Household Division soldiers on parade for Major General's Review

Soldiers from the Household Division were on parade on Saturday for the Major General's Review.

The event on Horse Guards Parade in central London involved almost 1,100 soldiers, 250 military horses and was watched by 5,500 spectators.

This was the first of three annual military demonstrations that culminate with the Queen's Birthday Parade on June 13.

The Queen’s Birthday Parade, commonly known as Trooping the Colour, is when the Queen’s Colour is 'trooped' in front of the Queen and all the Royal Colonels.

This year the honour falls to the Welsh Guards, who received their new colours from Her Majesty at Windsor Castle on April 30.

Horses and soldiers carried out complex drill manoeuvres which were the state of the art weapon of war when Wellington faced Napoleon at Waterloo 200 years ago.

The review is the opportunity for Major General Ed Smyth-Osbourne, the general officer commanding The Household Division, to inspect his troops before The Colonel’s Review and the Queen’s Birthday Parade.

The soldiers wore traditional ceremonial uniforms of the Household Cavalry, Royal Horse Artillery, and Foot Guards.

More than 350 musicians from all the Household Division Bands and Corps of Drums marched and played.