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The Annual Inspection

The ceremonial Changing of the Guard takes place at Rideau Hall, Canada’s viceregal palace, and Parliament Hill during the warmer months of the year. I recall with great fondness a summer trip to Ottawa when I was but a little boy and watching the Changing of the Guard on the green in front of the splendidly gothic parliament buildings. I instantly wanted to become a Canadian soldier, and pondered how many chocolate bars I could hide in the bearskin cap of a red-tunic’d guardsman. (Needless to say, I have not become a Canadian soldier, but Sa Majesté need only call and I would be at her service).

The ceremonial season begins with the annual inspection of the guard by the Governor General. Canada’s Ceremonial Guard is the equivalent of the Brigade of Guards in Great Britain. The CG is composed of elements drawn from the Governor General’s Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. (The other component of the Queen’s Household Division is the Governor General’s Horse Guards, Canada’s only household cavalry regiment).

The main façade of Rideau Hall has recently been cleaned and restored (above) to bring it close to its original spic-span appearance (below). The pediment is said to be one of the largest in the Commonwealth. As palaces go, Rideau Hall is something of an awkward composition. It started out as a humble villa and was gradually expanded in a somewhat haphazard but nonetheless charming manner. Nonetheless, the addition of the Mappin Wing — the central section with the pediment that is now the most well-known part of Rideau Hall — has made the best of a difficult job of pulling the various disparate parts to form a cohesive whole.

Published at 8:59 pm on Sunday 13 July 2008. Categories: Canada Military Monarchy Tags: , , , .
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