The Defence’s role in connection with the succession of the throne
When HM The Queen and the future King and Queen are driven through Copenhagen by coach in connection with the succession of the throne on Sunday, 14 January 2024, it will, in keeping with tradition, be done with an escort by the Guard Hussar Regiment’s Mounted Squadron. Along the route, the Defence will also be present and visible with flag formations and honour commands, just as The Royal Life Guard will be attired in the red gala uniform at both Amalienborg and Christiansborg Palace.
On Sunday, the Golden Wedding Anniversary Coach will be harnessed to six dappled Kladruber horses from The Royal Mews, and there will be two outriders. Both in front of and behind The Royal House of Denmark’s white horses, spectators will see 48 Hussar horses from the Guard Hussar Regiment’s Mounted Squadron.
When the coach rounds the bend at Holmens Canal, an honour command consisting of 18 service personnel from each of the three services (The Army, The Navy and The Air Force) and a flag formation with the Defence’s royally consecrated flags and standards will be set up. In extension of this, honour commands and royally consecrated flags from the Home Guard and the Danish Emergency Management Agency will be set up.
At the Church of Holmen, a flag formation consisting of flags from the former servicemen’s associations and the organisation Danmarks-Samfundet will be represented.
At Christiansborg Palace, a King’s Watch from The Royal Life Guard will be formed to meet the royals upon arrival and departure.
Inside Christiansborg Palace, there will, in keeping with tradition, be a foot guard command from the Guard Hussar Regiment by the Royal Staircase, just as The Royal Life Guard will form an inner command.
Before the proclamation, an honour command will be posted by The King’s Gate at Christiansborg Palace Square. The honour command will be positioned centrally under the balcony and consist of 48 guards, 16 drummers, a flag lieutenant and a flag bearer as well as The Royal Life Guard’s royally consecrated regimental flag.
Firing of salute
Immediately following the proclamation of HM King Frederik X, a salute will be fired from the Sixtus Battery. The Navy’s Military Police Guard will be in charge of firing the cannons located on Holmen in Copenhagen.
The salute of joy consists of 3 x 27 shots, which are fired at 5-6 second intervals. There is a tradition that 27 shots are fired for the monarch. Historically, in Danish warfare, three shots known as a “dansk løsen” have been fired to indicate the position of the Danish units. The salute has its roots in this “dansk løsen”, so there is a tradition that it can be divided into three parts.
Fact about red guard gala
The Royal Life Guard’s red gala uniform is worn only for specific occasions, including 1 January, the sovereign’s birthday, state visits and special celebrations in The Royal House of Denmark. The red gala uniform will also be worn on 15 January 2024, when the King’s Watch carries out the changing of the guard towards Frederik VIII’s Palace for the first time since January 1972.
The red colour of the uniform can be traced back to circa 1660. For daily sentry duty for The Royal House of Denmark, members of The Life Guard wear a dark blue uniform, which was introduced as a field uniform in 1848.
