Final Royal visit before the troop leaves St John’s Wood for Woolwich
The Queen followed in her father’s footsteps last week when she visited the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at the St John’s Wood Barracks.
On a similar visit in 1947, King George VI decided to change the name of the then Riding Troop, crossing out the word Riding and writing King’s beside it.
On her accession to the throne, Queen Elizabeth II declared the name would remain in her father’s honour.
The Queen’s trip marked the final Royal visit to the barracks before the King’s Troop leaves St John’s Wood for its new base in Woolwich later this year. She inspected the troop before being treated to a display of horsemanship, then meeting soldiers and their families.
The Riding Troop was originally formed in 1803 and its duties include firing the Royal salutes in Hyde Park on Royal anniversaries, and providing a gun carriage and black horses for state funerals.
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