameras have exclusively followed the Nijmegen Company who form a key part of the Household Division of the Grenadier Guards. Their job at Wellington Barracks in London includes guarding both the Queen, and the Crown Jewels at The Tower of London. It is the first time the Grenadiers have been filmed in ten years.
In the first of this three part series, the Queen celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Grenadiers with a party at Windsor Castle. For commanding officer Colonel Carew Hatherley it’s a very proud moment.
"We’re carrying on 350 years of serving the monarchy – that’s ten kings and three queens. It’s part of the living history of Great Britain," he says.
But not all the guards are enjoying the party. Up in the Scottish highlands Captain Ollie Doherty is leading a group of trainee guardsmen on their final exercise in battlefield discipline – the climax of months of hard training. Of the 13 Grenadiers that started the course only four remain.
One of the four is Steven Cooper, and the programme cameras follow him on his passing out parade at the guards’ training depot in Catterick in Yorkshire –- and see how he settles into life at Wellington Barracks in London before taking part in his first guard change outside Buckingham Palace.
Regimental Adjutant Conway Seymour, a Grenadier for 42 years, says: "Of all the great heroes, there’s none that can compare with the British Grenadiers."
Today he is inducting two new musicians to the band regiment. The world famous pomp and ceremony of the changing of the guard wouldn’t be complete without the band of the Grenadier Guards. One of the new recruits is Abbey Davis – only the fifth woman to join the Grenadier Guards band.
After her 12 weeks of basic training she joins Wellington Barracks for her initiation into the band troop:
"It’s weird being in a proper army camp, all the army vehicles everywhere. I’m not used to seeing them," she says.
Band Sergeant Major Kevin Bird is responsible for getting the band into shape:
"I think for any musician that comes into this environment it’s going to be a very big challenge. When they audition first of all they’re expected to be of a certain standard. They will go through basic training and then they come to us so they could be anything from 18 months to two years in training before they come to us."
As new band recruit Abbey takes part in her first guard change, it is the last for Major Marcus Elliot-Square. He’s about to go to Afghanistan and returns back to his battalion for four months’ training to prepare to fight the Taliban.
For the last fourteen months Major Elliot-Square has commanded Nijmegen Company when the Grenadiers are on guard. After leaving his ceremonial duties he puts his company through live firing exercises in Northumberland on an assault across open ground. The company work alongside Afghans who are drafted in so the troops can get used to working through interpreters.
Tuesday 17 july, 8pm on ITV1
